Is Beef Tallow The Same As Beef Fat?

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Would you call the cloudy juice from pressed olives extra virgin olive oil? Do you get wine by throwing grapes in a blender? What's the difference between a lump of coal and a big, shiny diamond? You probably see where we're going with this. Yes, beef fat and beef tallow are related. They're also quite different: where one is just a starting point, the other is a refined end product that's reclaiming its place in professional kitchens across the country after being controversially banished in the 1990s. 

So, here's what separates the fat from the tallow. The ivory-colored streaks that surround and run through the muscle is beef fat. For example, the gorgeous marbling you see in a ribeye or the rich veins in a porterhouse. Beef tallow, meanwhile, is what you get when you trim off this fat, render it on a low heat, and then refine it to remove any remnants of meat or connective tissue. 

Tallow adds the same rich flavors of beef fat to any dish, while significantly cutting down on cooking time. There's also a big push being made to position tallow as an environmentally-friendly fat source. Rather than letting unwanted beef fat and suet — the fat around the kidneys — go to waste, rendering it into tallow transforms what would otherwise be discarded into a valuable cooking ingredient.

Unlike plant or seed-based oils, beef tallow requires minimal processing to go from raw to ready-to-cook, and can quite easily be made at home. While store-bought versions typically use suet, any beef fat will work for homemade tallow. Your local butcher should happily set aside fat trimmings from larger cuts if you ask, turning what would be waste into your secret ingredient.

The best method to extract beef tallow from meat is refreshingly simple. All you need is time, low heat, and a bit of patience. Chop the fat into small, even pieces. Then, transfer the cold fat to a pan and render it slowly over low heat. Adding a splash of water will prevent the bottom of the pan from browning. As the fat melts, skim off any solid bits or strain the finished tallow through fine mesh. 

As long as no protein bits make it through the sieve, you will have a stable fat source that can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for over a year. It's also easy to buy online, such as this Wagyu Republic tallow made with grass-fed wagyu beef on Amazon. You can enhance any dish with tallow's natural depth and richness, but if you really want to unleash the full power of this smooth, savory refined fat, here are some pro tips for cooking with beef tallow to get you started.