Tallow vs. Butter: Which is Better to Cook with?
When it comes to choosing the best cooking fat, both tallow and butter have their benefits and challenges. While both are rich in healthy fats, they differ in fat content, smoke points, and health benefits. So, which is better to cook with?
**This post contains affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.
What is Tallow?
Tallow is rendered beef fat typically from beef suet, though some wagyu beef tallow is highly prized for its rich flavor and high smoke point. Tallow fat is solid at room temperature and melts when heated. It was commonly used in households before the rise of vegetable oils and plant-based oils. You may also come across mutton fat or pork fat (also known as leaf lard). These fats have their own distinct uses.
What is Butter?
Butter is made from milk solids and contains both solid fat and some water. It’s known for its rich, creamy flavor and is commonly used in baking, sautéing, and spreading. However, butter has a lower smoke point compared to tallow, which can limit its use at higher temperatures.
The Main Difference Between Tallow and Butter
One of the main differences is the smoke point—tallow can withstand higher temperatures than butter. This makes tallow a better option for deep frying or cooking at higher temperatures without producing trans fats or harmful free radicals. Butter, due to its milk solids, tends to burn quickly when used for high-heat cooking. The higher smoke point of tallow is an advantage when making crispy french fries or searing a New York strip steak.
Health Benefits: Tallow vs. Butter
Both fats offer health benefits, though in different ways. Tallow is considered rich in monounsaturated fats and contains fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, which support the immune system and promote healthy skin. Butter contains these vitamins too, but it also has saturated fats and some polyunsaturated fats. However, recent research shows that healthy fatty acids found in butter can also raise good cholesterol levels.
Additionally, grass-fed cows produce tallow with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. This makes it a good choice for those following a ketogenic diet or seeking weight loss. The fat content in tallow is also more stable and less prone to oxidation compared to vegetable shortening or sunflower oil.
Best Ways to Use Tallow and Butter
Tallow
Tallow has a wide range of culinary and non-culinary uses due to its stability and high smoke point. It’s perfect for high-temperature cooking, such as frying or roasting, and offers a neutral flavor that doesn’t overpower dishes.
High-Heat Cooking
Tallow’s very high smoke point (around 400°F) makes it ideal for frying, roasting, and grilling. You can use tallow to make perfectly crispy french fries, deep fry meats, or roast vegetables at high temperatures without worrying about producing harmful free radicals. It’s an excellent choice for searing steaks, like a New York strip steak, to achieve a crispy, caramelized exterior.
Baking
Tallow can be a good option for baking, especially in savory recipes. It can be used in place of butter or vegetable shortening in recipes like pie crusts, biscuits, or even bread. The fat content of tallow adds flakiness to baked goods, and because it’s solid at room temperature, it behaves much like butter or shortening.
Homemade Tallow Products
Tallow isn’t just limited to cooking. It’s a great way to make non-culinary products like tallow candles and unscented skincare products. Its high concentration of fat-soluble vitamins makes it especially nourishing for the skin. You can use it in DIY moisturizers or balms, which are excellent for people with lactose intolerance or those seeking a more natural product for sensitive skin.
Tallow for Frying
When it comes to frying, tallow is considered superior to many other fats. Its solid form at room temperature makes it easy to store, and when melted, it maintains a clean, stable frying medium. Tallow works wonderfully for frying chicken, making crispy potatoes, and even frying doughnuts for a different flavor.
Sautéing and Stir-Frying
Tallow is also ideal for everyday use when sautéing or stir-frying. Its stability under heat prevents the breakdown of fats into harmful substances, unlike some vegetable oils and coconut oil, which degrade at lower temperatures.
Tallow for Keto and Paleo Diets
Tallow is particularly popular in ketogenic diets because of its high fat content and lack of carbohydrates. It’s a versatile, good choice for adding healthy fats to meals while maintaining flavor and texture. Whether it’s used in soups, stews, or sauces, tallow provides an added benefit for those on high-fat, low-carb diets.
Making Beef Tallow at Home
You can also render your own tallow at home by collecting the raw fat (often called suet) from a grass-fed animal like a cow. This simple process involves slowly cooking down the beef fat until the final product is a liquid that can be strained and stored for future use.
Butter
Butter is beloved for its rich flavor and ability to enhance both sweet and savory dishes. Although it has a lower smoke point than tallow, it still plays a crucial role in many kitchen staples.
Baking and Pastries
Butter is king in the world of baking. It’s essential for making light and flaky pastries, pie crusts, and cookies. Its water content helps create steam, which contributes to the rise and texture of baked goods. Butter is also the go-to for cakes, muffins, and other baked treats where flavor is just as important as texture. The flavor of butter is irreplaceable in sweet dishes, unlike pork fat or tallow, which might impart a savory note.
Sautéing and Low-Heat Cooking
Butter shines in low-heat cooking or quick sautéing. It adds a rich, creamy flavor to vegetables, eggs, and light meats like chicken or fish. For dishes that require a quick burst of flavor at low heat, like scrambled eggs or a simple garlic butter sauce, butter works best. Clarified butter (also known as ghee) can be used in higher heat cooking because it has a higher smoke point, but still not as high as tallow.
Spreads and Sauces
Butter is unbeatable when it comes to spreads and sauces. Whether you’re spreading it over toast, melting it over pancakes, or using it to make a creamy sauce, butter adds richness that other fats can’t match. Butter-based sauces like beurre blanc, hollandaise, or even a simple garlic butter enhance dishes that require the silky texture and flavor that only butter can provide.
Finishing Touches
Butter is often used to finish dishes with a glossy sheen and additional flavor. For example, stirring a tablespoon of butter into a finished sauce or risotto adds depth of flavor. Adding a pat of butter to a piece of meat right after cooking can elevate the taste and texture of the dish.
Browning Butter for Enhanced Flavor
Brown butter (or beurre noisette) is butter that’s been cooked until the milk solids turn golden brown, giving it a rich, nutty flavor. This can be used to enhance everything from pasta dishes to baked goods, giving a deeper flavor that plain butter can’t provide.
Butter in Baking vs. Other Fats
While palm oil, vegetable shortening, and even tallow are used in some baked goods, butter has a distinct flavor that can’t be easily substituted. The fat content in butter provides tenderness and moisture in cakes and pastries, making it a good option for baking where texture is essential.
Infused Butters
You can also create infused butters with flavors like garlic, herbs, or essential oils to complement a variety of dishes. These butters can be used as a finishing touch or even spread on bread as a flavorful snack.
Tallow vs. Butter: Finding the Balance
While tallow excels at high-heat applications like frying and roasting, butter brings flavor and richness to baked goods and sauces. Both fats have their places in the kitchen, and the choice between them often depends on the recipe and the cooking method.
By experimenting with both tallow and butter in your cooking, you can discover the best ways to use each based on your culinary needs and personal preferences. Whether it’s crispy fries in tallow or flaky croissants made with butter, each fat has something valuable to offer.
Conclusion
Choosing between tallow and butter depends on your cooking method and health goals. For high temperatures and long-lasting cooking oil, tallow has the upper hand. Butter shines in dishes where flavor matters most, but its lower smoke point and added milk solids limit its versatility. Understanding the different flavors and uses for each will help you make the best choice for your kitchen and overall wellness.
