The Pros And Cons Of Frying With Beef Tallow

Chefs have known for a long time that deep frying food with beef tallow creates explosively delicious flavor. But despite the incredible taste, frying with beef tallow also has downsides. Chef Pete Geoghegan, Culinary Director for Cargill Protein, walked Daily Meal through the ups and downs of cooking with this versatile ingredient. 

Geoghegan explained, "Beef tallow is rendered beef fat, primarily from suet (fat surrounding the kidneys)." Frying food in animal fats may seem like an obvious route to rich flavor, but there's a reason it isn't commonly used. "Tallow is less common today because of the rise of vegetable oils, which are more neutral in flavor and often more affordable," Geoghegan noted.

Even though vegetable oils are more accessible, beef tallow is arguably the superior choice according to Geoghegan. He revealed, "Beef tallow has a higher smoke point than some vegetable oils (like butter or unrefined olive oil) but is similar to peanut or canola oil." The chef added, "It retains heat well, leading to crispier fried foods." 

The main drawbacks of cooking with tallow, Geoghegan said, are its high saturated fat content, and the "distinct 'beefy' flavor" it tends to give food. To figure out if it's right for you, it's important to weigh all the pros and cons.

Frying with beef tallow creates a "rich flavor that enhances fried foods, particularly meats," Pete Geoghegan said, adding that its high smoke point — around 400 to 420 degrees Fahrenheit — makes it a reliable choice for high-heat cooking like a deep fry. Thanks to its high saturated fat content, Geoghegan shared that beef tallow provides "excellent heat retention and crispier textures" that highlight why fried food is so delicious in the first place.

And for restaurants and other frequent fryers, beef tallow carries another significant benefit that chef Geoghehan pointed out: It's "more stable than vegetable oils, meaning it doesn't degrade as quickly." For this reason, vats of beef tallow don't have to be changed out as frequently as fryers full of vegetable oils. One burger chain living this reality is Steak 'n Shake, which recently started cooking its fries in pure beef tallow. 

Few people doubt the world of flavor that frying with beef tallow can open up. But chef Pete Geoghegan told us that it's not all sunshine and roses. Beef tallow is "less readily available and more expensive than common vegetable oils," so using it can make your meals both more delicious and more expensive.

Another issue is that diets high in saturated fat are known to cause poor heart health, and beef tallow can be a prime source of it. In the 1980s, this became a problem for McDonald's, which formerly cooked its fries in beef tallow until a pressure campaign from a wealthy heart attack survivor prompted the chain to switch to vegetable oil in 1990.

Beyond heart health concerns, Geoghegan noted that tallow "can impart a beefy flavor, which may not be desirable for all dishes" — imagine the peculiarity of a beefy orange doughnut. Beef tallow is also, obviously, beef, so any food cooked in it is wholly unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Frying with beef tallow is fairly straightforward. Chef Pete Geoghegan advises us to "Maintain a consistent frying temperature (around 375 degrees Fahrenheit) to ensure optimal crispness." To get the longest life out of your beef tallow, he also shared that you should "strain and store tallow properly after use to extend its lifespan."

Straining beef tallow is simple. Pour the tallow through cheesecloth when it's still in its liquid state (or use a common cheesecloth substitute like coffee filters). This will remove any solids that might spoil your rendered fat and leave you with pure tallow, as Geoghegan noted, "Not straining out food particles after use, which can cause quicker degradation" is a big mistake. 

Once strained, beef tallow should be refrigerated inside an airtight glass or stainless steel container. Refrigeration will keep beef tallow usable for 12 to 18 months, and freezing can make it last two years. Although proper straining and storage can extend tallow's lifespan, Geoghegan prefers to "use fresh tallow for the best results, as old tallow can develop off flavors."

Frying food in beef tallow might be somewhat simple, but it's not exactly foolproof either. When asked about common mistakes to avoid, chef Pete Geoghegan hit us with a rapid-fire list of three basics, starting with "overheating the tallow, which can lead to smoking and burnt flavors." 

Deep frying often happens between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit, well below beef tallow's smoking point of about 400. As with other cooking fats, a fryer full of beef tallow should never be heated to its smoke point. Once the pool of liquid tallow starts smoking, it begins giving off dangerous free radicals that can damage DNA, and will make your food taste foul. Finally, the chef warned us that when frying with beef tallow, we should avoid "mixing with vegetable oils, as this can alter the frying properties."

Obviously, beef tallow is "exceptional for french fries, fried chicken, and other crispy foods," Pete Geoghegan told us. But tallow is great for cooking methods other than frying, too. Beef tallow still "adds deep, beefy flavor to roasted meats and sautéed vegetables," he said, like professional-grade breakfast potatoes. Simply replace the oil called for by the recipe with beef tallow.

Tallow "can replace butter or shortening in pie crusts for a flakier texture," Geoghegan said. Doughs for baked goods like pie crusts or biscuits acquire their flakiness by keeping the fats solid for as long as possible before baking. Beef tallow's natural solidity at room temperature makes it a much more reliable choice for this than butter, which can quickly melt. You can even try making homemade tortillas with beef tallow, as Geoghegan said it "can be used instead of lard for a rich, pliable dough."