I asked one of the meat cutters at a local large grocer for some fat trimmings to give it s try. He gave me about 2lbs of mostly beef fat that rendered down to almost gills 16oz mason jar. I’m thinking I want to try and make some soap with the kiddos and maybe use some as a cooking oil. The meat cutter said he can supply as much as I want.

Any tips on rendering? I intially cut it up into 1/2” chunks and put it in the instant pot for 2 hours hit that still had a lot of big chunks left. I had the idea to throw it all in my Vitamix which created a total unicorn thick liquid which I an hour of simmering finished off. Strained through a paper towel to catch the solids.

Is there a better way?

I have cooked down ham skins I get from a local sausage producer to make cracklins
I saved the lard in freezer containers and use the cracklins in cornbread.
Lots of time and work.
I just buy cracklins these days.

You need more heat than what an instant pot makes.

Just get a large, heavy-bottomed pot and place the fat in there on a medium/low setting on the stove and cook it down.

It may take quite a while, hours.

Once. I wanted to make a tallow and bees wax cream for preserving some rawhide horse gear: bosal, reins, cantle binding. I rendered kidney fat down in a cast iron pot--outside on a propane burner plate. After that, I found a commercial product that I liked as well, or better, than my homemade.

I render my own lard and have for several years now. I do it in a crock pot on low temp. Add some water first as you don't want to scorch it on the bottom, and then add the small chunks of fat. Don't add it all at the same time. Get it to a simmer (you don't want it to boil...just simmer) and when what you've added melts down, add some more. Keep this up until you're done. Strain it through a double or triple layer of cheesecloth and store in the fridge. If you start with good fat (leaf fat is the best but any will do) it'll turn a nice pearly white when it cools.

It takes awhile to do, but don't try to rush it.

do you guys put the lotion in a basket ??



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If you get kidney belt, its great for making pastry.

Fresh lard is an excellent fat for baking.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is clarifying after rendering.

After you have rendered the fat, there is still not-fat stuff in the fat. A lot of that can be removed by straining or filtering, but not all of it (at least not with a strainer or cheesecloth).

Traditionally, fat is clarified by adding 1 to 2 parts water to the fat and simmering and stirring it for a while. The fat floats on top of the water, and any not-fat stuff in the fat will fall into the water or dissolve into it. Then you can either separate it (by skimming or with a gravy separator) or let it cool until the fat solidifies and peel the fat off. Clarifying can be done multiple times depending on how pure you want your fat to be.

By rendering and then clarifying you can get very white, smooth, fat with no grit and very little odor.

I did this with brisket fat trimmings a while ago and it made beautiful fat for cooking.

Twenty-five pounds of lard costs $30. Is it worth rendering it yourself?

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
You need more heat than what an instant pot makes.

Just get a large, heavy-bottomed pot and place the fat in there on a medium/low setting on the stove and cook it down.

It may take quite a while, hours.

It seems to work on sauté mode... I can’t do it in the house without getting in trouble so it’s either the instant pot on the back patio or a pot on the grill’s side burner.

I just came home with about 12 lbs worth from the grocer. It’s simmering away. I got about half in the pot intially plus some water. I’ll add more as I can.

I’ll also skim out some of the chunks and blend them to speed it up.

Are candles made from tallow?

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is clarifying after rendering.

After you have rendered the fat, there is still not-fat stuff in the fat. A lot of that can be removed by straining or filtering, but not all of it (at least not with a strainer or cheesecloth).

Traditionally, fat is clarified by adding 1 to 2 parts water to the fat and simmering and stirring it for a while. The fat floats on top of the water, and any not-fat stuff in the fat will fall into the water or dissolve into it. Then you can either separate it (by skimming or with a gravy separator) or let it cool until the fat solidifies and peel the fat off. Clarifying can be done multiple times depending on how pure you want your fat to be.

By rendering and then clarifying you can get very white, smooth, fat with no grit and very little odor.

I did this with brisket fat trimmings a while ago and it made beautiful fat for cooking.

Thanks for the info! The jar I produced last time was amber while liquid and cooled into a very white smooth end product... very uniform and no visible grit or strong odor, but I haven’t used it for anything yet.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Twenty-five pounds of lard costs $30. Is it worth rendering it yourself?

It’s not really about the money though I am getting the fat for free, currently. It’s about getting enjoyment and satisfaction learning new things and becoming more self-reliant. It also helps teach my youngens where the things we use (food and soap) actually comes from. I am planning an early retirement in 8 years and will be relocating away from such a large city. We will do a lot more producing then. This helps us prepare.

It is also about knowing what we put in, and on, our bodies. This is the testing phase but once it comes to products we’ll use on a natural basis I’ll be sourcing fat from a different butcher who can supply it from organically raised and grass fed beef. That is something we value. I’ve already got one lined up and collecting that for me.

Anyone else thinking of Fight Club?

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Anyone else thinking of Fight Club?

shhhhhhh.

Only animal fat I've ever rendered is from bacon so I cannot help the OP.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Twenty-five pounds of lard costs $30. Is it worth rendering it yourself?

Yes, it is absolutely worth it. I raise the animals we get our lard and tallow from. I know that the animal was raised well and that the fat is not full of toxins.

It is fantastic to cook with.

quote:

Originally posted by mark_a:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Twenty-five pounds of lard costs $30. Is it worth rendering it yourself?

Yes, it is absolutely worth it. I raise the animals we get our lard and tallow from. I know that the animal was raised well and that the fat is not full of toxins.

It is fantastic to cook with.

And preservative free. I agree that it's definitely worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Twenty-five pounds of lard costs $30. Is it worth rendering it yourself?

No comparison between the taste of fresh lard/tallow and the stuff you can buy in a tub

When I was very young and my first real job was as a financial management intern for the Department of HEW, there was still a rendering plant operating in Georgetown. One could smell it for some distance away, and it rendered the air very unpleasant.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Only animal fat I've ever rendered is from bacon so I cannot help the OP.

Another amatuer bacon-renderer checking in. I use the fat for thai food such as Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles), fried rice, and Khao Soi Noodles. Smells mmm mmm good cooking. Maladat's post is impressive.