# Beef tallow - tell me about it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 1, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687 "2026-05-01T03:10:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/41 "2026-05-02T04:27:47Z")
I thought gelatin was rendered from bones and hides (and hooves too). I used to live in Sioux City, Iowa, which had a big gelatin plant south of town. IIRC, most of that gelatin was used for non-food purposes. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/42 "2026-05-02T12:01:14Z")
I think that not only is visceral fat worse for your health when you have it (compared to subcutaneous fat), it’s also more unhealthy to eat it. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/43 "2026-05-02T14:55:14Z")
Correct. Highest concentration of saturated fatty acids and least concentration of monosaturated fatty acids. Most cardio metabolic risk and most contributory to dysfunctional inflammation. Intramuscular fat, marbling, least harmful of the three (abdominal, intramuscular, and subcutaneous). ETA marrow on par with marbling. Some plus and minus of composition but roughly a wash. That is probably what that oxtail fat is mostly. And marrow is very yummy. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/44 "2026-05-02T15:15:03Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I wonder if there is _any_ chemical or taste difference between ordinary beef tallow and wagyu beef tallow? It tastes like money. No idea if there is an actual taste difference. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > But I’ve never tried wagyu beef. Honestly, the photos don’t look appealing. I can, as a guilty pleasure, eat a strip of fat cap from my steak. But meat that’s got more fat than muscle fiber looks unhealthy to unappealing to me. In all beef the flavor comes from the fat. The marbling in Waygu melts into the meat when it’s cooked. Waygu is more buttery and tender than what you normally have. It’s not eating fat, it’s eating meat infused with fat. I’ve had Waygu and liked it. I can’t really say I liked it more than other good cuts of meat. It’s just different. I have no idea how that translates to the tallow. I’m going to guess the difference isn’t much except in price. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/45 "2026-05-02T15:15:58Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > I wonder if there is _any_ chemical or taste difference between ordinary beef tallow and wagyu beef tallow? > > I’ve read that there is. They don’t just have more fat, they have different fat. But I’ve never tried wagyu beef. Honestly, the photos don’t look appealing. I can, as a guilty pleasure, eat a strip of fat cap from my steak. But meat that’s got more fat than muscle fiber looks unhealthy to unappealing to me. Perhaps there is a difference, although I’m skeptical. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/46 "2026-05-02T15:17:40Z")
I don’t remember what the price was in person but on the Costco app the Waygu beef tallow is $60. That’s for 2 jars of 22 ounces each. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/47 "2026-05-02T15:22:36Z")
That’s $1.36 per ounce, versus $1.09 per ounce for the beef tallow at Big Y Supermarket, though that’s from ordinary American cows. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/48 "2026-05-02T15:28:43Z")
Hey, watch that “ordinary” stuff; our cows have tools. > **[Google Image Result for...](https://www.google.com/share.google?q=pqI50yQ6hTMKeOzDF)** ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/49 "2026-05-02T21:06:33Z")
All this talk about tallow, and not one mention of candles? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/50 "2026-05-02T21:11:16Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > monosaturated Mono_un_saturated … oops. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/51 "2026-05-02T21:15:48Z")
I thought about tallow candles. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/52 "2026-05-02T21:20:42Z")
Well, now that we’ve moved past culinary usage and value, I present: [Billy, the Beef Tallow Boy!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7yUIPuSvP8) Warning, not precisely NSFW, but this is Classic semi-disturbing Ren and Stimpy show. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/53 "2026-05-03T02:21:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Is the tallow you want to get for skincare or cooking? The description states that the unflavored version can be used for both. I had NO idea this ingredient had been so politicized (I read the posts in another thread about it) and admit that my familiarity with it until now was strictly regarding the late, lamented McDonald’s fries. Hence, starting this thread. Thank you all for the replies so far (keep 'em coming!) and for the record, duck fat is delishush and so is beef _marrow_. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/54 "2026-05-03T13:50:51Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I had NO idea this ingredient had been so politicized Yeah, it’s gone from something that everyone recognizes is not so healthy but is worth it for certain dishes every so often, to a dog whistle for the MAHA RFK Jr supporter folk. You might say it’s red meat for that crowd! The worth it POV in my mind goes back to a long ago episode of Yitzkak Perlman on _The Frugal Gormet -_ I think _-_ I forget which traditional Eastern European Jewish dish he was demonstrating but got to a point of saying take this much schmaltz .., when the host interrupted and asked if a healthier fat could be substituted. The look of horror on Perlman’s face as he answered that you could, but it wouldn’t taste right and that you make this dish once or twice a year … use the damn schmaltz! ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/55 "2026-05-03T19:09:33Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I thought about tallow candles Sorry, this post belongs in the _What were you thinking_ thread. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/56 "2026-05-03T22:11:47Z")
Yeah, this notion that somehow we (modern society) is more wasteful than aboriginal people is just plain false. It’s not like we cut out the steak and burger parts, use the skin for leather, and dispose of the rest. It ALL gets used in some fashion- for fertilizer, pet food, and a myriad of other uses. > [@muldoonthief](#): > > That’s not tallow. Tallow is rendered suet, which is specifically the fat from the internal body cavity, specifically around the kidneys. Maybe in the most purist definition, but just like with swine, there’s leaf lard from around the kidneys, and then there’s just ‘lard’ which is rendered pork fat. Same is true for tallow- if that weren’t true, cheap garden-variety bars of soap wouldn’t have “sodium tallowate” listed as a primary ingredient. [Where Does Beef Tallow Come From and How Is It Made? - ScienceInsights](https://scienceinsights.org/where-does-beef-tallow-come-from-and-how-is-it-made/) ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/57 "2026-09-29T01:50:03Z")
In the rural area where I live, the grocery stores don’t carry a whole lot of selection. There is one small store that you can go to and order just about anything, but it has to be by the case. One of the local stores had beef tallow one day and I bought some. I didn’t take into account my nephew’s friend who is a noted leach. A week or two later, I picked up the jar of beef tallow to find that it was very nearly empty. So out of that large jar of beef tallow, I was able to make one dish with it. The dish tasted fine. By the way, the leach will walk in without asking and use whatever he wants. For oils, he typically wants the more experience. If you have a bottle of olive oil there, he’ll use it on everything. I have started hiding my olive oil to keep it away from him. He won’t even touch cheaper oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. I started hiding the olive oil from him, but my younger brother suggested that I pour the sunflower oil into an olive oil bottle and the olive oil into a sunflower oil bottle. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/58 "2026-09-29T06:55:03Z")
> [@billy-jack](#): > > I was able to make one dish with it. The dish tasted fine. What did you make? ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/59 "2026-09-29T07:07:08Z")
I really don’t remember what I made. My guess would be pork chops. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687/60 "2026-09-29T07:29:38Z")
I recently had some potato chips that were made with beef tallow Did not care for them. They left a lardy film on the roof of my mouth. And I didn’t think they tasted all that great either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-tallow-tell-me-about-it/1029687.md?page=2)