# Rendering Beef Fat



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I've been deep fat frying bison, antelope, and elk chislic lately and wishin' I had some beef oil, some beef tallow, for the fryer. I usually make some during the Holiday season. I may have shared too much of the suet with my backyard bird friends last winter. 

Let me tell ya, cooking wild game with beef oil can't be beat. And tallow is easy to make. Here's how:

Make tallow from beef fat in a fryer or do it over night in a crock pot:


Cut fat into small chunks with scissors and then cook at 250°. Don't over cook it:


It doesn't take long. Remove all the cracklins: 

Strain the oil through a cloth and store in jars:


Tallow will keep for one year on the counter top or two years in the fridge:


5 lbs of beef fat will make 2 quarts of beef tallow.

The experts at Beef Tallow.com: http://beeftallow.com/uses-of-beef-...g-tallow-is-not-as-toxic-as-you-think_65.html say:
_Tallow is an excellent source of niacin, vitamins B6, B12, K2, selenium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and riboflavin. Grassfed beef tallow contains high ratio of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is a cancer-resistant agent. Contrary to the popular conception, tallow is good for health as tallow fat is similar to the fat/muscles in the heart. Recent studies have shown that human beings need at least 50% of saturated fats like tallow and lard to keep the heart pumping hale and healthy.

_Life is good. I'm drowning an elk brisket in some beef oil:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I once rendered tallow.... that is a smell that I will never forget. Not gross, but not pleasant either.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*turn on the exhaust fan*



Bax* said:


> I once rendered tallow.... that is a smell that I will never forget. Not gross, but not pleasant either.


Yeah, no kiddin', stinky, not as bad as making lard though.

If you render beef fat in a crock pot over night make sure you leave the exhaust fan on in the kitchen.

.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

How were the cracklins, little salt and some hot sauce?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Yeah, no kiddin', stinky, not as bad as making lard though.
> 
> If you render beef fat in a crock pot over night make sure you leave the exhaust fan on in the kitchen.
> 
> .


I have always been told that I had to do this outside over the Colman stove no matter what time of year.

That reminds me I have 2 javelina skulls that I need to simmer for a day. -O|o-


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Dunkem said:


> How were the cracklins, little salt and some hot sauce?


They were OK, some were cooked too long.

I liked using the fryer with a temp control. The oil never smoked, never over-heated.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> I have always been told that I had to do this outside over the Colman stove no matter what time of year.
> ....................-O|o-


No, it's not real stinky like when making lard........Course "stinky" is relative. My kitchen may be stinkier than others.

.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

I remember as a kid we used to save all the fat trimming off our deer and elk to send up to my grandmother in Star Valley Wyoming so she could render it to make soap. Not the most pleasant smelling stuff, but grandma's old lye soap would leave you feeling tingly all over. :bathbaby:

This thread kinda reminded me of those days......

p.s. I quickly learned to never curse in front of my grandmother and her lye soap either


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Bump.

Beef tallow is really handy for big game recipes. It keeps for months on the pantry shelf and longer in the fridge. 

It's much cheaper than lard or oil. 

.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

This thread brings back weird memories, and memories of smells I hope to never smell again.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Brisket fat tallow









Brisket fat tallow (left) and back fat tallow (middle and right)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)




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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

14 pounds of beef back fat made 9 pints (9lbs) of tallow.

$0.49/lb x 14 = $6.86

$6.86 / 9 = $0.76 per pound of tallow - and there's 4 pounds of cracklins, dog food.









half gallon jars of tallow


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Just wondering, if this process renders a "neutral flavored" product, would it do the same for the fat from big game animals? What about the other characteristics like smoke point, etc? Have you ever rendered deer, elk etc?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> Just wondering, if this process renders a "neutral flavored" product, would it do the same for the fat from big game animals? What about the other characteristics like smoke point, etc? Have you ever rendered deer, elk etc?


Never rendered deer or elk fat....sounds interesting though.

I've rendered bison, swan, goose and duck fat. All were pretty much neutral flavored. Don't know about smoke point, didn't use them for frying best I can remember.

Look at rendered pork fat, lard. It is neutral flavored.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

The cracklings also make good wild bird food.


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