If you’re looking to buy beef tallow, you may be wondering where to find it locally. Beef tallow is growing in popularity for its high smoke point and rich, meaty flavor. But unlike oils like olive and coconut, tallow can be tricky to find on store shelves. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about buying beef tallow near you.
What is Beef Tallow?
First, let’s start with a quick overview of what tallow is.
Beef tallow is a rendered fat made from cattle suet, or the hard fat around the kidneys and loins. It’s semi-solid at room temperature with a creamy, white color.
Tallow has been used for centuries in cooking, medicine, and candle/soap making. But it fell out of favor in recent decades with the rise of vegetable oils and industrial food production.
Now, tallow is regaining popularity for these benefits:
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High smoke point – With a smoke point of 400-475°F, tallow is excellent for searing, frying, and high-heat cooking.
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** Adds rich flavor** – Tallow has a subtle beefy flavor that enhances the taste of foods cooked in it.
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Versatile – Use tallow for general cooking, baking, making cosmetics, or even as bird feed.
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Nutritional benefits – Contains vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Where to Buy Beef Tallow Locally
Beef tallow can be tricky to find in regular grocery stores. Here are some of the best places to look for tallow in your area:
Butcher Shops or Meat Markets
Traditional butcher shops are your best bet for finding fresh, high-quality tallow. Many butchers render their own tallow from locally sourced beef. Look for a full-service butcher near you.
Farmer’s Markets
Ask vendors at your local farmer’s market if they sell beef tallow or know any farms that do. Getting tallow straight from a local farm is ideal.
Specialty Groceries
Some natural food stores like Whole Foods or co-ops may carry tallow, often from grass-fed cattle. Check the oil/butter section.
Restaurants
Higher end steakhouses or farm-to-table restaurants may render tallow from the beef they use. Ask if they’d be willing to sell you some.
Online Retailers
Several companies sell tallow online if you can’t find it locally. Look for 100% grass-fed tallow from reputable sources.
What to Look for When Buying Beef Tallow
Once you find a source for tallow, look for these signs of quality:
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Color – Should be creamy white, not yellow or brown.
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Scent – There may be a slight beefy scent, but no strong or unpleasant odors.
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Source – Ideally from grass-fed, organic, or local beef. Not conventionally raised.
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Purity – Should just contain tallow from beef, not other additives or oils.
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Price – Will range from $3-$15 per pound based on quality. Organic and grass-fed is pricier.
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Packaging – Should come in an opaque, tightly sealed container to protect from light and oxygen.
Buying the highest quality tallow you can find is key, even if it costs a bit more. Rendering your own tallow at home is also an option if you want total control over the source.
How to Store Beef Tallow
Once purchased, proper storage is important for preserving freshness and shelf life. Follow these tips:
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Keep tallow in a cool area away from direct light and heat sources. The refrigerator is ideal, but not required.
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Make sure the container is tightly sealed to block oxygen exposure. Oxygen causes rancidity.
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Frozen tallow can last 3-6 months. Refrigerated tallow lasts 2-3 months. Shelf stable tallow lasts 1-2 months.
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If tallow develops an unpleasant or rancid odor, it has spoiled and should be discarded.
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Rendered tallow will keep longer than raw suet. Use suet within 2 weeks.
With proper storage, you can keep your beef tallow fresh for repeated use. Now let’s look at how to use this healthy cooking fat.
Cooking and Baking with Beef Tallow
Beef tallow is extremely versatile in the kitchen. Here are some of the top ways to use it:
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Frying – Excellent for pan or deep frying. Won’t burn or smoke like other oils.
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Searing – Adds nice color and crispy edges to meat when used to sear.
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Sauteing – Use for sauteing veggies, browning ground meat, or stir fries.
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Roasting – Rub on meat or veggies before roasting. Adds moisture and rich flavor.
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Baking – Replace butter or oil in recipes for baked goods like pie crusts.
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Fat for cooking – Use rendered tallow fat as your main cooking oil. Keep it in a grease keeper by the stove.
The slightly nutty, beefy flavor pairs especially well with meat, potatoes, breads, and even popcorn. Start by using a 50/50 mix of tallow and your current oils until you get accustomed to it.
Other Uses for Beef Tallow
Aside from cooking, here are some other ways to use beef tallow:
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Cosmetics – Add to lotions, balms, creams, soap. Excellent moisturizer.
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Leather care – Use to condition and waterproof leather goods.
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Candles – For long-burning, smokeless candles.
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Lip balm – Add to DIY lip balm for deep conditioning.
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Livestock feed – Mix with other ingredients like grains or molasses for animal feed.
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Bird feed – Can be used as an energy source for wild birds in winter.
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Fire starters – Combine with dryer lint or sawdust for homemade fire starters.
With so many uses, beef tallow is a smart multi-purpose ingredient to keep in stock.
Is Tallow Healthy?
While the health impacts of saturated fats are still debated, most evidence suggests tallow and other animal fats are fine in moderation.
Potential benefits of beef tallow include:
- High in vitamins A, D, E, and K
- Contains CLA, a fatty acid linked to fat burning
- Source of fat-soluble nutrients
- No risk of oxidation like with vegetable oils
- Doesn’t contain industrial seed oils
Of course, tallow is still a saturated fat. Health authorities recommend limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of calories.
Overall, tallow from grass-fed cattle is likely a healthier choice than inflammatory seed oils. But as with any fat, consume in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Make Your Own Beef Tallow at Home
If you want total control over the source, rendering your own beef tallow at home is a gratifying DIY project.
What you need:
- Beef suet (fatty areas like kidneys and around loins)
- Large pot
- Cheesecloth
- Jar for finished tallow
Steps:
- Cut suet into small cubes.
- Melt slowly on low heat, stirring frequently.
- Simmer until liquid fat separates from tissue.
- Strain through cheesecloth into jar.
- Use for cooking or allow to solidify into tallow.
Be sure to use suet from high-quality, grass-fed cattle if possible. And add any leftover scraps to the compost pile after straining.
Where to Buy Beef Tallow: Final Tips
- Check butcher shops, farmer’s markets, and specialty grocers for tallow from grass-fed beef
- Look for pure, additive-free tallow in opaque, sealed packaging
- Refrigerate after opening and use within 2-3 months
- Cook with tallow for high-heat frying/searing or use in baked goods
- Limit intake as part of a healthy, moderate fat diet
With so many uses and health benefits, beef tallow is a nourishing traditional food to keep stocked in your pantry.