Rendering beef kidney fat (suet) into pure, creamy tallow is a simple process that results in versatile and long-lasting cooking fat. Tallow is perfect for frying, baking, and even skincare applications. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth, high-quality result!
What You’ll Need:
- Beef kidney fat (suet) – Trimmed of any excess meat or connective tissue
- Sharp knife or food processor – For chopping or grinding the fat
- Stainless Steel pot or slow cooker and stainless steel bowl
- Water – To prevent scorching
- Salt - Rendering the fat
- Cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve – For straining impurities
- Baking soda (optional) – Helps reduce beef smell
- Glass jars or storage containers
Step-by-Step Guide to Rendering Tallow
1. Chop the Fat
To help the fat render evenly and quickly, cut it into small chunks no larger than 1.5 inches. You can also grind the fat in a food processor for a faster rendering process.
2. Start Cooking
Place the chopped fat into your pan and add enough water to cover the bottom (about ½ inch deep) and salt. This helps prevent the fat from scorching and will evaporate as it cooks.
3. Heat Slowly
Set the pan over low to medium heat until the water starts to simmer, then reduce the heat to low. The goal is a slow and gentle rendering process between 190 -225 degrees to avoid burning the fat. (Maintain 160–190°F throughout rendering, personally I try to stay within 195 - 225 degree range for each render. Temperatures below this range can allow microbes to survive and multiply; temperatures much higher can scorch proteins and connective tissue, trapping fat so you don’t render it all.)
Note: Second and third render, I keep within 212 - 225 degrees for at least 30 mins to an hour for each render. This is low enough to allow any remaining water to evaporate but to ensure nothing microbial can live in the finished product. Strain between each render using fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth or cotton material.
4. Simmer for 1-5 Hours
Let the fat cook down for 2-5 hours (if rendering large amounts the time will increase accordingly), stirring occasionally. It should turn into a clear, translucent yellow liquid. Fat should be rendered until translucent. If the fat starts turning brown, your heat is too high or the fat has rendered (this will impact the taste of the tallow).
5. Remove the Cracklings
Some solid bits (silverskin, meat, or gristle) will remain and won’t fully melt. These will turn into crispy pieces floating in the liquid fat. Beef cracklings don’t taste great , so you can discard them or use them as animal feed or salad toppings.
6. Strain the Rendered Fat
Carefully pour the hot fat through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a heatproof bowl (stainless steel) . This removes any remaining impurities. You can use the tallow now, however I render at least twice to ensure all water has evaporated. If you use it, as the tallow heats it may pop due to water trapped in the tallow. If using for cosmetics, render at least 3 times.
7. Purify the Tallow (Optional but Recommended)
For a creamy and smooth texture, pour the rendered fat in a large stainless steel bowl with water and let it harden. Once at room temp, place in refrigerator overnight. Flip tallow out onto parchment paper, scrape off any discolored portions from the bottom and wipe any remaining liquid before scraping with paper towel. Render again by heating to 212-225 degrees for 30 minutest to 1 hour. Cool to room temp and check tallow or impurities on hardened bottom. Do this until no water is left in the oil and the underside of the tallow is clean and uniform in color. Filtering after each rendering with cheesecloth.
8. Store Your Tallow
Once the texture is smooth and creamy, melt the fat and pour it into clean hot glass jars. Be cautious, as it will still be very hot!
- Refrigerate for up to 3 months
- Freeze for longer storage
- Place in dark cool cabinet if you are confident you have rendered with no remaining water.
How much Tallow can I expect from a pound of Suet?
That is difficult to answer due to many variables.
- Processing Heat - Low and slow gives you the highest yield
- Size matters - The smaller you cut the suet , the higher the yield and time to process.
- Timing - Straining before all fat has been rendered.
I typically yield 5 quarts from 6 pounds of tallow. As an estimate, based on on my yields this equals approximately 24 ounces per pound of fat.
If you have questions, please let us know. You can comment on this post or send us a message.