Suet vs. Tallow: How Do These Dietary Fat Resources Differ?

Suet Nutritional Value

Suet’s nutritional value can vary depending on the specific animal source [1]. The following table shows the nutrients in 100 grams of beef suet [2]:

The primary use of suet is to make tallow. With a simple process, tallow can be rendered from suet and used in many recipes.

Learn More: 8 Best Beef Tallow Brands for the Carnivore Diet

What Is Tallow?

Tallow is a type of rendered fat derived from suet. The rendering process includes melting and simmering suet to separate the solid components from the liquid fat.

Tallow is solid at room temperature and has a melting point between 40 °C and 45 °C. This solid state and stability at high temperatures make it usable in cooking, soap making, candle production, and various other applications.

It’s used to enhance the flavor of different dishes, especially in traditional recipes like beef stew or classic meat pies. Tallow can be derived from suet with special tools and methods.

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How Is Tallow Made?

For rendering tallow from suet, you’ll need the following tools:

• 16-Quart Stock Pot: It is for cooking fats, and it’s better to be big enough to avoid splashing on your countertops or stovetop.
• Fine Mesh Strainer: A good strainer is needed for straining large pieces of meat and other impurities that don’t cook down with the fat.
• Funnel: It is needed to do more straining into your storage jar(s).
• 100% Cotton Cheesecloth: It’s the best item for the final straining, but you can also use a coffee filter or paper towel.
• ‍Wide-Mouth Mason Jars: These jars are perfect for storing tallow, as they have a wide mouth, so you can easily get the tallow in and out and store them in the fridge.

When you provide these tools, you can start rendering by following the steps below:

1. Add the Beef Fat to the Stock Pot: Add the fat to a large pot and maintain a low and slow temperature during rendering to prevent the fat from turning brown with a funkier flavor. Low and slow temperature ensures that the tallow remains whiter when it cools.
2. Slowly Simmer to Render the Beef Fat: Let it simmer until it starts bubbling. Notice these bubbles, and reduce the heat if the rendered fat starts bubbling too much.
3. Strain: You should strain it twice to ensure it has no impurities. The first strain is in a fine strainer and removes bigger pieces. Use cheesecloth for the second strain to remove all remaining small pieces.
4. Use or Store: After the tallow is strained, store it in jars and put it in the fridge. It’s usable for up to 3 months. When it cools, it turns solid and white. Also, you can use it right after straining.

Learn More: Lard vs. Tallow: How To Use These Fat Sources?

Tallow Nutritional Value

Tallow mainly contains saturated animal fat, but it also contains unsaturated fats. The breakdown of fats in tallow is about 45 to 50% saturated fat, 42 to 50% monounsaturated fat, and 4% polyunsaturated fat.

The exact amount of each kind of fat depends on the specific animal source. The following table shows the nutrients in 100 grams of beef tallow [3]:

Comparing suet vs. tallow, we can see that tallow has more fat and cholesterol. The rendering process can also affect its texture, which results in differences between these two fat sources.

Learn More: High-Fat Carnivore Diet: Is It Healthy? Everything You Should Know

What Are The Differences Between Suet and Tallow?

• Suet is derived from the fat surrounding organs like kidneys, while tallow is produced by rendering fat without containing any bits of tissues.
• Tallow has a white to yellowish-white color, while suet looks grainy and opaque.
• Tallow melts sooner than suet.
• Suet contains more saturated fats, which results in a firmer texture. Tallow contains more unsaturated fats, giving it a softer texture [4].
• Suet has a rich, meaty flavor. In contrast, tallow has a milder taste, often nutty or buttery.

These differences in appearance, melting points, fat composition, and flavor lead to different uses for these two fat sources.

Learn More: The Effects of Tallow for Skin: Is It Good? Benefits and Side Effects

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How Is Suet Usually Used?

• Pastry Production and Traditional Puddings: Suet is often used in pastry recipes, such as traditional British puddings. Its solid, firm texture helps create a flaky, tender crust.
• Dumplings and Biscuits: Suet can be added to the dough to provide richness and texture for dumplings and biscuits.
• Stuffings: Suet can provide flavor and moisture to stuffings for roasts and poultry.
• Bird Feed: It is used in bird feed and provides a high-energy source for birds, especially during colder months when they require more calories.
• Deep Frying: In some recipes, suet is used for deep frying due to its high smoke point and unique flavor.

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How Do You Use Tallow?

• Food: Tallow is an ingredient in shortening production and is a key component of the Native American food pemmican. With a smoke point of 249 °C, tallow was traditionally the preferred choice for deep frying in major fast-food chains like McDonald's before the shift to pure vegetable oil in 1990.
• Greaves: Greaves, or cracklings, are the leftovers rendering. They are often pressed into cakes and utilized as animal feed, particularly for dogs and hogs, or as fish bait.
• Candles: Historically, tallow was used as a cheaper alternative to wax varieties to make molded candles and dips.
• Industry: Tallow is used in various industrial processes, such as serving as a flux for soldering.
• Textiles: Mutton tallow is widely used as a starch, lubricant, and softener in textile manufacturing. It provides necessary strength and lubrication in pretreatment processes like sizing and enhancing the quality of finished products.

Both suet and tallow are mainly used in cooking and have similar nutritional profiles, but can we use any of them instead of the other?

Tallow and Suet Can Replace Each Other in Many Recipes

• Suet and tallow can be substituted, but there are some considerations. They both have a rich and savory flavor but differ in texture and moisture.
• Before replacing suet and tallow with each other, you should check how your chosen fat can be used in the recipe. For example, in baking, the solid texture of suet is essential for pastries, so tallow may not be a good substitute.
• However, suet can be substituted for tallow in traditional dishes like puddings, pies, or pastry recipes.
• Suet has a higher water content than tallow, so you need to adjust the other ingredients to get the desired consistency in the recipe.
• Tallow can be substituted for suet in certain recipes, especially if the recipe needs melted or rendered suet. However, tallow has a different texture and composition, so the final result may vary.

Learn More: Ghee vs. Tallow: From Cooking to Skincare

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Summary

Comparing suet vs. tallow, we can say both are rich fat sources and have similar nutrient profiles. However, they differ in texture and moisture.

The most important point is to consult a healthcare professional and check your health status and body needs to ensure you can use these fat sources in your diet.