beef tallow v. lard

[candise]

hi all, i'm new to the site but have seen some good stuff on here. i'm hoping ya'll can help me out with a question. i've been really in to making my own stocks lately (beef and chicken, so far), ever since getting my hands on a copy of Nourishing Traditions. does anyone know if the fat that comes to the top of the stock constitutes beef tallow? is that fat "clean" enough to cook with? i'm thinking about making tamales with all the leftover meat from the stock making, and am wondering if that beef fat would be better to use than store-bought lard (which tends to come from factory meat, not grass-fed). and how would i store this fat?

thanks much!

candise

[cristeen]

Its perfectly good to use and def better than storebought lard.

As for storage, a clean jar in the fridge serves me well (pack it hot so it doesnt grow mold).

[candise]

hi cristeen! thanks for the reply. so, you've done this before...saved the fat from making stock? i'll have to pack the fat cold, as that's how it is when i remove it from the top of the stock - it turns in to a pale, hard "plug" at the top of the stock jar when refrigerated. do you recommend i heat the cooled fat back up then pack it away hot? also, how long does it stay good in the fridge? thanks again!

[cristeen]

Yes, heat it back up. You can put the jar in a pan of hot water and let it sit. The air pockets + contamnation from the stock= mold growth. Packed hot, it will keep in the fridge for ages, because the fat itself doesnt really go bad when kept cold.

[candise]

awesome. thanks for the tip, cristeen!

[prancie]

yes, heat it up and pour it into jars.  i love this fat, it's great for making fries and onions rings or beef dripping pastry.  the meat from your stock may not be very tasty, depending on how long you've cooked it.  

if you decide you want lard, you can order fatback from some online sources or wheedle your butcher into getting it if you have a place (such as whole foods) that sells pastured pork.  or call up some local farmers.  fatback is super easy to render (do it in the oven, it comes out prettier).  and lard is very useful. 

[candise]

*just* saw your post, prancie. thanks for the tips!

[Lazurii]

I save my tallow, but whenever I pull the cold fat off the stock I always seem to get some stock stuck to it.  I throw it in a pot to boil off all the stock.  I'll also have some scum in the bottom (I'm not great at skimming), so I'll try to keep the scum on the bottom of the put as I pour the fat into my jar.  Then I usually use the scummy fat right off or I'll put it back in with my stock.

[candise]

good to know, thanks Lazurii! i also ended up pulling off some of the gelatinous stock with the fat "plug" at the top, so i tried washing it off! it worked! not sure if that's the best way to do it, but it was pretty easy and thorough. 

do you know how long it's ok to keep the fat in the fridge between making the stock and re-boiling the fat to "cleanse" before canning it up hot and sticking in fridge for future use?

thanks!

[Lazurii]

I've left my fat on top of the broth for 3-4 days before jarring it.  I've also frozen stock with fat on top for a few weeks, let it thaw in the fridge, and continued as usual.