How To Render Beef Fat - Grow & Behold Kitchen

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Skip to content Grow & Behold Kitchen Recipes and cooking tips How to Render Beef Fat

Beef fat can be used in place of margarine or other butter substitutes. It's a bit of a challenge to get used to its consistency: when cold, it is harder than butter (almost rock hard), yet it softens more quickly becoming semi-solid at room temperature. But if rendered slowly, and strained of any water or particles, its flavor is almost imperceptible, and can be used in pie crusts for fruit pies, brushed between Phyllo for apple streudel and more.

Duration 3+ hrs Cook Time 3+ hrs Prep Time 5 min Cook Type

Bake or Stove-top Featured Product

Beef Fat View product Contributed by

Anna Hanau

Yields 2-3lbs rendered fat. Substitute 1 for 1 in pie crust and tart recipes.

4 lbs Beef Fat
2-3 tablespoons water

Set beef fat and water in a dutch oven or heavy pot. Heat over low flame very slowly until the fat starts to melt. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until all fat has melted. Alternately, set pot in oven at 170F overnight or for several hours. The lower the heat you use, the longer it will take but the purer the flavor will be. At higher heat, any remaining meat particles will caramelize and lend more beefy flavor to the fat.

Once the fat has rendered, strain through a muslin cloth, several layers of cheese cloth, or paper towels. Refrigerate in a wide, shallow dish until mostly solid. Cut into chunks (weighing out 1/2lb increments, if you choose) to use in baking later.

Get recipes for making pie crust with your rendered beef fat here.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Anna Hanau

Anna first fell in love with cooking in her mother and grandmother's kitchen, and all over again when she grew organic vegetables at the Adamah farm. Combining fresh, seasonal produce with incredible quality meats is one of her passions.

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