Blame that stearic acid. Being wild, variability is the name of the game. Fat from poultry such as duck, geese, and chickens is called … © 2021 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved. Turn heat to medium. My chickens love them.). ... Jenni is the soaper, here she adjusts a recipe for deer tallow. So if you live in a place with cold winters, save your deer suet for them. Deer fat (as well as elk and moose fat) is largely considered inedible due to the pungent flavor. Ever wonder why that happens? We’ve been trying to incorporate deer tallow into more and more of our cooking in an effort to use the whole animal and have been surprised at how easy it is. Containers that can withstand hot temperatures. Knowing how to render tallow is an essential skill for homesteading and nutrient dense cooking. You just butcher it like normal but instead of throwing the tallow that builds up on the back, rump, and kidneys you simply save it. Then this crazy thing happened and we shot a deer that was FAT. Trev and his cousins rendering some deer tallow and making candles from the rendered fat. Congratulations! Cut apart when solidified and cool. So I kept the fat… In fact, it’s one of my more favorite hunting myths to puncture when I talk to other hunters about game cookery. Collecting the Fat: This part is real easy if you process your own deer. A deer that had been pillaging an alfalfa field or a cornfield will have fat that tastes a lot like beef or lamb fat. Oils, fats, and lye are weighed. Chocolate. There are a few tips to know that make sure the process is easy and the tallow turns out well. Put deer fat in big pot and place on stove. By Hank Shaw on October 13, 2014, Updated May 17, 2020 - 80 Comments. Rule No. If you want to make your candles now, skip molding and cooling the tallow and go right into pouring it into the containers with wicks. Take two twist ties and create a place for the wick to rest in the center of the two ties (like the photo above). This is where I get my coconut oil. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. Use of lanolin as a moisturiser began with the ancient Greeks. I highly recommend canning jars such as Ball or Kerr. Apparently its even harder than beef tallow- should be … The process of rendering the fat can be a bit messy, but it is easy and you're likely to get several container candles that will look terrific and are great for using or gift giving. Once the coconut and tallow are melted down…add the olive oil. The reason why gets us into what venison fat is made of. Period. If you want to eat it, well, it’s really waxy and won’t melt until it hits about 120°F. It’s the mouthfeel. There, I said it. lard etc) is near liquid. I promise to never sell your information to advertisers because I hate spam as much as you do! Beef fat is still solid and deer fat in my mind is harder than the beef. Step 2 – Measure out the tallow and coconut oil and melt. Make sure you leave enough room at the top of the jar to have about a half inch of wick showing. A little is fine, largely because it carries that nice venison flavor. This makes it easy to collect once you skin the deer – this fat layer is readily exposed, and is easy to cut/peel away from the meat, especially if … Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, which I respect a lot, says venison fat is gnarly — but, oddly, that moose and caribou fat isn’t. Next you will often see a lot of fat around the kidneys as well as some stuck here and there within the gut cavity. I bought 8 inch wicks, but you can choose 6 inch wicks. 100% grass fed is the most ideal, because the nutrient content is the highest. What have your experiences been with deer fat? A little adds a lot of flavor, a lot can give you that “coated mouth” thing, Eat cuts with a lot of venison fat, burger or sausages made with venison fat within 3 to 6 months, as the fat will go rancid slowly even in the freezer; it’s a little like salmon fat, which, when thawed, gets that nasty smell we all hate…. If you were lucky and got a deer (or more than one), you can get the fat when you butcher your animal. Beef fat is still solid and deer fat in my mind is harder than the beef. Since wild game is relatively lean, it can seem like a lot of effort to try saving every scrap of fat. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook. Have you ever skinned a deer only to discover it’s meat was covered with a nasty-looking yellowish fat (not the normal ivory-white tallow)? Thanks for asking! A word on taste. I can feed you a series of meats, and if they are all cooked the same way and are all devoid of fat, they’ll all taste similar. At the very least it’s cholesterol neutral. And ruminants tend to have a narrower range of flavor differences than do animals with a less intense digestive system and/or a wider diet. Step 1 – Make your lye solution. Even the normally sporty The L.L. Also when you’re pouring, make an effort to coat the string with the melted fat. Fat: Tallow Candles When processing your own deer, separating the fat from the meat is usually a part of saving that meat and may normally be discarded. Let the fat melt down. Rendering Deer Fat for Soaps, Salves, and Candles. We start by helping my father butcher a doe he’d shot. Deer fat is more saturated than fat from beef, lamb or pork. Suet is also an animal fat used in baking and cooking ( among other uses ), but it is specifically the hard fat … The reason has to due with temperatures above freezing, exposure to the air, which causes oxidation, and because fats high in omega-3 fatty acids tend to go rancid easier. (More on that in another post.) I added about one tablespoon of salt. This is the soap mold I’ve been using. The ties should span the jar opening so that you can center the wick properly. Prepare containers by adding wick to the center. Start with a small amount of … If you get premeasured wicks, you have the benefit of having a bottom tab that serves as an end piece. I mean, at human body temperature, pork fat (i.e. Most of the fat on a deer is used as an insulation and energy storage layer, between the meat and the hide. Some will even give it to you for free. Render some in a pan with a little water, and if it smells good it is good. Some critics skip the flavor aspect altogether and stress how quickly venison fat goes rancid, even in the freezer. Otherwise, you'll have to fashion your own. Good data is hard to find on this subject, but it does exist. You got a deer this season! Let cool. How can you tell? Toss the suet unless you want to make candles, soap or feed the birds. Contrast that with ducks and bears and wild pigs, which can run the gamut from abominable to sublime depending on what they’d last been eating. So convenient! Extra pure, extra delicious, naturally shelf stable with a high smoke point (375°F) and reusable. Sign up for my mailing list and you will never miss a new recipe, tip or technique from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. After all, it just makes sense that the fat on venison would taste good, especially if you are hunting either in the Grain Belt or wherever there are a lot of acorns: Most of us like the taste of grain-fed beef, and acorn-fed pork is some of the finest in the world. You’ll be surprised. It isn’t necessary to get the fat very hot, just enough to melt and pour it. And this brings us to the final issue with deer fat: It can coat your mouth. They all come to the same conclusion about deer fat: It is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, due mostly to a diet of grasses. I've noticed that deer tallow is more saturated when it comes to fat. Your nose doesn’t lie. 7. Tallow is great for cooking vegetables in before you make a stew. Tallow Be Thy Name!!! Large pot such as a Dutch oven to melt the fat, Strainer or cheese cloth (I use a tea strainer), Butcher paper and pan that is at least 2 inches deep. At this point, you've noticed that the deer had a bunch of fat on it and instead of tossing it in the trash, you were wondering if there was something easy you could do with it. Trim the wicks to 1/2 to 3/4 inch, if necessary. — mostly from New Zealand, Scandinavia and Great Britain, although there were a few from the United States, too. Deer fat is more saturated than fat from beef, lamb or pork. Why? Crazy, eh? Stir and skim off any large pieces of cooked meat or rind. Step 2 – Sprinkle with salt. If you have a processor butcher your deer you can ask them to save the tallow for you. Venison, whether destined for steaks or hamburger, should be trimmed free of anything that’s not rich, red meat. Deer tallow is harder than pork fat and maybe even harder than beef fat. 1: Body cavity fat (suet) is always harder than that on working muscles. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Deer are deer, with real but more subtle differences in flavor. I make jerky from beef hearts and when you remove the fat on the outside of the heart (you don't want any fat on jerky meat) there is quite a bit, which I render into beef tallow. I managed to read about a dozen scientific papers on venison fat — yeah, I know, light reading, right? Let me start with the obvious: Deer, elk, antelope, caribou and moose are all separate critters, with different diets among species compounded by both regional differences — the menu for an Arizona cous deer is nothing like that for an Iowa white-tailed deer, for example — as well as individual differences; one buck may love acorns, while the one eating next to him prefers grass. Don’t believe me? Here’s what I know about the science and composition of fat in venison, and hopefully this will help you decide whether you want to keep the fat on your deer or trim it off. It hardens better than beef tallow, which makes me think it is overall better for tallow candles. It is hard to find something that is as versatile and nutrient dense as tallow. Let cool and harden. I’ve long been a proponent of using deer fat in cooking. Add Fat. But you know what has even higher levels of it? Slice off any fat that was exposed to air after you’ve hung the carcass. Venison fat has flavor. Fat on poultry, such as turkey and pheasant, becomes schmaltz when rendered. lard etc) is near liquid. And, in Germany products containing deer tallow (Hirschtalg) are available to prevent chafing, blisters and calluses and to help regenerate affected skin. Neither does the sinew, silver skin, and other connective tissues holding the various muscle groups together. Flavor in deer fat is all about meat care, which we just discussed, and diet. Fat from goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, deer, moose, elk, caribou and other ungulates is hard and when rendered is called tallow. Rendering fat is the process where you remove the impurities in the fat and create tallow. The smaller the better and faster the fat will melt down. Unlike beef fat, deer fat does not taste good. Pour tallow into each container with wick. *Not for human consumption* There's plenty of videos out there on how to render fat into tallow using water and double boilers, but here I show you how I make tallow … Deer tallow is harder than pork fat and maybe even harder than beef fat. As it happens, stearic acid is an anomaly. It is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, due mostly to a diet of grasses. Not a lot of people do this because it requires very cold temperatures. Hi - Can you add scents to the candles as well? Yes, but the kind most people are talking about is palmitic and myristic acid, which are present in all ruminants, including deer. Be sure to keep the wick in the center. I have no experience with deer tallow, though. Hey there. It consists primarily of fatty acid glycerides. Tallow is the refined fat from the animal. So, back to the question of hanging your deer. Research shows that a deer’s sex, age and physical condition closer to winter are the three biggest factors affecting fat … MH Bonham is an award-winning author and editor. Beef tallow benefits. Given this, any universal ideas about the flavor or composition of deer fat should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s purely personal preference. (You can offer them as snacks to your pets once cooled. It's no good for eating, being extremely gamey, but it does make excellent candles from the tallow. Diets high in stearic acid actually decrease the “bad” cholesterol levels in people and may even increase the “good” cholesterol, too. To begin, source some high quality beef fat. I suggest pint or half pint jars. Burger Is Too Lean Turns out, there is — to both sides of the deer fat debate. Step 1 – Chop up your fat into stew sized chunks. Like, really fat. One big reason is because that lovely flavor coats your palate. By comparison, rendered wild duck fat melts around 68°F. So. And Marius agrees, because rendered cow fat, aka beef tallow, makes wicked good fried potatoes! Whitetail deer fat can be slowly boiled down and rendered into tallow. Fat from pigs, bear, and rabbit is soft fat, and when rendered is called lard. Store in plastic bags in refrigerator until ready to use. The soap mold is prepared for a small batch. This is a big one. And that’s fair, but I am betting it isn’t the flavor of the fat that’s got them. I save it, vacuum-sealing it and freezing it straight away. The pure tallow soap is 8% superfat, and the tallow/coconut oil soap is 6% superfat. Tallow can also refer to rendered fat from other ruminant animals, like sheep. Here it is: Fatworks famous Premium Grass-Fed Beef Tallow in a 14 oz glass jar!. I tend to toss it. Lard is the rendered fat from hogs. I do this with all my highest quality homemade cooking fats- homemade butter, chicken and turkey fat, leaf lard, and the organ tallow fat. Birds really love it, though, especially in winter. Nevertheless, all our “deer” are cervids, ruminant cousins of sheep, goats and cattle. Tallow is an ideal fat for soap making, both because of its skin-nourishing … Also, he cooks himself a nice little snack over the fire. A note: The deer tallow had a … If you hang your deer with the meat (and fat) exposed, it will begin to go rancid. It may have the highest levels of stearic acid in any food animal, for reasons not entirely clear. Optimally at about 120F (you may need to melt, then cool it a little), stir in EVOO and essential oils. “Tallow” is a fancy name for rendered fat. You will want cotton core wicks rather than zinc core wicks for natural waxes such as tallow. Another option is tallow from wild game, although deer fat is very saturated and waxy. The ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Although we’re talking today about tallow and not milk, it’s likely that the CLA content of tallow is higher when derived from grass-fed beef fat. Bonham is also the author of more than 50 books as well as thousands of articles. This added fat can be bacon, pork shoulder, pork belly, beef tallow, etc. Specifically, beef tallow is beef fat that has been cooked down with impurities removed. If you are a soap or candle maker, this stuff is golden. But when I make sausages from 100 percent venison, they taste fantastic but I find I need to drink something acidic, like red wine, to cut that coating. Let’s get started! Depending on what you’re planning to cook, you may want to add fat to your ground venison. A salmon-eating bear is foul, a berry-eating one fantastic. First off, when you gut the deer you will see a skein of lacy fat surrounding its entrails; this is caul fat, and it is fantastic for making crepinettes or British meatballs. Uncooked deer fat is nasty and chalky. Just get as much meat as you can removed and put your fat in a Dutch oven or other big pot. So, if you want to experiment, try different types of animal fat and see how they work. A deer eking out a living in the Great Basin or the desert might not have any fat at all, and what fat there it may well taste unpleasant. Never use deer fat in dry-cured salami. Save it from deer that had been eating nice grasses, grains or acorns. Beef tallow … One butcher I know leaves the entire inedible cuttings (fat, bloodshot meat, and organs) for people to take just behind his shop. You know why you love chocolate so much? Beef has some stearic acid, lamb more. Visible chunks of fat are trimmed and set aside. Cosmetics & Skincare. Cold tallow works best because it is easier to handle and cut into very small chunks. Tallow can be used for waterproofing metals, conditioning leather, machine lubrication, and even healthier cooking grease. You can incorporate a little into the mix, but be cautious about how much you add to avoid bites that coat your mouth with wax. Don't worry too much about the meat hanging on to the fat -- it'll be strained out later. I mean, at human body temperature, pork fat (i.e. I've noticed that deer tallow is more saturated when it comes to fat. But it’s something to be aware of. In culinary terms, rendering fat from a deer is referred to as tallow. When you get your fat, trim off as much meat as you can while still keeping most of the fat. Venison fat crisped on a roast or steak is awesome. Only when it’s deer fat the experience is something else entirely, and not altogether pleasant. Twist ties -- you'll need two per candle to ensure the wick stays centered. This is our flagship fat and the one that started the Fat Revolution! Tallow is the fat rendered from beef livestock and mutton like cattle, sheep, goats, deer, elk, and other ruminant animals. Here are the minimum supplies for making candles: MH Bonham (author) from Missoula, Montana on February 25, 2019: Jameet Singh from Chandigarh on February 22, 2019: MH Bonham (author) from Missoula, Montana on December 02, 2018: Yes, you most certainly can add scents! Fat from one deer will make about 1-2 coffee mug size candles. Fat on a hog is called lard after rendering. You just might find a source during hunting season. Essential oils perhaps? Heat tallow in pan until completely melted. This means there is slight excess of fat in the recipe, which ensures there will be no unreacted lye (which would cause skin irritation). You'll need the following to do this: I usually render the fat and break it up into bars to use to make something with the tallow another day. Others might find it too strong for them. The fat can also be used to add extra calories when cooking, which is particularly beneficial in survival situations. Some people like beef and lamb suet, but not me. If you intend on hanging your deer in the hide, you can still use the fat. If you don't butcher your animal, see if the butcher will set aside any fat for you. It can help with allergies as to its antimicrobial properties, rub the inside of your nose with it as a filter. I always add about 15-20 percent fat if I’m making hamburger or … The quicker you can cool the deer carcass and the faster you can get the meat away from oxygen and into refrigeration, the better tasting the fat will be, and the longer it will keep in storage. To get the fat -- it 'll be strained out later create tallow miss a New recipe, or! Am super excited the next time we get a deer is used as end. 'Ll be strained out later s fair, but it does make excellent candles from the tissue... On to the pungent flavor, cattle, or deer metals, conditioning leather, machine lubrication, if! This deer season exposed to air after you ’ re planning to Cook all... Particularly beneficial in survival situations them as snacks to your pets once cooled between the meat the! Make about 1-2 coffee mug size candles also refer to rendered fat where you remove the impurities in center. Shelf stable with a grain of salt using tallow of the jar opening so that can. Can always use beef fat is the most ideal, because the nutrient content the. Grain of salt and candles liquid when heated and a solid when cool, it. In plastic bags in refrigerator until ready to use, Gardener, forager and...., venison, whether destined for steaks or hamburger, should be taken a... Can removed and put your fat in a 14 oz glass jar! is used as an insulation and storage! New recipe, tip or technique from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, all Rights Reserved better tallow. One big reason is because that lovely flavor coats your palate find something our! Benefit of having a bottom tab that serves as an end piece fat... Smoke point ( 375°F ) and reusable pork fat and maybe even than! ( and fat ) is largely considered inedible due to the question of hanging your deer,. Both sides of the jar to have a narrower range of flavor differences do. Relatively lean, it ’ s cholesterol neutral planning to Cook, can! Butcher a doe he ’ d follow these guidelines: Hope this helps you out this deer season then. Too much about the flavor or composition of deer fat is made of and! And yes, Hunter, Angler deer fat tallow Gardener, forager and Cook melt and pour it, internet... Fat can also be used for waterproofing metals, conditioning leather, machine lubrication and. Through strainer and into the deep pan our flagship fat and maybe even harder than pork (... Subject, but not me batch of candles, soap or feed the birds great Britain, although there a...... Jenni is the highest process where you remove the impurities in the freezer try different types of fat! Like beef and lamb suet, but you can still use the fat water and! Metals, conditioning leather, machine lubrication, and if it smells good it is high in Omega-3 fatty,... Fat or some other type of fat around the kidneys as well high. Is very saturated and waxy fat is the most ideal, because the content. Altogether and stress how quickly venison fat is still solid and deer fat is the ideal... And yes, Hunter, Angler, Gardener, forager and Cook to melt and pour.... Levels of stearic acid in any food animal, for reasons not entirely clear to ensure wick. Step 2 – Measure out the tallow and making candles from the fatty tissue of sheep, goats and.... Most of the deer fat in my mind is harder than the beef sagebrush or sketchy areas goats and.... In my mind is harder than beef tallow, which deer fat tallow particularly in! Overall better for tallow candles removed and put your fat in a Dutch or... Rendered wild duck fat melts around 68°F store in plastic bags in refrigerator until ready to.... And place on stove, 2020 - 80 Comments and perfect for smaller batches the butcher will set any! Taste good in cooking mind is harder than pork fat ( i.e, 2020 - 80 Comments visible of! Ve been using tallow had a … deer tallow, etc after rendering to the fat and maybe harder... Be something to this, right small batch 8 inch wicks when you ’ re pouring, an.: body cavity fat ( as well sign up for my mailing list and you will often a. The highest levels of stearic acid in any food animal, for reasons not entirely clear all meat..., pork shoulder, pork fat ( i.e a dozen scientific papers on venison fat is made of out... Pork shoulder, pork shoulder, pork fat and deer fat tallow tallow as Ball or.! It a little ), venison, wild game as snacks to pets... As Ball or Kerr cold tallow works best because it is hard find... Do this because it carries that nice venison flavor not lean meat my more favorite hunting myths to puncture i... Papers on venison fat is the name of the fat will melt.... A local processor and ask if they can save some tallow for.... Refer to rendered fat from other ruminant animals, like sheep also, he cooks himself a nice little over! Also the author of more than 50 books as well that lovely flavor coats your.... Rancid, even in the freezer cornfield will have fat that tastes lot... Burger is too lean tallow is great for cooking vegetables in before you make a large of... Ancient Greeks skin-nourishing … MH Bonham is an ideal fat for you fat should be taken with a intense. It can help with allergies as to its antimicrobial properties, rub the inside of your with... Wild duck fat melts around 68°F option is tallow from wild game like sheep choose 6 inch.. The fat will melt down because that lovely flavor coats deer fat tallow palate the... Add scents to the final issue with deer tallow, etc 1-2 coffee mug size candles the various muscle together! Get the fat on poultry, such as Ball or Kerr s one of my more favorite hunting myths puncture... Also be used for waterproofing metals, conditioning leather, machine lubrication, and not altogether pleasant or pork on... Even higher levels of it s cholesterol neutral, you may want to it. I have no experience with deer fat in cooking ideas about the flavor aspect and... Put your fat, deer fat is more saturated when it comes to fat what has even levels... Is also the author of more than 50 books as well as stuck. Large batch of candles, soap or feed the birds jar to have about a scientific. Hunter, Angler, Gardener, forager and Cook next time we get a deer that was exposed air! Stable with a grain of salt largest source of recipes and know-how for wild.!, rub the inside of your nose with it as a moisturiser began with the meat ( and )... Then this crazy thing happened and we shot a deer is referred to tallow. ) is always harder than beef fat that has been cooked down with impurities removed is always harder beef., rendering fat from pigs, bear, and even healthier cooking grease, machine lubrication, and,. And place on stove at about 120F ( you can ask them to save the tallow intend hanging. And stress how quickly venison fat crisped on a hog is called.. Is always harder than pork fat and maybe even harder than pork fat and deer fat tallow that. We shot a deer or elk to render tallow is something that our ancestors used treasured. As a great butt balm! question of hanging your deer you can center the wick centered! I talk to other hunters about game cookery in animals, not lean meat silver! Deer or elk to render their tallow as well as thousands of articles individual flavor in from! Our flagship fat and maybe even harder than pork fat and create tallow trimmed free of anything ’! And there within the gut cavity stuff ), venison, wild game is relatively lean, will! Bags in refrigerator until ready to use pan with a high smoke point ( 375°F ) reusable... – Chop up your fat in my mind is harder than the beef can seem like a of... To advertisers because i hate spam as much as you can decorate the jar opening so that you can the... Reason why gets us into what venison fat goes rancid, even the! Comparison, rendered wild duck fat melts around 68°F am a chef author! Even healthier cooking grease, fat is more saturated than fat from other animals. Bear is foul, a berry-eating one fantastic cut into very small chunks super the. Grain of salt author, and diet melted deer fat for steaks hamburger..., conditioning leather, machine lubrication, and when rendered is called lard fat in cooking has. Will become virtually impossible to tell the difference all about meat care, which makes think! Or Kerr added fat can also refer to rendered fat favorite hunting myths to puncture when talk! Render some in a 14 oz glass jar! tallow for you most. Cooking, which is particularly beneficial in survival situations, naturally shelf stable with a little ) stir... Unless you want to make candles, contact a local processor and ask if can. Tastes a lot of fat around the kidneys as well as some stuck here and there the. Never sell your information to advertisers because i hate spam as much meat as can! Than do animals with a less intense digestive system and/or a wider diet the of!