How to Render Beef Tallow in the Slow Cooker or on the Stove

Making Tallow in a Slow Cooker

Chop 3 lb (1.4 kg) beef trimmings into chunks and put them in a 4–5 US qt (3.8–4.7 L) slow cooker. Leave the lid off the slow cooker to allow any excess liquid to evaporate into the air.

Turn the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Let it come to a simmer, but never a boil. Stir occasionally to remove any pieces of fat or beef from the bottom of the slow cooker before it sticks and burns.

Turn off the heat when the liquid fat is clear and half the solid fat is brown. Don't let any of the solid fat turn black or the liquid fat get too brown or orange, or it will have an almost burnt flavor and smell.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain the tallow through it. The liquid tallow will filter through the cheesecloth and the fine mesh strainer into the bowl, while the cheesecloth will catch any remaining pieces of solid fat and beef. It's important to strain any remaining beef from the tallow to prevent the tallow from going rancid too soon after it's been stored.

Pour the liquid tallow into a glass container with an airtight lid. Let it cool and solidify thoroughly before screwing the lid on the container. Then store the tallow in a cool, dry place, such as your refrigerator. Wide-mouth glass mason jars work best, since they're easier to scrape tallow out of once it's solidified.

Making Tallow on the Stove

Place the chopped-up beef trimmings in a large pot on the stove. Turn the burner on to the lowest heat setting and render beef trimmings for 4 hours, stirring every 30-40 minutes. Remember to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent pieces of beef or beef fat from sticking to it and burning.

When the fat is liquefied with brown cracklings floating on top, it's done. Remove the tallow from the heat before it browns or burns and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Strain the beef tallow through cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer. Next, transfer the liquid tallow into an airtight glass container. Allow it to cool completely before putting the lid on the container and storing it in your refrigerator.

How to Make Beef Tallow Soap

Gather your tallow soap ingredients and supplies. This basic beef tallow soap recipe only requires three ingredients, but you'll also need protective gear and several cooking utensils. We have everything you need listed below. 30 fl oz (890 mL) liquid tallow 3.88 oz (110 g) lye (sodium hydroxide) 11 fl oz (330 mL) distilled water White vinegar to neutralize lye that comes in contact with your skin Goggles, face mask, long-sleeved shirt, and gloves Measuring cup 3 bowls and 1 pan Wax paper Soap mold and bar cutter Digital thermometer and digital scale Immersion blender Wooden spoons

Pour 11 fl oz (330 mL) water into a bowl and slowly stir 3.88 oz (110 g) lye into it. Complete this step outside or turn on your kitchen vent hood to help waft away the lye fumes. Once the mixture is complete, let it cool to 100–110 °F (38–43 °C). Avoid pouring water onto the lye, as this will cause the two substances to react too quickly and result in a miniature explosion. Wear your goggles, mask, long-sleeved shirt, and gloves while mixing the lye with the water. Not only are the fumes toxic, but lye is caustic and will burn your skin if it gets on you. If lye comes into contact with your skin, pour distilled vinegar on it to neutralize it.

Heat 30 fl oz (890 mL) tallow in a pot on the stove on low until it reaches 100 °F (38 °C). Then remove it from the heat and pour the lye and water mixture into it.

Blend the tallow and lye mixture with an immersion blender until it resembles pudding. At this point, you can up to 50 drops of your favorite essential oil or you can leave it unscented. Use only high-quality essential oil, as it is the safest for your skin and overall health. Brands that sell pure essential oil will list the oil as the only ingredient (usually by its Latin name) and the process they used to extract it. Favor steam distillation or cold pressing extraction methods and avoid solvent extraction, which uses toxic substances like hexane, ethanol, or methanol to extract the oil.

Line your soap mold with wax paper and pour the tallow into it. Cover it and let it set for a couple of days until it's solidified enough that you can cut into it with a knife, and the knife will come out clean.

Remove the soap from the mold and cut using a soap cutting tool. Then set the bars aside on a piece of wax paper to "cure" – dry out – for 6 weeks. After that, you can start using it to wash your skin. Shelley Williams, soapmaking expert and founder of Craft and Light, recommends storing your tallow soap bars in wax paper to protect their texture and maintain the oils and fats inside of them.

Other Ways to Use Your Homemade Beef Tallow

Cook, fry, and bake with tallow. Beef tallow has a mild flavor and a high smoke point, both of which make it an excellent oil to use when you create all sorts of delicious meals. Swap butter and oil for tallow in these tasty recipes: Steak Fried chicken Vanilla, chocolate, or apple cake

Make hydrating tallow body cream. Whip tallow with a hand mixer until it's soft and aerated to create a body cream you can apply to your skin. You can also add other ingredients like essential oils, Vitamin E, and jojoba oil to make it smell better and make it more nourishing. Tallow naturally contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fat that has anti-inflammatory properties. When applied to your skin, CLA and other vitamins in the tallow provide hydration and may improve your skin's elasticity.

Make an all-natural, moisturizing tallow lip balm. Melt beef tallow with beeswax and add optional ingredients like Vitamin E and non-phototoxic essential oils. Pour the mixture into lip balm containers and allow the balm to cool and solidify before applying it to your lips. Avoid phototoxic essential oils like orange, lemon, and Litsea cubeba. These oils can severely irritate your skin when they're exposed to sunlight, as they would be if you incorporated them into a tallow lip balm or body butter.

How long can you store homemade beef tallow?

Homemade beef tallow stays good for up to 1 year at room temperature. You can also store it in the fridge for 12-18 months and in the freezer for up to 2 years if you don't plan on using it all right away. You'll know your tallow has gone bad when it develops a sour, rancid smell and taste, at which point you should throw it out and make a new batch.