Beef tallow is making a comeback in home kitchens for its high smoke point and rich, meaty flavor. But if you’ve never cooked with tallow before, tracking it down in the grocery store can be confusing. Is it with the butter or the lard? The baking aisle or the meat section?
After much searching up and down grocery store aisles, I’ve put together this definitive guide on where to find beef tallow so your next recipe can benefit from its delicious properties.
Check the Cooking Oil and Shortening Section
The most obvious place beef tallow would be stocked is with all the other cooking fats and oils. Head to the aisle where you’d normally find canola oil, olive oil, non-stick sprays etc.
Scan the shelves for tubs or jars labeled as “beef tallow” or “beef fat.” It will be semi-solid at room temperature like shortening or lard. The cooking oil area is where most standard grocery stores stock basic, mass-produced tallow.
Seek Out the Baking Aisle
If you strike out finding tallow in the main oils section, next walk over to the baking aisle. Check near the Crisco, coconut oil, and other solid fats used for baking.
Beef tallow is an excellent substitute for butter or shortening in recipes for pie crusts scones and other pastries. So you may get lucky and find it stocked alongside other baking staples.
Check the Meat Section
For a higher quality, grass-fed beef tallow, check the refrigerated meat department. Some grocery stores carry tallow made from the trimmed fat around their in-house butchered meats.
Look for tallow sold in glass jars or tubs in the meat fridge, often close to the fresh ground beef. This tallow will look more artisanal and be significantly pricier than the mass-produced kind.
Peruse the Organic and Natural Foods Aisle
Your grocery store may also stock a specialty tallow in the natural or organic section. As the benefits of traditional animal fats become more widely known, you can now find pasture-raised, non-GMO tallow from boutique providers
Scan for tallow near the coconut oil, ghee, and grass-fed butter often found in the health-minded aisle. Expect to pay a premium price for these sustainable, small-batch tallow options.
Check Near Ketogenic Diet Products
The popularity of low-carb, high fat diets like keto has also brought tallow into more grocery stores. You may get lucky and find tallow positioned alongside keto baking ingredients like almond flour, xanthan gum, and alternative sweeteners.
This placement targets the keto crowd who embrace animal fats as part of their low-carb lifestyles. The tallow in this section is more likely to be grass-fed or pasture-raised.
Can’t Find It? Ask for Help
If you still can’t locate tallow after checking all the likely aisles, don’t be shy to ask a grocery employee for assistance. Explain you’re looking for an animal fat called beef tallow that would be semi-solid at room temperature.
With how much niche diets have gone mainstream, they may be very familiar with tallow and its growing popularity. There’s a chance it’s stocked in a section you didn’t think to check.
No Luck? Buy Tallow Online
If your local grocery store comes up empty, purchasing beef tallow online is your next best option. There are many specialty retailers offering high-quality tallow delivered right to your doorstep. A few top options include:
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FatWorks – Carries certified Paleo, Whole30, and keto-approved tallow from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows.
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Epic Provisions – Offers jarred tallow from grass-fed cows raised on open pastures.
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US Wellness Meats – Sells bagged, food-grade grass-fed tallow sourced from small family farms.
When buying online, look for tallow sourced from pastured cows, as this results in more nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K. Rendered from traditional fat trimmings, online tallow will provide the richest flavor and highest quality.
How to Store Beef Tallow For Months of Use
Once you finally track down some quality beef tallow, proper storage is key to keeping it fresh for the long haul. Here are some storage tips:
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Keep tallow in an airtight container in the pantry or cupboard. Dark, dry storage is ideal.
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For maximum shelf life, store tallow in the fridge for up to a year. Freezing for up to 3 years also works.
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Melt down large amounts of tallow into smaller jars or reusable silicon molds with lids. This creates ready-to-use portions.
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Add rosemary or other herbs to tallow as a natural preservative and to infuse flavor.
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Make sure all utensils and containers are completely dry before storing to prevent mold growth.
With the right storage method, your tallow can gracefully age for months like a fine cheese or wine, becoming more delicious over time.
Cooking and Baking with Beef Tallow
Once you have this versatile ingredient on hand, the possibilities are endless for ways to incorporate tallow’s savory goodness into recipes:
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Use tallow for frying up the crispiest chicken, fish, or french fries you’ve ever tasted.
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Add a spoonful of tallow to beans, soups, or stews for richness.
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Spread it on toast for a nutrient dense start to your day.
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Grease baking pans with tallow instead of butter or oil for perfect pan releases.
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Make flaky pie crusts, biscuits, and scones using a tallow and butter combo.
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Roast vegetables in tallow to add meaty depth of flavor.
With beef tallow’s high smoke point and mild beefy essence, the options for cooking and baking are virtually unlimited. And since a little goes a long way, your jar should last for months of kitchen experimentation.
So embrace this old school fat and unlock a whole new world of texture and flavor in your homemade recipes. Just use this guide to locate the best quality tallow during your next grocery run. Your tastebuds and your health will thank you!
The best way to buy rendered tallow
The most ideal way to buy rendered tallow is to source it from a local farmer. You should look for a farmer who raises 100% grass-fed cattle, processes them, and makes the tallow themselves. You can then talk to the farmer, see the farm, and learn about how the cattle were raised.
Also, it’s always good to support local farmers. But this kind of rendered tallow can be hard to find, so let’s talk about some other options.
It’s really not that hard to render beef fat into tallow once you know how to do it. I cover the entire process here. If you want to make tallow, though, you’ll need to know where to get good beef fat.
You’ll want to look for beef fat from 100% grass fed and grass finished beef. This can sometimes be found in the meat section of specialty grocery stores and health food stores. Ask at the meat counter if you don’t see it; they should be able to get you scraps of beef fat.
The most ideal way is to source beef fat from a local farmer that you know and trust. This is usually more easily done than finding a farmer that renders the tallow. Craigslist is a fabulous place to find local grass fed beef farmers.
Another way to locate high quality farms is through the resources page of your local Weston A. Price chapter’s website. This can be found by searching for a chapter near you from the main Weston A. Price Foundation website.
Check out this post on beef tallow uses for a lot of ideas on how to use your tallow.
Whenever someone starts learning how amazing grass fed beef tallow is, one of the first questions that comes up is: where to buy tallow.
I’m a bit obsessed with grass fed tallow. It’s such incredible stuff, and so versatile. It can be used to cook, make soap and candles, heal and moisturize skin, lubricate machinery, condition leather, and do many other things. And, it has phenomenal health benefits when eaten or used on skin.
In times past, tallow was something that everyone was familiar with. Everyone knew how to make it, and it was frequently used in every day life.
Today, things are different. Many of us are disconnected with the handcrafted lifestyle of our ancestors. For that reason, it can be intimidating at first to find beef fat and render it yourself. (However, as I will talk about in a bit, it’s not really that hard). So, most people find themselves wondering where to buy tallow. Let’s talk about the best places to buy already rendered tallow.
How to buy Cooking Fats at the Grocery Store – Grass Fed Butter Ghee – Animal Fats (Tallow, Lard)
FAQ
What is another name for beef tallow?
Is beef tallow refrigerated?
Where is tallow found?
Is beef tallow just lard?
Where to buy beef tallow?
Tallow is rendered beef fat that can be used instead of other cooking fats like vegetable oil or butter. It’s packed with nutrients and has a high smoke point, making it ideal for cooking. Here’s where to buy beef fat and why you need it in your kitchen. You can buy beef tallow at most grocery stores. It is usually sold in the meat section.
Does beef tallow have trans fats?
While beef tallow has a lot of saturated fats, it doesn’t include any trans fats, which makes it a better option than hydrogenated oils in some cooking applications. But as part of a balanced diet, it should be eaten in moderation, just like any other fat.
Is beef tallow a healthy choice?
Beef tallow is rich in healthy fats and essential nutrients, making it a nutritious choice for your meals and skincare regimen. The product Beef Tallow – 1 Quart (32 oz) is a premium product rendered from pure beef fat, which is unbleached and free from additives, ensuring the highest quality for your needs.
What is beef tallow used for in cooking?
Beef tallow is used for roasting and baking. Rubbing beef tallow on meats before roasting can help to keep them moist and tender, and can also add flavor. Beef tallow can be used as a substitute for butter or other fats in baking recipes, and can add a rich flavor to baked goods.