Beef tallow has been the hottest subject in food this year, with the news that Steak N Shake is changing from vegetable oil to tallow for its fries leading the charge, and that may have you wondering what you can do with it yourself. Beef tallow is being touted as a substitute for seed oils like vegetable oil, often due to the unique health benefits it offers. While there is little science backing up claims against seed oils, which also boast plenty of nutrients, beef tallow is not as unhealthy as it was made out to be during the anti-fat crusade of the 80s and 90s. In fact, both are perfectly good choices to switch out for each other in a variety of recipes. There is one problem, though: If you are going to swap in beef tallow for vegetable oil in a recipe, you better be ready for a change in flavor.
Vegetable oil is a versatile ingredient because it’s essentially neutral in flavor, so it can be used in sauteing, baking, frying, and whatever else without adding unwanted notes to the finished dish. Beef tallow isn’t the same kind of blank canvas; while its flavor is not strong, it does have a noticeably more savory and slightly meaty taste to it. In some cases, this may be what you want, and part of its resurgence has been a nostalgia for the way fries made with beef tallow tasted. But that beefy taste isn’t always ideal for your recipe.
Beef tallow will add a more savory flavor to recipes than vegetable oil
Lots of baked goods like cakes use vegetable oil as a fat for richness and moisture, and while you may be built differently, not a lot of people want the taste of beef in their carrot cake. Even for less sweet options like bread, beef tallow can distract from the subtle wheat flavors you are trying to coax out of the dough. And even for more common tallow uses like frying, it isn’t always the right choice. If you are frying fish, you don’t want to confuse that briny seafood flavor, for example.
But this is just a consideration, a tip to not go overboard when working with an exciting new ingredient, because there are plenty of great uses for beef tallow in your kitchen. While not ideal for most desserts, there are plenty of savory bakes. For example, a beefy kick would be amazing in pot pie crust or empanada dough. Or, try melting your tallow and tossing it with asparagus or broccoli before throwing them in the oven for some extra-savory roasted vegetables.
Beef tallow is an easy substitute too, as both are basically 100% fat, although for solid fats like tallow and lard, you may need to use about 10% more to get the same results. And hey, if you do decide you want some beefy chocolate chip cookies, nobody is going to stop you.
