Beef fat – minced

In the olden days, people used two types of fat for cooking... Beef fat and Beef suet.

This one's Beef fat.

And before you can use it for cooking it needs to be rendered (melted down) and turned into Tallow. Which is easy to do. 

When you render Beef fat and cool it, it separates into two layers. Tallow on the top – which is clarified fat – and under that is a layer of beef extract held in a jelly, that is useful for stock. 

Tallow made from Beef fat is used for frying. It's especially good for chips – as any chef will tell you.

And, believe it or not, Tallow's actually a healthy fat. Even more so if it comes from grass fed beef. Which is just one of the reasons it's making – a scientifically supported – comeback.

In the days before vegetable oils Tallow was a household staple. It's not just better for you than many of the chemically treated vegetable oils that replaced it. It's got all sorts of other advantages too.

It's got a much longer “frying life” than vegetable oils. And after you've used it, you simply strain it and put it back in the fridge. Ready to be used again.

Beef fat Tallow is also “heat stable” with a very high smoke point (204°C) which means it doesn't burn easily and won't smoke out your kitchen.

Now, let's look at the health benefits of this surprisingly nourishing food.

Firstly, it's naturally high in omega-3 thanks to a diet of grass.

And it's also an excellent source of niacin, vitamins B6, B12, K2, selenium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and riboflavin. And a rare food source of vitamins D and E (albeit in limited amounts).

In addition, it contains a high ratio of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is a cancer-resistant agent (some say).

Note Tallow made from Beef fat is often called Dripping. Tallow made from Suet has a longer shelf life and a higher melt and smoke point. It's mostly used for pastries.