Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Made some beef tallow

Thatgrimguy
Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,738
Everytime I trim a brisket I tell myself I’m going to try and render the huge pile of fat into tallow but had never actually done it. I end up freezing and then months later I’ll need freezer space and end up throwing it out.

This time I finally did it and was amazed how easy it was and how much tallow I got. One 18lb brisket led to 3+ cups of tallow!!





I put about a third of a cup of cold water in the pot then just dropped the pile of fat into the pot and put it on my burner on low with the lid on it.

I let it roll for about an hour then flipped the fat over and let it run just a little while longer. I didn't want the end product to get dark so I probably could have rendered more fat out but I wasn't wanting to risk it. 

The resulting tallow is perfect white. I'll get a pic when I get home tonight. I thought I took one of the end product after it solidified but I guess not.


ANYHOW.... Quit throwing your brisket fat away. This was easy and useful!  (I actually heated up a small tupperware full of it and poured it back over the finished brisket and that was a hit too!!
XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum

Comments

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I only did this once, making lard, not tallow. I don't know if it'll darken or not, but you can pour off the rendered fat as you go. Careful, it's hot! Whatever fat is left will continue to render until it's done. Also, cutting it into small cubes supposedly makes the job go faster.

    Not trying to imply that I actually know what I'm talking about, but it worked for me.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,130
    Very COOL!
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,836
    I like to make lard with Boston butt trimmings. I’ve always used the crockpot. And I find it better to dice up or grind the fat. And like you I always add a little h2o.

    Anyway good job.

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Nice work Scott.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • mEGG_My_Day
    mEGG_My_Day Posts: 1,658
    Thanks for the post - It got me googling tallow (because I’ve never used it at home). I found this article which concludes tallow is a great cooking fat and not as unhealthy as we have been programmed to believe.  McDonald’s used it to cook their fry's way back when, which is one reason they tasted so good for those of us old enough to remember.  

    https://www.nutritionadvance.com/what-is-beef-tallow/
    Memphis, TN 

    LBGE, 2 SBGE, Hasty-Bake Gourmet
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 16,164
    Never tried it with beef fat.
    Every morning while making bacon n eggs I pour the bacon fat into a 28-oz tomato can I keep in the cupboard.  Seems to keep forever and makes the most delicious (if nontraditional) enchiladas; I've also fried other things (potatoes!) in it, always tasty.  
    ___________

    "When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set."

    - Lin Yutang


  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,738
    I only did this once, making lard, not tallow. I don't know if it'll darken or not, but you can pour off the rendered fat as you go. Careful, it's hot! Whatever fat is left will continue to render until it's done. Also, cutting it into small cubes supposedly makes the job go faster.

    Not trying to imply that I actually know what I'm talking about, but it worked for me.
    I guess I don’t know the difference between lard and tallow. Maybe I just made lard. 
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
  • mEGG_My_Day
    mEGG_My_Day Posts: 1,658
    I only did this once, making lard, not tallow. I don't know if it'll darken or not, but you can pour off the rendered fat as you go. Careful, it's hot! Whatever fat is left will continue to render until it's done. Also, cutting it into small cubes supposedly makes the job go faster.

    Not trying to imply that I actually know what I'm talking about, but it worked for me.
    I guess I don’t know the difference between lard and tallow. Maybe I just made lard. 
    Pork fat vs beef fat is my understanding 
    Memphis, TN 

    LBGE, 2 SBGE, Hasty-Bake Gourmet
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    Good stuff - I always have some on hand, and some from the piggies too.
    Phoenix 
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 16,164
    mEGG_My_Day said:
    Pork fat vs beef fat is my understanding 
    And chicken fat is "schmutz".  Oy!  
    ___________

    "When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set."

    - Lin Yutang


  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I only did this once, making lard, not tallow. I don't know if it'll darken or not, but you can pour off the rendered fat as you go. Careful, it's hot! Whatever fat is left will continue to render until it's done. Also, cutting it into small cubes supposedly makes the job go faster.

    Not trying to imply that I actually know what I'm talking about, but it worked for me.
    I guess I don’t know the difference between lard and tallow. Maybe I just made lard. 
    Tallow is rendered beef fat. I don't know if there are different "grades" of it. Lard is rendered pork fat and there are two grades (as far as I know). Plain lard comes from the majority of the fat on the hog. Leaf lard has a more pure, refined quality and comes only from the fat around the kidneys. Prized for baking... pie crusts and such. Less porky taste.

    Bacon of course, has been cured and then smoked so, the rendered fat has a different flavor and color. I often use it for cooking beans, kale and collards. I don't think I'd want a cherry pie that tasted like bacon though. =)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,738
    Ok, so I was right about it being tallow. Thanks for the education guys! Learn something everytime I come to this forum!
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
  • Beef Tallow, totally new concept :o
    Thanks for posting
    Lrg 2008
    Mini 2009
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,836
    Botch said:
    mEGG_My_Day said:
    Pork fat vs beef fat is my understanding 
    And chicken fat is "schmutz".  Oy!  
    rendered chicken fat= schmaltz

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 16,164
    caliking said:
    Botch said:
    mEGG_My_Day said:
    Pork fat vs beef fat is my understanding 
    And chicken fat is "schmutz".  Oy!  
    rendered chicken fat= schmaltz
    d'Oh, you may be right!
    But, the fine ladies on Cook's Illustrated's PBS show (and GODDAMMIT!!! after slowly thumbing thru Dish's menu to tomorrow afternoon at 1400, I see they've replaced the show whose name I can't remember, GAHHHH!!!) 
    Schmaltz.  Not Schmutz.  WTH is "schmutz"?  
     

    ___________

    "When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set."

    - Lin Yutang


  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,738


    I filled a baby food thing and 3 of these.
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Bring to B.B.!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,104


    I filled a baby food thing and 3 of these.
    Looks like.....nevermind ....going to have to give that a try 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • FarmingPhD
    FarmingPhD Posts: 847
    Used brisket trimmings to make mine probably 9 months ago. Use it for breakfast potatoes and hash browns most often.

  • Yno
    Yno Posts: 529
    Schmutz is any dirt, soil, or other disagreeable substance. I can't see when I get schmutz on my glasses. 
    XL BGE in San Jose, CA. Also a Pit Barrel Cooker, a Cal Flame P4 gasser, and lots of toys including the first ever Flame Boss 300 in the wild. And a new Flame Boss 500.
  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,738
    Another thing I've been doing more recently is throwing all my brisket trimmings that don't have meat (I use the trimmed meat for hamburgers) and smoking it in a pan next to the brisket. Then I use as much as I want when wrapping the brisket and keep the rest as smoked tallow.
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
  • vb4677
    vb4677 Posts: 686
    Yeah, @Thatgrimguy - this is the first time I've ever held onto the fat... so I'm still learning!  The local BBQ comp store clued me in to use it on the brisket during the FTC rest.  #nextime
    Kansas City: Too Much City for One State - Missouri side
    2 Large BGE's, Instant Pot, Anova Sous Vide, and a gas smoker...
    Barbeque, Homebrew and Blues...
  • I’ve done this a couple times now.  Tallow fried eggs and grits makes an interesting beefy flavored BFX.  Tallow tortillas come out great as well.
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    My dogs would cry if I did this.