Author Topic: Cooking With Tallow? (Read 11891 times)

Terri Yaki · « **on:** July 28, 2024, 02:09:48 pm »

I've used tallow a little but not much. What I have used, I rendered myself. I've heard several good things about it like high smoke point, better healthwise, adds good taste, doesn't soak in and make foods greasy, doesn't go rancid and probably a few other things that I forgot about. I have accumulated a pretty decent amount of trimmings and they were hogging up space in my freezer so I put them in a crockpot and they are warming up now. It's pretty hard when it's cold and not as easy to dish out as lard is. Anyone use it? Any good or bad things to say about it or how to use it? Would you use it in a deep fryer?

The15thMember · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2024, 02:15:59 pm »

We use goat tallow all the time. Never deep fried in it, but we use it for pan-frying, sauteing, scrambling eggs, and it makes the BEST homefries.

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #2 on:** July 29, 2024, 11:14:01 am »

How do you process your tallow? I just cut my fat into fairly small chunks then toss it into the crockpot. Right now, it's been on for about 24 hours but it's still going. I'm reading that it's recommended to grind it first. The size of the pieces is dwindling down but they are still big enough for me to not pull it off.

The15thMember · « **Reply #3 on:** July 29, 2024, 12:17:48 pm »

Here is a tutorial my sister put together for her goat forum (be sure to hit "see more" above the picture). She did mention that she is really concerned about impurities because she also uses tallow in making soap and lotion, and if all you are using it for is cooking, you don't need to be as picky about that.
https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/how-to-render-goat-fat-for-tallow.228512/

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2024, 12:24:54 pm »

Thanks! Next time I'll try grinding it and see how I like it. Everyone talks about a couple of hours but I have more like a day into my process with the bigger chunks. So far, my finished product has looked like it should.

Kathyp · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2024, 08:03:13 pm »

Glad you posted this. I have a bunch in my freezer too and have not gotten to it. I was going to chunk it, but now I'll grind it first.

gww · « **Reply #6 on:** July 29, 2024, 09:03:35 pm »

I am always too lazy to grind though I have no doubt it would be a bit faster. Mine does take quite a while but I don't find it hard. I do it in a turkey roasting pan in an oven on low heat with no water added. I do usually make one drain on it before the chunks start really browning. I probably lose a little at the end cause the most I do is smash with a ladle and when I was young we had a press. I have did deer, beef, pork or chicken fat. The chicken and pork don't taste too bad after rendered with a little salt sprinkled on them. I made a bunch of soap a couple years ago and so did a little bit of it.

Kathyp · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2024, 11:11:33 am »

gww how do you store yours and do different types require different storage? Chicken doesn't seem to keep for me and I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

gww · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2024, 02:40:38 pm »

Kathy
I would think freezing might help on some but all seem to get strong in time if my memory is correct from youth. The later stuff I did actually got used pretty quick making soap and so I really don't have current info to add. To me now days, frying bacon and then using the grease to fry other stuff fits better then about anything.
Cheers

Kathyp · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2024, 03:06:12 pm »

Quote

To me now days, frying bacon and then using the grease to fry other stuff fits better then about anything.

That's what I do too, but I did get some beef fat with our order last year and I have had it in the freezer until I could render it. I need the space so I need to get at it soon.

animal · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2024, 03:23:25 pm »

gww, do you actually cook with the deer fat, or is it for soap and stuff like that? Wondering how it tastes, more than anything.

I'm not fond of the wild waxiness of deer fat, so I I trim all the fat off the deer and either pitch it or give it to people with dogs to feed.
The only beef fat I buy are ribeye trimmings ... makes some fine deerburger and sausage.

Kathy, schmaltz keeps well in the freezer. I put it in a plastic container with Saran wrap pressed onto the surface of it.

gww · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2024, 03:44:22 pm »

Amimal
I have never cooked with deer fat. I really have never Knowingly used beef fat for cooking. On the farm we mostly did pork fat. I also never cooked with chicken fat that I can think of. I do make gravies using chicken and turkey beef ect juices after baking with most of it actually being fat and using cornstarch as the thickening agent. I do love most gravies. I agree on the deer, I will roast the necks in tin foil and sometimes it will leave a film in you mouth. It is mostly worth it cause it is not too bad especially if eaten hot and you can get it really tender.

animal · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2024, 03:59:49 pm »

Thanks. Your tastes sound a lot like mine .. so you might be missing out on the chicken fat a little. It's rich but really light.
Around here, and when I was growing up, only rich people had beef cows. Pigs were the thing for everybody else. I'm happy to say I haven't butchered a pig in years .. and hope I never have to scrape another hog for the rest of my life... lol

Kathyp · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2024, 04:08:08 pm »

We are lucky to get elk here. lean meat, but fantastic meat for chili and stews

Thanks for the info. I really need to get on this because the next beef will be ready the end of next month and I need space.

gww · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2024, 04:16:24 pm »

Animal
I will say this. I think deer and squirrel gravies are the absolute best out of all the gravies. With both, I fry in a pan and then use flour on the stuff left in the pan after the frying. The wild taste of both meats make gravies that I just love.

animal · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2024, 04:24:26 pm »

agree again, but my favorite is fried cane-cutter rabbit, then smothered in gravy.

gww · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2024, 07:09:24 pm »

As I was mostly bragging on the gravies which still hold for me, rabbit is great too.

I admit to being a dummy and I don't really know what cane cutter rabbit is.

animal · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2024, 08:22:06 pm »

swamp rabbit .. about the size of a jackrabbit, but it's actually a rabbit, not a hare... a little harder to cook than a regular rabbit... so after you make the gravy, you put the pieces back in the pan and simmer it in the gravy for awhile until it's tender. Here's a video showing cottontail and a cane-cutter. The one he has in the video is a small one. They'll hit the water and swim to try to avoid a dog if they can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLmOawSrcq0

animal · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2024, 08:39:32 pm »

Not a dummy, just not in your area, probably. They're never far from water as far as I know, and I think they're more of a southern swamp thing.
They seem to grow the biggest in the swampiest areas. Kinda like nutrea in that way ...A nutrea is a big rat-beaver looking thing with carrot-orange teeth. They're good to eat too if you cook them right.

gww · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2024, 08:41:37 pm »

Ok, I got it. I heard guys at work talking about hunting swamp rabbits but have never seen one. I do the boil in gravy with rabbit, squirrel (especially the old ones) and sometimes deer. It is messy eating but the meat pulls really well no matter how tough it started.