Rendering Beef Tallow in a Crock Pot

[@luigip.1892]

This video was incredibly well made man

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Oh, thanks! 😁

[@jkasak7633]

I started running beef suet through the grinder and noticed a massive increase in yield along with a smaller time in the stock pot.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hmm. Interesting! I figured it would speed things up, for sure, but didn't consider a potential increase in yield. I will have to try that next time, to at least compare the amount of tallow I get from the same size bag of fat. Thanks for the comment! 😁

[@ruruville]

​@@ThisDadGoesTo11 did you try it? Did it work for you? Wanna know if it's worth the extra effort :)

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@ruruville Not yet. I still have a jar or two from my last batch. Sometime in the Fall, though, I imagine. 😁

[@rjman123au1]

Great upload, here in OZ we call this beef dripping. One very important point is the fact that what you buy from the supermarket is hydrogenated, that is the manufacturer bubbles hydrogen through the liquid, the one made at home is no hydrogenated, also the price of the home made product is a fraction of what you pay for the supermarket product, many times the butcher will give the fat away for free, I'm very pleased to see you using a slow cooker, super crafty idea, totally new to me. Your next project should be rendering pork fat and producing lard. Cheers from OZ mate.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hey, there! Beef dripping...that just makes it sound incredibly delicious...which it is! Solid points about the hydrogenation and costs, for sure! Yeah, I originally started using my slow cooker for this on the advice of my butcher friend, who had great success using it. The lower initial cooking temp, along with that splash of water, really helps prevent burning/scorching and results in a tastier end product. Yes, I'll definitely have to video making pork lard, for sure. 😛 Thanks for the comment and kind words! Cheers!

[@ryanrush4373]

​@@ThisDadGoesTo11 drippings and tallow are different. Drippings are good for adding flavor and usually more meat in the pan when rendering. It coagulates like a jelly when cold or room temp. Amazing flavor. But tallow is pure fat and pretty much tasteless. When I make tallow I strain it and add water. put the bowl or pot in the fridge. Then the tallow will harden on top and look white. Take that out and put in new pot and repeat the process 3 times to remove all impurities. At the same time I put the stuff that stayed in the first pot and heat it up and boil it down. When cold it's a jelly and full of flavor to add to dishes. Bit that's just me

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@ryanrush4373 Well, that sounds effective and delicious. 😁👍👍

[@DoubleDogDare54]

I tried a half dozen butcher shops and supermarket counters and they either could not, or would not, sell beef fat. Finally went to a local plant that processes cattle and hogs. When I asked for beef fat their question was "How much"? They had plenty and were happy to sell whatever amount I wanted. So getting beef fat is not as easy as you might think.

[@AntAciieed]

Same experience for me in Victoria Australia, I've called about 30 places and wholesale butchers none have it

[@DoubleDogDare54]

@@AntAciieed Find an abattoir in your area that sells to the public. The place I went to does. When I wanted to buy beef fat they carried out a big slab of suet and asked how much of it I wanted. I pointed and they chopped it off right in front of me, no problem. When I was a kid my old man used to go to a local butcher and they always had it, or could order it. My dad would buy large chunks in the winter, run a coat hanger through them and suspend them from tree branches for the birds. My mother would also render the fat down into tallow for cooking.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Wow, that's wild. So, the fat I used here was from a side of beef I purchased. It's been a while since I got fat from a store but, the last time I wanted it, I just asked the butcher in the meat department in a local store, and he hooked me up. It must really be case dependent, based on where you live, what they typically use the beef for, and whatnot. Thanks for the comment!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Dang! They don't even sell it? That's wild. I wonder if you asked them (or even a butcher in a grocery store) to save some the next time they're breaking down some beef...maybe they could do that?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

That's awesome! 😁

[@jkasak7633]

I’ve stored rendered beef suet in mason jars for about a year in the basement. Big thing is to check for bits of mold on the bottom of the jar. I think it comes from tiny bits of fatty tissue that weren’t properly separated out. Also make sure to check for any water droplets around the rim after it’s cooled down.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yeah, those are great tips. Thanks! 👍👍

[@6970terry]

Great video, saved it for sure! I really liked your idea of just cubing the fat. I was putting mine through a food processor and it took hours! I think I'll try this next time, even with less yield, might be worth it for the time saved. And for using it in soap and balms, I do wet render it at least twice, if not three times, to get it very white, pure, and less stinky, because no one wants their lip balm to smelly beefy, lol! But if I am just using it for cooking, I agree, less pure is better.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

No kidding! Yeah, I'm glad I'm not currently trying to make balms/soap, as I'd have to do the same thing, for sure. With the food processor, I also envision quite the icky clean-up process. The cubing method is so quick. 😁 Thanks for the kind words!

[@sharonsimon550]

What i have done is half way through the render when the fat is soft, I use an immersion blender to break up the pieces. And when I'm initially cutting up the suet, I do it from frozen so it cuts easier.

[@suzanneholt8011]

Love the Spinal Tap reference

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

🤣🤣 Thanks! I love it when someone gets it.

[@LePedantSemantique]

We buy ground grass fed suet from our local high end butcher. Low & slow overnight renders a very nice clean beefy tasting tallow. Just strain the next morning. Some “wash” the tallow through several water baths to remove the beefiness for use in soaps & candles.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

I bet your tallow is delcious! It's crazy how easy it is to make, and how awesome it can be. I have seen people who do the "washing" you mention. That definitely adds some effort and time, but could be cool if a person was into soap/candle making. Thanks for the comment! 😁

[@mssixty3426]

Many thanks for this!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@mssixty3426 My pleasure! Hope you found it useful. 😁

[@22ERICSHELLY]

I thought tallow was shelf stable forever? Thanks. May Jesus continue to bless you and your family

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@22ERICSHELLY My pleasure! I imagine it is, but I hesitate to announce that, just in case someone makes it improperly and it goes bad. 😬 Thanks for the kind words! 😁

[@floydtrina770]

What got in trouble, lol for producing for the family beef fat smells good

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

I know! I think the problem is that it makes the house smell delicious, which isn't helpful late at night. 🤣🤣

[@mssixty3426]

😄​@@ThisDadGoesTo11

[@darknessblades]

GOD this makes me want to get a 2nd crock-pot just for making/rendering tallow. Got a 1.5 Liter one that is fine for me on my own, so getting another one might be a option to make nice tallow

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Oh, yeah, for sure! You could probably snag one for cheap at a thrift store or garage sale. This tallow is so awesome. I love it as the base fat for gravies, stewing beef, sauces, shepherd's pie...so many things! 😁

[@darknessblades]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 The one I have doesn't cost more than 20-30 euros depending on if its discounted/ a sale is going on. as for a thrift store haven't seen one at a nearby thrift store in ages, and most of them look pretty beat up with the teflon layer on the pot being scratched. its not like I need it tomorrow, So I can just wait when its heavily discounted, just so I can save 5-10 euro's.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Ah, perfect. That sounds like a great plan. It's great to save money when you can!

[@darknessblades]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Might even get a larger one to use for regular dishes, and keep the small one just for tallow.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hey, there's a good idea. 👍

[@lucymaze3917]

Thanks for the great video!! What do you do with the leftover fat??

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

My pleasure! So, it depends on what I have going on. If I'm feeling wild, I might take those chunks, add to a pan with a little of the fat, and keep cooking/frying them down to crispy chunks. Then, toss with some spicy seasoning and eat while nobody is looking! 🤣 If I don't have time, then I don't wind up using them - which always hurts my feelings, as I try to not waste food around here. Thanks for the kind words and the question!

[@lucymaze3917]

@ThisDadGoesTo11 thanks so much!! I'm excited to try this!!

[@splatter96]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 - scrolled down to see if anyone mentioned this. Those crackly chunks look like they would make delicious (albeit unhealthy) snacks! I will need to experiment with that. LOL!

[@paulbilodeau8569]

How long does it usually last? I’m assuming you store it in the refrigerator?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

So, apparently it can last up to a year out of the fridge. I always do store in the fridge, though, as I have the space to do so. In those cases, I've had tallow last a could of years, no problem. I imagine you'd be able to easily tell if it had gone rancid just by the smell. Still, if you're just doing small runs, your should really be able to use it before that happens.

[@camillaharper]

been trying to make tallow and it seems to take over 12 hours to render and after the 12 hours the fat is still not crispy. i’m not sure what i’m doing wrong, i put a little water in the crock pot with salt on low and stir it every few hours and lid is on. not sure what’s happening, can you help?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

So, that all sounds like you're doing everything correctly. One thing that can speed it up is to chop the fat smaller; the smaller it is, the quicker it hits that point where it's boiling nicely, and the sooner it should get all those bits crispy. Also, if those bits are smaller, they will get crispy sooner, too. I've read about some people even pulsing the chunks in a food processer before putting in the crock pot, just to speed it up further. I haven't tried that, though. Hope that helps! 😁

[@ryanrush4373]

Leave the lid off. You are trapping water vapor

[@SquatchWatcher]

3:36 - "I'm in a rush to get to bed!" 😂 Wife's happy he kept the smelly slow cook outside.....😍 Tonight 💖

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@SquatchWatcher 🤣🤣🤣👍👍

[@Jennifer-n7m]

Does the tallow have to be pressure canned for long term storage?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

You could possibly do that...I've never tried canning it. I usually make up batches of this size, give a jar or two away, and keep the rest in my basement fridge (likely not necessary, but I have the room). It lasts a super long time like that, in my experience.

[@lucymaze3917]

Thank you for the video. After straining mine 3 times, it had sediment at the bottom, what did I do wrong?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hey, there! So, straining only gets the larger chunks out of the tallow. I usually just do that, as I don't mind some little brown bits in my jars, as I'm just using it for cooking. One thing that some people do, if they are trying to eliminate all of that, is to strain the tallow into a large metal bowl. You can put it in the fridge or somewhere cool, until it's hardened. Then, turn the bowl upside down on a large cutting board or other clean surface and pop the tallow out, sandcastle style. Any remaining sediment will be at the top (originally the bottom of the bowl). You can cut or scrape that off, until you just have the white tallow left. Then, I'd put it back in the (cleaned) bowl, warm it in the oven, and distribute into jars for storage. That's probably the best way to eliminate that. If you've jarred your tallow and want to fix it, just warm up the jars for a bit in warm water or the microwave (no metal lids! 🤣) and pour through the strainer, following the process outlined above. I hope that helps! Good luck. 😁

[@lucymaze3917]

@ThisDadGoesTo11 thanks so much!!

[@keithscrafts]

Use a cheese cloth and it'll filter it really well.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@keithscrafts Yeah, that's a great idea, especially if you're trying to get it super clean, particularly for pie crusts, soap or whatever. I don't mind a little residue in mine, since I always use it for making stews, gravies, etc. Thanks for the great tip! 😁

[@keithscrafts]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 I've made 7lbs of tallow since yesterday just for making shaving soaps. I'll render it about 2 more times with water and sold to draw out and further impurities and to remove any beef scent from it. I'll filter it this time with coffee filters.

[@karenortega2046]

Another video said to strain it and make sure there are no bits of crumbs because it will go rancid.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@karenortega2046 There is a possibility that it could happen, especially if you're not refrigerating it. I typically keep my jars in the fridge over several months, and I've never had an issue. You could totally strain through cheesecloth a couple of times to further reduce any particulate, if you want. 👍

[@karenortega2046]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 ok thanks for that info.. I will def will keep in the fridge!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

No problem! 😁

[@sabien2578]

what do you do with the leftover little beef pieces?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Well, if nobody is watching, I'll toss them in Cajun spice or hot sauce and devour them! 😅

[@chirantans2162]

the crispy parts are edible and yummy

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@chirantans2162 Indeed! 😁

[@sabien2578]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 @chirantans2162 Thank you guys!

[@iiamazona]

I’m doing it right now 👏🏽 🐮

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@iiamazona Awesome! 👍👍

[@HeatherGordon-y1w]

My beef fat did not solidify. I used a meat grinder on my beef fat. I cooked it in a crockpot. I put the lid on the entire time , cooked it on high and turned off when the cracklins were nice and brown and crunch. Used a cheese cloth to strain out the pieces and put into jars. The beef lard did not solidify? What did I do wrong. I have made pig lard before with no problems. Why did my beef lard not solidify? I am keeping it in the fridge so it does not go to waste. It is solid in the fridge. What can I do differently to make it solidify next time? Thank you.

[@NerdyMaiden]

Sounds like there may be water still trapped in it.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hmm. I do recall reading (some time ago) about the different types of fat you might find from different parts of the animal - some of them are less likely to solidify at room temp. It's possible that you have a fat that is along those lines. Personally, I store my tallow and lard in my basement fridge, so it is always solid, anyway. I would imagine your product is still fine and safe to use, other than maybe not the exact texture you want. Not sure if that helps or not! Thanks for the question.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yes, that might be a possibility, too. A person could maybe try taking some and cooking it for longer, to see if that helps. If so, then you could do the whole batch.

[@HeatherGordon-y1w]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Thank you for the information. The beef fat was from the whole cow. I received 30lbs of fat. I will try a different batch, as I still have some of the fat left. Thank you for answering my question!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

No problem! Yeah, the fat I used was from a similar situation, where I bought a side of beef. Good luck with your tallow! 😁

[@michaelwachtel2933]

Easier than fry pan and no water added 🥩💪👍

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Woot! You're right about it being easier...and less messy. 😁

[@dennisnagel4422]

Well done ! Thanks !

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! 😁

[@DT-wy1wp]

Im about to get in trouble with my wife

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

😅 Hope it's worth it.