Where to Find Beef Tallow in the Grocery Store

Beef tallow is a nourishing traditional cooking fat that has become popular again thanks to the real food movement. If you want to start cooking and baking with beef tallow, you may be wondering where to find beef tallow in the grocery store. I’ll explain the best places to look for tallow and how to identify high quality tallow.

What is Beef Tallow?

First, let’s cover what exactly beef tallow is. Beef tallow is a rendered form of beef fat. It’s made by slowly melting down the fat trim and tissue from cattle. Once cooled, tallow is a creamy off-white solid fat at room temperature.

Tallow has been used for centuries in cooking, medicine, and skincare. It fell out of popularity when vegetable oils and industrial seed oils became widely available in the 20th century But today, many people are returning to traditional fats like tallow for the health benefits.

Benefits of Beef Tallow

Beef tallow offers many nutritional benefits when consumed

• High in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which supports immune function and metabolism
• Contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids
• High smoke point making it excellent for frying and baking
• Imparts a delicious rich flavor

Tallow is also wonderful for skincare when applied topically. The vitamins and fatty acids nourish and hydrate skin deeply.

Where to Find Tallow in Stores

Now that you know why tallow is so great, let’s explore the best places to find it in stores. Here are some tips on where to look and what to look for:

Check the Refrigerated Section

Start your search for tallow in the refrigerated meat section Look near the butter and other animal fats like lard or duck fat. Quality tallow is often sold in pint or quart sized glass jars or plastic tubs It will be semi-solid at cold temperatures.

Check Near Specialty Oils

Some stores also stock tallow in the oils section, sometimes even at room temperature. Look near avocado, coconut, and olive oils. Tallow is often sold in 16 oz or larger glass jars here.

Try the Freezer Section

Tallow is perishable so many stores keep it frozen to extend shelf life. Check near frozen butter and meat in reusable plastic containers or waxed cardboard. Thaw frozen tallow gently before using.

Ask the Butcher

If you still can’t find tallow, ask the butcher if they have any behind the counter or could make a fresh batch. Some butchers render their own tallow periodically.

Check Local Stores

Bigger chain grocery stores are less likely to carry tallow. Try smaller independent health food stores, co-ops, or butcher shops in your area. Local stores focused on quality ingredients are more likely to sell tallow.

Buy Online

Of course tallow can also be purchased online and shipped if you can’t find it locally. Look for tallow from 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef for the highest quality.

What to Look for When Buying Tallow

When you find tallow in stores, read the label closely and look for:

• Grass-fed and grass-finished beef: this ensures higher omega-3s and CLA content from the cattle’s natural diet. Grain-fed tallow is lower in nutrients.

• Minimally processed: tallow just needs to be gently rendered and filtered, not bleached or deodorized which damages the fragile fatty acids.

• Food-grade and additive-free: tallow should contain just pure beef fat without preservatives or chemicals.

• Local or regional source: supporting local tallow producers helps reduce environmental impact of transport.

• Glass or food-grade plastic packaging: tallow can absorb chemicals from low quality packaging.

• Unpasteurized and unrefined: pasteurization and over-refining damages nutrients and flavor.

With practice, finding high quality tallow from grass-fed cattle at grocery stores gets easier. Check the refrigerator and freezer sections, buckets near the olive oil, and ask the butcher. And don’t forget to check smaller health food shops in your area that focus on real ingredients. Then read labels closely and choose the purest tallow from pastured cattle you can find.