How to Render Grass-Fed Beef Suet into Tallow

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is a traditional cooking fat made by slowly rendering beef suet. It has been used for generations for cooking, baking, frying, soap making and skincare products.

At Garryowen, our suet comes from our grass-fed and finished Hereford cattle, raised on pasture in South Australia.

Whether you're looking to make healthier cooking fats, create natural skincare products or simply make use of more of the animal, rendering your own tallow is surprisingly easy.

Lets Render!!

What You'll Need

Garryowen Grass-Fed Beef Suet
Slow cooker or heavy-based saucepan
Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
Glass jars or containers for storage

Slow Cooker Method (Recommended)

This is the easiest method and requires very little attention.

Place the minced suet into your slow cooker.

Set the slow cooker to LOW.

Leave the lid slightly ajar to allow moisture to escape.

Cook for approximately 4–8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Once the fat has melted and the remaining solids (cracklings) are lightly golden, turn off the heat.

Carefully strain the liquid tallow through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into clean jars.

Allow to cool and set.

Your tallow is now ready to use.

Stovetop Method

Place the minced suet into a heavy-based saucepan.

Add approximately half a cup of water to prevent scorching during the initial heating.

Heat on the lowest setting possible.

Stir occasionally while the fat slowly melts.

Continue cooking for 2–4 hours until the cracklings become lightly golden.

Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve.

Pour into jars and allow to cool.

How Much Tallow Will I Get?

Rendering losses vary, but as a guide:

Suet Finished Tallow

1kg 700–900g

2kg 1.4–1.8kg

4kg 3–3.6kg

SHOP SUET

Rachael's Tallow Hacks

After making plenty of tallow over the years, these are some of my favourite ways to use and store it.

Render Outside

I like to set my slow cooker up outside or in a shed during the initial rendering process. While good quality suet doesn't smell unpleasant, it does create a distinctive beef-fat aroma that some people prefer to keep out of the house.

Make "Minced Tallow"

Once your rendered tallow has completely set, cut it into cubes and blitz it in a blender or food processor.

This creates a crumbly "minced tallow" that is easy to scoop and use.

I keep mine in a glass jar in the fridge and simply shake or scoop it into the frying pan when cooking.

Freeze for Bulk Cooking

We keep larger batches of rendered tallow in old ice cream containers in the freezer.

It's perfect for:

Camp oven cooking
Deep frying
Roasting vegetables
Winter comfort food cooking
Emergency cooking supplies

Use Ice Cube Trays

Pour warm rendered tallow into silicone ice cube trays.

Once frozen, pop the cubes into a freezer container.

This gives you perfectly portioned amounts ready for everyday cooking.

The Secret to Better Homemade Burgers

One of the things we love about grass-fed beef is that it's naturally leaner than many commercial grain-fed products.

However, leaner beef can sometimes mean drier homemade hamburgers.

Rachael's Burger Tip

Add approximately 10–15% minced tallow to your mince before making patties.

For example:

1kg mince = 100–150g tallow
2kg mince = 200–300g tallow

The tallow:

✔ Keeps burgers juicy

✔ Improves flavour

✔ Helps prevent drying out on the BBQ

✔ Creates a richer mouthfeel

✔ Produces a better sear

It's one of the easiest ways to elevate homemade burgers while still enjoying the benefits of grass-fed beef.

Uses for Beef Tallow

Beef tallow is incredibly versatile.

Cooking

Frying eggs
Roasting vegetables
Searing steaks
Deep frying
Camp oven cooking
Homemade chips
Pie pastry

Baking

Traditional pastries
Savoury pies
Biscuits and crackers

Home & Lifestyle

Soap making
Candles
Leather conditioning
Natural skincare products

Pet Uses

Homemade dog treats
Bird feeders
Farm and wildlife feeding recipes

Storage Guide

Pantry

Up to 6 months if fully rendered and stored in an airtight container.

Refrigerator

Up to 12 months.

Freezer

Several years.

Always use clean, dry utensils when removing tallow from storage.

From Our Farm to Your Home

Our Grass-Fed Beef Suet comes from our Hereford cattle, raised on pasture in South Australia.

We believe in utilising as much of the animal as possible and sharing traditional skills that have been used by farming families for generations.

Whether you're making your first batch of tallow or your fiftieth, we hope you enjoy the process as much as we do.

Garryowen Direct Beef
Grass-Fed & Finished Hereford Beef
South Australia