Is suet the same thing as lard?

[momma4fun]

Thanks

[kallyn]

Suet is cow fat and lard is pork fat.

[momma4fun]

Thank you. Does anyone havee experience cooking with suet?

[Taedareth]

Most people don't cook with straight suet. Suet is the hard fat cut from around the internal organs. First you render it into tallow, and then you can use it for cooking. Great for frying, for making pie crusts, and all sorts of things


From wikipedia:
Fresh suet must be ordered from your Butcher. It can be difficult to obtain. As it is the fat from around the kidneys, the connective tissue, blood and other non-fat items must be removed. It then needs to be coarsely grated to make it ready to use. It must be kept refrigerated prior to use and used within a few days of purchase like any meat...

The primary use of suet is to make tallow, although it is also used as an ingredient in cooking. Suet is made into tallow in a process called rendering, which involves melting and extended simmering, followed by straining, cooling and usually a repetition of the entire process.

Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration. Tallow is used to make soap, for cooking (fried foods especially), as a bird food, and was once used for making candles.

[kallyn]

I made tallow once from grassfed suet and it smelled horrible. It really put both me and DH off and we developed an aversion to it. Sometimes, cooking chicken takes on a little of that same scent and we are both like

Maybe mine was just bad though. I've never tried it again to find out.

[Taedareth]

Hmm yes, sounds like maybe yours went rancid. I've rendered tallow from pasture-fed suet and it turned out great with an inoffensive, beefy scent.

[tanyalynn]

I made tallow once from grassfed suet and it smelled horrible.

Mine doesn't smell good either, but it doesn't smell different than the fat that's on the stew meat (my stew meat has a pretty thick layer attached). So I think that's just the way some are. I just use my tallow in beef dishes that have a decent amount of spicing and I don't notice the flavor.