To render beef tallow, cut cold beef suet or fat trim into small pieces, melt it slowly over low heat (dry, or with a little water), then strain the clear liquid fat through cheesecloth into clean jars. Once cool, it sets into firm, pale tallow that keeps for months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer.
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Rendering is one of the oldest pantry skills there is. It turns fat that often gets thrown away into a cooking fat you made yourself, and it’s a natural companion to buying half a cow: ask the butcher to save the suet when your share is cut.
Suet or fat trim: which should you use?
- Suet is the hard, crumbly fat from around the kidneys and loins. It has very little meat in it, so it renders into the cleanest, mildest, firmest tallow. It’s the one to ask for.
- Fat trim is the softer fat cut away from steaks and roasts. It works, but it carries more meat and connective tissue, so expect more cracklings, a beefier flavor and more trimming.
Montana State University (MSU) Extension suggests sourcing suet from a USDA-inspected processor. Keep the fat cold until you’re ready to cut it; cold fat is much easier to chop.
Dry rendering vs wet rendering
There are two ways to render, and both give you tallow.
- Dry rendering uses heat alone. It’s simple, but the bits can brown faster, and MSU Extension notes it can produce darker tallow.
- Wet rendering starts with a little water in the pot. MSU Extension says it tends to give lighter, more stable fat. The water also keeps the pot from getting too hot while it’s there, which makes scorching less likely.
With wet rendering, keep an eye on a thermometer. MSU Extension’s tip: while water is still boiling off, the temperature holds steady; when it starts to climb, the water is gone and your tallow is dry.
Either way, go low and slow. A heavy pot on the stove’s lowest setting, a low oven, or a slow cooker all work. Rendering takes hours, not minutes, and turning up the heat only risks a burnt, strong-smelling batch.
How do you strain tallow?
Once the fat is clear and the leftover bits are small and crisp, let it cool a little, then pour it through a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth. MSU Extension recommends cheesecloth to catch the food particles. The cleaner the tallow, the milder it tastes and the better it keeps.
If you wet-rendered, any water will settle under the fat. Chill it, lift off the solid disk, scrape away the soft layer underneath, and re-melt it gently before jarring. Water left in the jar shortens storage life.
Safety: Hot fat causes serious burns. Use a deep, heavy pot, keep it at a low heat, work slowly when straining, and keep children and pets away. There are no tested USDA or extension canning instructions for tallow or lard, so don’t try to pressure can or water-bath it; an Ask Extension expert notes that extra heat only speeds rancidity. Store it cold instead.
How should you store tallow?
MSU Extension gives these storage times for rendered tallow:
| Where | How long |
|---|---|
| Room temperature | weeks |
| Refrigerator | months |
| Freezer | up to a year |
An Ask Extension expert adds that properly rendered fat should be kept away from air, and that refrigeration or freezing is best for quality, or at least as cool as possible. Use clean, dry jars, fill them well to leave little air, and label them with the date. Smell before using: rancid tallow has a sharp, stale odor.
How do you cook with tallow?
MSU Extension puts tallow’s smoke point at about 400–420°F, so it handles high heat well. Use it for:
- Frying potatoes and fritters
- Searing steaks and roasting vegetables
- Pastry and biscuits, in place of some or all of the shortening
- Seasoning cast iron
If you’re weighing tallow against other cooking fats, our page on seed oils covers the wider debate. For the other homemade fat, see how to make butter.
What we know: MSU Extension describes beef tallow as about 58% saturated fat, 35% monounsaturated fat and 2% polyunsaturated fat, and notes that diets high in saturated fat may raise LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk.
What’s debated: How much a single cooking fat matters within a whole diet, and how tallow compares with other fats in everyday use.
What isn’t supported: Claims that tallow is a health food or a cure for anything. Tallow is used in some homemade soaps and balms; this page doesn’t make claims about those uses.
Where tallow fits in the pantry
Rendered tallow belongs in the fats section of your pantry staples checklist. Because fats go rancid faster than dry staples, it doesn’t belong in sealed long-term food storage buckets; rotate it through your cooking instead, and keep the bulk of it in the freezer. For raising more of your own food, see the homestead hub.
The recipe
How to Render Beef Tallow
- Prep30 min
- Cook4 hr
- Total5 hr
- MakesVaries with the fat; suet renders more tallow per pound than fat trim
Ingredients
- Beef suet or beef fat trim, well chilled, from a USDA-inspected processor or your butcher
- Water (for wet rendering only): a splash to cover the bottom of the pot
- Cheesecloth and a fine-mesh strainer
- Clean, dry glass jars with lids
Steps
- Trim off any meat, blood spots and membrane. Cut the cold fat into small cubes or pulse it in a food processor; smaller pieces render faster and more evenly.
- Put the fat in a heavy pot or slow cooker. For wet rendering, add a little water to the bottom. For dry rendering, add nothing.
- Heat on low. Let the fat melt slowly, stirring now and then. Do not raise the heat to hurry it; high heat scorches the solids and darkens the tallow.
- Keep rendering until the fat is clear and the solid bits (cracklings) are small, crisp and lightly browned. If you used water, a rising thermometer reading means the water has cooked off and the tallow is dry.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Ladle or pour the fat through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a heatproof bowl or jug.
- For wet-rendered tallow, chill until solid, lift the fat off any water underneath, scrape the bottom clean, and gently re-melt to drive off remaining moisture.
- Pour the warm, strained fat into clean, dry jars. Let it cool uncovered, then cap, label and date the jars.
- Store in the refrigerator for months or the freezer for up to a year.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between suet and tallow?
Suet is the raw, hard fat, usually from around a cow's kidneys and loins. Tallow is what you get after rendering that fat: melting it down and straining out the solids.
Should I render tallow wet or dry?
Either works. Montana State University Extension notes that wet rendering, with added water, tends to give lighter, more stable fat, while dry rendering can make it darker. Wet rendering also makes scorching less likely.
How long does rendered tallow last?
Montana State University Extension gives weeks at room temperature, months in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer. Keep it covered and away from air and light.
Can you can tallow for shelf storage?
There are no tested USDA or extension canning instructions for tallow or lard. An Ask Extension expert advises against pressure canning it, since extra heat speeds rancidity. Store it cold instead.
What is the smoke point of beef tallow?
Montana State University Extension puts it at about 400–420°F, which makes it good for frying and roasting.