Tips on rendering beef fat?

[ScoobyRoo]

I have been doing my homework on how to render beef fat for frying. I have a lot in my freezer and want to get started today. My chickens will of course get the cracklins afterwards as I dont know if I or family would eat those.

It would be helpful to hear from those that have actually rendered beef fat. Any suggestions and advice from those would be gratefully appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Oregon Blues]

No real advice, just cook it low and slow so you don't scorch it. Also, it makes great soap.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Thanks OB, It is cooking low now. Got a blister on the inside of my finger pressing the knife down on the fat for 1 1/2 hours.

I hope it is worth it.

Thanks for the suggestion on soap, but my sister makes soap but not with tallow. I want to use mine for frying as we always have fish on hand.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I did two different methods and the one with less water worked better for me. I couldn't stomach the idea of eating the 'cracklens', so my chooks got to enjoy those. Cant wait til we fry fish to see if my time and effort was worth it.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I did two different methods and the one with less water worked better for me. I couldn't stomach the idea of eating the 'cracklens', so my chooks got to enjoy those. Cant wait til we fry fish to see if my time and effort was worth it.

 

[caspernc]

Pork is better than beef and intestinal fat is the best for rendering. I can't think of the name of the fat, viseral maybe?

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I would like to get my hands on pork fat (lard). My butcher cant sell it. But if I know someone getting ready to butcher a hog, I can ask them to request it. We butcher a cow every year and that is how I got the tallow.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

So how do you do it actually? In a pot with water covering? no water? fry it up like you would bacon? clueless here.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I went online to get information and as I mentioned just adding a tad bit of water to the fat and cooking it low and slow worked for me. Eventually the water will evaporate but by then there is melted fat. You could say it was like cooking bacon but a lot longer. I think this process is quicker to melt than filling pan with water. Dont be fooled, it still took a good day to render a stock pot over half full of fat.

 

[SallyF]

I have rendered beef fat and made the mistake of tasting the "cracklings". Had to slap my own hand to make me stop eating them. I now understand why McDonald's french fries were so good when they used beef tallow.