Making Purified Tallow from Beef Suet

Note: this process gives off an odour that can be offensive to some people, so I suggest to do the rendering of the fat in the garage if possible. Or at least with a window open.

Suet fat is the raw, internal fat found around the kidneys and loins of animals, particularly ruminants like cows and sheep. It has a high melting point and is prized for its versatility in cooking and baking. Suet is commonly rendered into tallow, a purified form of fat which extends it’s shelf life and takes away most of the odour.

1. Trim the fat (suet) of any meat bits or bloody bits with a knife and cube it up.

2. In a large crock pot/slow cooker – add the cubed fat, 1-2 cups of water, 1 tbsp salt and render on low for about 14-18 hours. Stir once every few hours to ensure all the fat is rendered down.

3. Let cool for a couple hours then strain through cheese cloth into a stainless steel bowl.

4. Place the bowl of fat into the freezer to solidify.

5. Once solidified (usually the following day), take the solidified fat out of the bowl. There will be salt water at the bottom of the bowl. Your first purification is complete! You can now use your tallow for cooking and frying.

Double Purifying

If you wish to use your tallow for skin care products I would recommend “double purifying” your suet. This simply involves placing the purified tallow in a large saucepan or crockpot to melt down on low heat one more time. Add 1-2 cups of water and 2 Tablespoons of salt, stir into the melted fat, let it simmer for about 30 minutes (do not bring it to a rolling boil if possible), strain it through clean cheese cloth into a stainless steel bowl again, let cool. Place in freezer to solidify then remove from the bowl to separate the fat from the salt water. Pat dry the double purified tallow and it’s ready for your skin care products.