What is beef tallow?
Tallow is rendered fat from ruminant animals like cattle, sheep, goats and deer that chew their cud. Beef tallow is sourced from cattle and is sometimes known as beef dripping. The process of rendering slowly boils the fat and separates any liquids or connective tissues from the fat. Once it is separated and purified the tallow solidifies at room temperature. It is similar to lard, which is rendered from swine. Lard has a softer texture and neutral flavor, making it popular in baking and as an alternative for shortening. Tallow, has a more distinct, slightly meaty flavor and a higher smoke point – it is ideal for cooking at high temperatures, particularly for deep frying, roasting and sauteing. It can also be used in baked savoury products as a butter substitute, adding a rich earthy flavour.
The tallow and seed/ vegetable oil debate
Refined vegetable and seed oils became popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s when McDonald’s and other fast-food chains started using them instead of beef tallow for their frying. This was mainly due to new knowledge that diets high in saturated fats could increase the risk of heart disease.
Prior to that fats like beef tallow were the go-to for cooking oils. Seed oils are polyunsaturated fats extracted from the seeds of various plants. Today opinion is pivoting and mixed, with tallow proponents citing concerns about the chemical processing required to produce seed oils, and their break-down into dangerous components in extreme heat. Critics state that there is already an imbalance in the typical Western diet due to widely consumed seed oils used in ultra-processed foods and fried fast foods – in United States’ food supply this comprises approximately 70%.
Is beef tallow a healthy option?
Beef tallow primarily contains saturated fat like other solid cooking fats e.g. butter and coconut oil. Liquid fats like olive oil, peanut oil and canola oil mainly contain unsaturated fats. Solid fats are typically those that remain solid at room temperature while liquid fats, often called oils, are liquid at room temperature.
Saturated fats have previously been considered ‘unhealthy’ however consuming certain kinds, or small amounts, may not be as detrimental as previously believed. Some of the saturated fat in tallow is a type known as stearic acid – this doesn’t impact cholesterol in the same way other saturated fats do. Some other beneficial properties include:
- Vitamins – Grass-fed beef tallow is a good source of vitamins A, D, E and K – these may help to boost immune health, hormonal regulation and bone + muscle growth.
- Antioxidants – Grass-fed beef tallow contains a strong antioxidant called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). As well as breaking down harmful free radicals, CLA is also a popular fat-burning supplement.
- Antimicrobial – Tallow repels most bacteria and microbes due to its high antioxidant and vitamin content.
Beef tallow at Taranaki Bio Extracts – a premium B2B product . . .
Taranaki Bio Extracts beef tallow is rendered fat from 100% grass-fed and finished New Zealand beef cattle which are hormone free, antibiotic free, and GMO free. This translates to premium tallow product that is rich in beneficial vitamins and antioxidants. The grass-fed benefits reflect in the colour and rich depth of flavour in our product.
Our tallow is a 100% natural product and is Halal certified. It is valuable for human consumption with retail brands and supermarket chains offering it as a consumer product for both cooking and baking purposes. Taranaki Bio Extracts’ beef tallow is also used in the production of shortenings, margarine and cooking oils and is particularly popular for its high smoke point, rich flavour and ability to enhance texture and shelf life in food products. It offers a natural, traditional approach to food preparation, providing a buttery, rich depth of flavour to meals and bakery. Alongside this it is used in nutraceutical applications for supplement manufacture.
To discover our tallow as a time-honoured fat for food applications, please visit https://taranakibioextracts.com/product/edible-beef-tallow/
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