Rendering Beef Tallow

[Boss .300 winmag]

The wife has me doing this once we pick up our beef from the butcher.

I’ve seen it done on a grill. I thinking of doing it on the propane burner stove.

Any tips for doing this from people who have done it?

[jrebel]

Boss....I imagine it is the same as bear grease / tallow. 

Low and slow is the key.....plan on an all day event.  If you rush it, you will get dark tallow that is potentially off putting and may affect the smell and taste.  Could even result in a rancid tallow. 

We use two methods with out bear and it turns out great with both. 
-  Start by cutting as much meat off the fat as possible before rendering. 
-  Get a large stock pot and add 1/4" of water to the bottom of the stock pot. 
-  Start warming the stock pot with water in the bottom on the stovetop (low setting) or crock pot can be used
-  Cube the fat in 1/2" to 1" size
-  Add one single layer of fat to the stock pot or crock pot and let it start to render, stiring occaisionally.
-  After you start getting rendered fat / tallow in the bottom, it is safe to add more fat to the pots.
-  Keep it low and slow, stirring / mixing occasionally.  You can use a lid to retain heat, but the lid should be taken off at the end to make sure all the water evaporates.  I leave the lid off for at least an hour at the end of the process. 
-  As the fat / tallow renders...you will get pieces / product that does not liquify.  Skim that off the top and dispose of....or eat as chitlins (I'm personally not a fan) but others love them.  I find they are little grease bombs that run through me like a pipe being cleared with drano. 
-  Finally, strain the tallow directly into canning jars.  I use a large strainer that is double or triple lined with cheese cloth.  I want to catch all the impurities.  Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. 
-  Let them cool on the counter and then place lids on them and store in the fridge or freezer.  Some will say the freezer is a bad idea because you "could" break the jars if the tallow expands.  I have never had tallow expand and all my jars work well in the freezer.  When stored in the freezer, it will last indefinitely. 

If done correctly, it will come out crystal white.  The last batch I did took me 10-12 hours. 

[addicted1]

I’ve only done bear grease, similar approach to jrebel. But, used a crockpot instead.

[Shawn Ryan]

I've done beef and bear. Similar process as jrebel, though I've put all my fat in at once and did it in the kitchen. The cracklings run through my dog's digestive tract as well, so be careful with how those are consumed. I put cheesecloth over the strainer in the pic below. Sometimes, I've strained multiple times.

[Shawn Ryan]

We've used the oil for cooking and baking, using it in place of other oils or butter. The chocolate chip cookies look funny, but taste great. I burned the last of the pot of bear oil by cooking it too long or too fast, so I use it on my leather work boots for waterproofing. Other than the dog being extra interested in my boots, it works well.

[Shawn Ryan]

Just rendered the fat from a Thanksgiving turkey. Haven't tried it, yet. The fat had already undergone cooking, cooling, and re-heating, and I don't know how that might have changed the chemistry. (IDK why the pic keeps getting flipped; its portrait on my end.)

[Shawn Ryan]

Jrebel is right about the color once cooled and in the frig: white. These pics are all of freshly jarred oil.

[baker5150]

Just rendered the fat from a Thanksgiving turkey. Haven't tried it, yet. The fat had already undergone cooking, cooling, and re-heating, and I don't know how that might have changed the chemistry. (IDK why the pic keeps getting flipped; its portrait on my end.)

I do this every year with our Turkey and it turns out fantastic, cook-cool-render.


I will say I never get that many jars out of it, how big a turkey are you cookin? 

[Shawn Ryan]

Just rendered the fat from a Thanksgiving turkey. Haven't tried it, yet. The fat had already undergone cooking, cooling, and re-heating, and I don't know how that might have changed the chemistry. (IDK why the pic keeps getting flipped; its portrait on my end.)

I do this every year with our Turkey and it turns out fantastic, cook-cool-render.


I will say I never get that many jars out of it, how big a turkey are you cookin? 

Sorry, wrong picture. That is the broth that I canned from the turkey. Only got two jars of oil.

[baker5150]

Just rendered the fat from a Thanksgiving turkey. Haven't tried it, yet. The fat had already undergone cooking, cooling, and re-heating, and I don't know how that might have changed the chemistry. (IDK why the pic keeps getting flipped; its portrait on my end.)

I do this every year with our Turkey and it turns out fantastic, cook-cool-render.


I will say I never get that many jars out of it, how big a turkey are you cookin? 

Sorry, wrong picture. That is the broth that I canned from the turkey. Only got two jars of oil.

2 jars is about what we get as well.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Boss....I imagine it is the same as bear grease / tallow. 

Low and slow is the key.....plan on an all day event.  If you rush it, you will get dark tallow that is potentially off putting and may affect the smell and taste.  Could even result in a rancid tallow. 

We use two methods with out bear and it turns out great with both. 
-  Start by cutting as much meat off the fat as possible before rendering. 
-  Get a large stock pot and add 1/4" of water to the bottom of the stock pot. 
-  Start warming the stock pot with water in the bottom on the stovetop (low setting) or crock pot can be used
-  Cube the fat in 1/2" to 1" size
-  Add one single layer of fat to the stock pot or crock pot and let it start to render, stiring occaisionally.
-  After you start getting rendered fat / tallow in the bottom, it is safe to add more fat to the pots.
-  Keep it low and slow, stirring / mixing occasionally.  You can use a lid to retain heat, but the lid should be taken off at the end to make sure all the water evaporates.  I leave the lid off for at least an hour at the end of the process. 
-  As the fat / tallow renders...you will get pieces / product that does not liquify.  Skim that off the top and dispose of....or eat as chitlins (I'm personally not a fan) but others love them.  I find they are little grease bombs that run through me like a pipe being cleared with drano. 
-  Finally, strain the tallow directly into canning jars.  I use a large strainer that is double or triple lined with cheese cloth.  I want to catch all the impurities.  Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. 
-  Let them cool on the counter and then place lids on them and store in the fridge or freezer.  Some will say the freezer is a bad idea because you "could" break the jars if the tallow expands.  I have never had tallow expand and all my jars work well in the freezer.  When stored in the freezer, it will last indefinitely. 

If done correctly, it will come out crystal white.  The last batch I did took me 10-12 hours.

Why add water?

[jdb]

I use the turkey fat to make a roux for turkey gravey

[jrebel]

Boss....I imagine it is the same as bear grease / tallow. 

Low and slow is the key.....plan on an all day event.  If you rush it, you will get dark tallow that is potentially off putting and may affect the smell and taste.  Could even result in a rancid tallow. 

We use two methods with out bear and it turns out great with both. 
-  Start by cutting as much meat off the fat as possible before rendering. 
-  Get a large stock pot and add 1/4" of water to the bottom of the stock pot. 
-  Start warming the stock pot with water in the bottom on the stovetop (low setting) or crock pot can be used
-  Cube the fat in 1/2" to 1" size
-  Add one single layer of fat to the stock pot or crock pot and let it start to render, stiring occaisionally.
-  After you start getting rendered fat / tallow in the bottom, it is safe to add more fat to the pots.
-  Keep it low and slow, stirring / mixing occasionally.  You can use a lid to retain heat, but the lid should be taken off at the end to make sure all the water evaporates.  I leave the lid off for at least an hour at the end of the process. 
-  As the fat / tallow renders...you will get pieces / product that does not liquify.  Skim that off the top and dispose of....or eat as chitlins (I'm personally not a fan) but others love them.  I find they are little grease bombs that run through me like a pipe being cleared with drano. 
-  Finally, strain the tallow directly into canning jars.  I use a large strainer that is double or triple lined with cheese cloth.  I want to catch all the impurities.  Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. 
-  Let them cool on the counter and then place lids on them and store in the fridge or freezer.  Some will say the freezer is a bad idea because you "could" break the jars if the tallow expands.  I have never had tallow expand and all my jars work well in the freezer.  When stored in the freezer, it will last indefinitely. 

If done correctly, it will come out crystal white.  The last batch I did took me 10-12 hours.

Why add water?

You don't want to burn / overheat the tallow / fat.  We add water to keep the first layer from burning to the bottom of the pan before it starts to render.  Once you have the fat rendering, the water will evaporate off.  Burned tallow / fat will give the finished product an off putting flavor (at least that potential exists). 

You only need a quarter inch of water in the bottom of your pot....so it evaporates off well before you are done. 

[Boss .300 winmag]

Boss....I imagine it is the same as bear grease / tallow. 

Low and slow is the key.....plan on an all day event.  If you rush it, you will get dark tallow that is potentially off putting and may affect the smell and taste.  Could even result in a rancid tallow. 

We use two methods with out bear and it turns out great with both. 
-  Start by cutting as much meat off the fat as possible before rendering. 
-  Get a large stock pot and add 1/4" of water to the bottom of the stock pot. 
-  Start warming the stock pot with water in the bottom on the stovetop (low setting) or crock pot can be used
-  Cube the fat in 1/2" to 1" size
-  Add one single layer of fat to the stock pot or crock pot and let it start to render, stiring occaisionally.
-  After you start getting rendered fat / tallow in the bottom, it is safe to add more fat to the pots.
-  Keep it low and slow, stirring / mixing occasionally.  You can use a lid to retain heat, but the lid should be taken off at the end to make sure all the water evaporates.  I leave the lid off for at least an hour at the end of the process. 
-  As the fat / tallow renders...you will get pieces / product that does not liquify.  Skim that off the top and dispose of....or eat as chitlins (I'm personally not a fan) but others love them.  I find they are little grease bombs that run through me like a pipe being cleared with drano. 
-  Finally, strain the tallow directly into canning jars.  I use a large strainer that is double or triple lined with cheese cloth.  I want to catch all the impurities.  Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. 
-  Let them cool on the counter and then place lids on them and store in the fridge or freezer.  Some will say the freezer is a bad idea because you "could" break the jars if the tallow expands.  I have never had tallow expand and all my jars work well in the freezer.  When stored in the freezer, it will last indefinitely. 

If done correctly, it will come out crystal white.  The last batch I did took me 10-12 hours.

Why add water?

You don't want to burn / overheat the tallow / fat.  We add water to keep the first layer from burning to the bottom of the pan before it starts to render.  Once you have the fat rendering, the water will evaporate off.  Burned tallow / fat will give the finished product an off putting flavor (at least that potential exists). 

You only need a quarter inch of water in the bottom of your pot....so it evaporates off well before you are done.

Ok this makes sense.

[Limhangerslayer]

Boss....I imagine it is the same as bear grease / tallow. 

Low and slow is the key.....plan on an all day event.  If you rush it, you will get dark tallow that is potentially off putting and may affect the smell and taste.  Could even result in a rancid tallow. 

We use two methods with out bear and it turns out great with both. 
-  Start by cutting as much meat off the fat as possible before rendering. 
-  Get a large stock pot and add 1/4" of water to the bottom of the stock pot. 
-  Start warming the stock pot with water in the bottom on the stovetop (low setting) or crock pot can be used
-  Cube the fat in 1/2" to 1" size
-  Add one single layer of fat to the stock pot or crock pot and let it start to render, stiring occaisionally.
-  After you start getting rendered fat / tallow in the bottom, it is safe to add more fat to the pots.
-  Keep it low and slow, stirring / mixing occasionally.  You can use a lid to retain heat, but the lid should be taken off at the end to make sure all the water evaporates.  I leave the lid off for at least an hour at the end of the process. 
-  As the fat / tallow renders...you will get pieces / product that does not liquify.  Skim that off the top and dispose of....or eat as chitlins (I'm personally not a fan) but others love them.  I find they are little grease bombs that run through me like a pipe being cleared with drano. 
-  Finally, strain the tallow directly into canning jars.  I use a large strainer that is double or triple lined with cheese cloth.  I want to catch all the impurities.  Fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. 
-  Let them cool on the counter and then place lids on them and store in the fridge or freezer.  Some will say the freezer is a bad idea because you "could" break the jars if the tallow expands.  I have never had tallow expand and all my jars work well in the freezer.  When stored in the freezer, it will last indefinitely. 

If done correctly, it will come out crystal white.  The last batch I did took me 10-12 hours.

Why add water?

You don't want to burn / overheat the tallow / fat.  We add water to keep the first layer from burning to the bottom of the pan before it starts to render.  Once you have the fat rendering, the water will evaporate off.  Burned tallow / fat will give the finished product an off putting flavor (at least that potential exists). 

You only need a quarter inch of water in the bottom of your pot....so it evaporates off well before you are done.

Ok this makes sense.

I’m also a fan of rendering 2-3 times.  Get cleaner and even less odor in the lard.  And also gets rid of all moisture. 

[slavenoid]

Propane burner is excellent choice.

I grind first, heat low and slow, done once it hits 230 degrees, strain into jars. Shouldn't need the freezer if you get all the moisture out. Most valuable thing in the pantry.

*I sometimes start with water in the pot but doesn't seem to be necessary if you heat very slowly.