If you were lucky and got a deer (or more than one), you can get the fat when you butcher your animal. If you get premeasured wicks, you have the benefit of having a bottom tab that serves as an end piece. Let the fat melt down. 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)? Question: Are you hanging your deer or not? 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. It’s purely personal preference. They all come to the same conclusion about deer fat: Saturated fat is bad, right? Nevertheless, all our “deer” are cervids, ruminant cousins of sheep, goats and cattle. And Marius agrees, because rendered cow fat, aka beef tallow, makes wicked good fried potatoes! Fat from one deer will make about 1-2 coffee mug size candles. It’s the mouthfeel. A little is fine, largely because it carries that nice venison flavor. Tallow is a liquid when heated and a solid when cool, making it … *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 … Tallow is the fat rendered from beef livestock and mutton like cattle, sheep, goats, deer, elk, and other ruminant animals. Fat from poultry such as duck, geese, and chickens is called … 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. Rendering Deer Fat for Soaps, Salves, and Candles. Never use deer fat in dry-cured salami. It's no good for eating, being extremely gamey, but it does make excellent candles from the tallow. Venison, whether destined for steaks or hamburger, should be trimmed free of anything that’s not rich, red meat. This is where I get my coconut oil. Be sure to keep the wick in the center. Use of lanolin as a moisturiser began with the ancient Greeks. 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. 1: Body cavity fat (suet) is always harder than that on working muscles. Diets high in stearic acid actually decrease the “bad” cholesterol levels in people and may even increase the “good” cholesterol, too. Uncooked deer fat is nasty and chalky. Let cool and harden. If you want to eat your deer fat, I’d follow these guidelines: Hope this helps you out this deer season! Turns out, there is — to both sides of the deer fat debate. Fat from pigs, bear, and rabbit is soft fat, and when rendered is called lard. Step 2 – Measure out the tallow and coconut oil and melt. 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. Let’s get started! Deer fat is more saturated than fat from beef, lamb or pork. If you don't hunt or didn't get your deer this year, it might be wise to make friends with the game processor and ask what he's doing with the fat. Only when it’s deer fat the experience is something else entirely, and not altogether pleasant. Beef has some stearic acid, lamb more. So convenient! Use deer fat sparingly in sausages and burger. I tend to toss it. If you have a processor butcher your deer you can ask them to save the tallow for you. Beef tallow benefits. Try it on your friends. Oils, fats, and lye are weighed. Pour tallow into each container with wick. Also, he cooks himself a nice little snack over the fire. Some will even give it to you for free. MH Bonham is an award-winning author and editor. Cold tallow works best because it is easier to handle and cut into very small chunks. It can help with allergies as to its antimicrobial properties, rub the inside of your nose with it as a filter. Specifically, beef tallow is beef fat that has been cooked down with impurities removed. I mean, at human body temperature, pork fat (i.e. Period. I do this with all my highest quality homemade cooking fats- homemade butter, chicken and turkey fat, leaf lard, and the organ tallow fat. And this brings us to the final issue with deer fat: It can coat your mouth. Some critics skip the flavor aspect altogether and stress how quickly venison fat goes rancid, even in the freezer. Don’t believe me? Why? As I’ve mentioned in my post 7 Alternatives to Petroleum Jelly for Taking Care of Your Skin , tallow from grass-fed cows is definitely the skin care ingredient of choice for me. So if you live in a place with cold winters, save your deer suet for them. Still, the majority of sources on the subject will tell you to remove any and all fat from your deer, calling it gamy or “strong” or otherwise unpleasant. Others might find it too strong for them. Essential oils perhaps? Period. 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. I highly recommend canning jars such as Ball or Kerr. It isn’t necessary to get the fat very hot, just enough to melt and pour it. Otherwise, you'll have to fashion your own. In culinary terms, rendering fat from a deer is referred to as tallow. Fat on poultry, such as turkey and pheasant, becomes schmaltz when rendered. This is the soap mold I’ve been using. It hardens better than beef tallow, which makes me think it is overall better for tallow candles. I've noticed that deer tallow is more saturated when it comes to fat. Beef fat is still solid and deer fat in my mind is harder than the beef. A salmon-eating bear is foul, a berry-eating one fantastic. If you want to eat it, well, it’s really waxy and won’t melt until it hits about 120°F. Being wild, variability is the name of the game. Fat on a hog is called lard after rendering. Burger Is Too Lean If you intend on hanging your deer in the hide, you can still use the fat. lard etc) is near liquid. Suet is also an animal fat used in baking and cooking ( among other uses ), but it is specifically the hard fat … Step 2 – Sprinkle with salt. Deer fat (as well as elk and moose fat) is largely considered inedible due to the pungent flavor. There are a few tips to know that make sure the process is easy and the tallow turns out well. — mostly from New Zealand, Scandinavia and Great Britain, although there were a few from the United States, too. I bought 8 inch wicks, but you can choose 6 inch wicks. Thanks for asking! The fat can also be used to add extra calories when cooking, which is particularly beneficial in survival situations. 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. So, if you want to experiment, try different types of animal fat and see how they work. No. Hey there. 100% grass fed is the most ideal, because the nutrient content is the highest. Cosmetics & Skincare. 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. The ties should span the jar opening so that you can center the wick properly. Make sure you leave enough room at the top of the jar to have about a half inch of wick showing. The pure tallow soap is 8% superfat, and the tallow/coconut oil soap is 6% superfat. 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. Collecting the Fat: This part is real easy if you process your own deer. “Tallow” is a fancy name for rendered fat. 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. Knowing how to render tallow is an essential skill for homesteading and nutrient dense cooking. One butcher I know leaves the entire inedible cuttings (fat, bloodshot meat, and organs) for people to take just behind his shop. 7. This is suet. Tallow is rendered from the fatty tissue of sheep, cattle, or deer. (As well as a great butt balm!) Extra pure, extra delicious, naturally shelf stable with a high smoke point (375°F) and reusable. Just get as much meat as you can removed and put your fat in a Dutch oven or other big pot. By Hank Shaw on October 13, 2014, Updated May 17, 2020 - 80 Comments. 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! By comparison, rendered wild duck fat melts around 68°F. 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. There, I said it. It may have the highest levels of stearic acid in any food animal, for reasons not entirely clear. This is why people say venison fat goes rancid quickly. Tallow is an ideal fat for soap making, both because of its skin-nourishing … I am super excited the next time we get a deer or elk to render their tallow as well. Rendering fat is the process where you remove the impurities in the fat and create tallow. Tallow Be Thy Name!!! You know why you love chocolate so much? Tallow can also refer to rendered fat from other ruminant animals, like sheep. Deer tallow is harder than pork fat and maybe even harder than beef fat. Step 1 – Chop up your fat into stew sized chunks. My chickens love them.). Tallow is something that our ancestors used and treasured. Since wild game is relatively lean, it can seem like a lot of effort to try saving every scrap of fat. Very slowly, pour in your melted deer fat. Cut apart when solidified and cool. If you hang your deer with the meat (and fat) exposed, it will begin to go rancid. Deer tallow is harder than pork fat and maybe even harder than beef fat. © 2021 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved. Take two twist ties and create a place for the wick to rest in the center of the two ties (like the photo above). Then this crazy thing happened and we shot a deer that was FAT. This is our flagship fat and the one that started the Fat Revolution! Congratulations! 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. Good data is hard to find on this subject, but it does exist. The ingredients are mixed thoroughly. 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. This is a big one. 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. Once the coconut and tallow are melted down…add the olive oil. Another option is tallow from wild game, although deer fat is very saturated and waxy. Tallow is the refined fat from the animal. It hardens better than beef tallow, which makes me … When you get your fat, trim off as much meat as you can while still keeping most of the fat. Some people like beef and lamb suet, but not me. But it’s something to be aware of. Start with a small amount of … Twist ties -- you'll need two per candle to ensure the wick stays centered. lard etc) is near liquid. Given this, any universal ideas about the flavor or composition of deer fat should be taken with a grain of salt. Simply heat the tallow over very low heat until it liquifies. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I mean, at human body temperature, pork fat (i.e. A deer that had been pillaging an alfalfa field or a cornfield will have fat that tastes a lot like beef or lamb fat. I managed to read about a dozen scientific papers on venison fat — yeah, I know, light reading, right? Neither does the sinew, silver skin, and other connective tissues holding the various muscle groups together. Yes, but the kind most people are talking about is palmitic and myristic acid, which are present in all ruminants, including deer. Containers that can withstand hot temperatures. 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. 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. Here it is: Fatworks famous Premium Grass-Fed Beef Tallow in a 14 oz glass jar!. A note: The deer tallow had a … It is hard to find something that is as versatile and nutrient dense as tallow. Stir and skim off any large pieces of cooked meat or rind. The smaller the better and faster the fat will melt down. Crazy, eh? Put deer fat in big pot and place on stove. Fat from goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, deer, moose, elk, caribou and other ungulates is hard and when rendered is called tallow. 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. So I kept the fat… And, in Germany products containing deer tallow (Hirschtalg) are available to prevent chafing, blisters and calluses and to help regenerate affected skin. If, like most people, you hang your deer after it’s been skinned, you probably want to trim off at least top layer of fat. Step 1 – Make your lye solution. Visible chunks of fat are trimmed and set aside. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. And that’s fair, but I am betting it isn’t the flavor of the fat that’s got them. Don't worry too much about the meat hanging on to the fat -- it'll be strained out later. Cotton wicks of the appropriate size. Venison fat crisped on a roast or steak is awesome. Tallow is great for cooking vegetables in before you make a stew. Prepare containers by adding wick to the center. You’ll be surprised. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, which I respect a lot, says venison fat is gnarly — but, oddly, that moose and caribou fat isn’t. Ruminants all eat grass, other plants, nuts, and only rarely animal protein; there’s that oft-quoted story about deer eating baby birds or eggs. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. This added fat can be bacon, pork shoulder, pork belly, beef tallow, etc. 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. 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…. I have no experience with deer tallow, though. If you like the flavor of lamb or beef fat, you’ll like venison fat. Color and texture are your only clues, and if you blindfold someone it will become virtually impossible to tell the difference. Not a lot of people do this because it requires very cold temperatures. Add Fat. Your nose doesn’t lie. So, back to the question of hanging your deer. But you know what has even higher levels of it? Filed Under: Essays and Stories, Featured, How-To (DIY stuff), Venison, Wild Game. Regardless of whether you use beef or pork or mix it heavy or light, the most important thing is that you make a product you enjoy. I save it, vacuum-sealing it and freezing it straight away. I added about one tablespoon of salt. Also when you’re pouring, make an effort to coat the string with the melted fat. 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 … Research shows that a deer’s sex, age and physical condition closer to winter are the three biggest factors affecting fat … Bottom line. 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. Remove it in deer from sagebrush or sketchy areas. Even the normally sporty The L.L. Toss the suet unless you want to make candles, soap or feed the birds. ... Jenni is the soaper, here she adjusts a recipe for deer tallow. If you don't butcher your animal, see if the butcher will set aside any fat for you. I suggest pint or half pint jars. It may have the highest levels of stearic acid in any food animal, for reasons not entirely clear. The reason why gets us into what venison fat is made of. A word on taste. 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. Note that you can always use beef fat or some other type of fat for your candles. Venison fat has flavor. Blame that stearic acid. We start by helping my father butcher a doe he’d shot. I've noticed that deer tallow is more saturated when it comes to fat. Like, really fat. Bonham is also the author of more than 50 books as well as thousands of articles. Store in plastic bags in refrigerator until ready to use. Beef tallow … Chocolate. Flavor in deer fat is all about meat care, which we just discussed, and diet. You will want cotton core wicks rather than zinc core wicks for natural waxes such as tallow. Add your fat … Tallow is the refined fat from the animal. As it happens, stearic acid is an anomaly. Trim the wicks to 1/2 to 3/4 inch, if necessary. (6) Another thing to consider is that antibiotics and other unwanted substances given to conventionally-raised cows are likely to be stored in their fat. Sign up for my mailing list and you will never miss a new recipe, tip or technique from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. Apparently its even harder than beef tallow- should be … Trev and his cousins rendering some deer tallow and making candles from the rendered fat. Pour hot tallow through strainer and into the deep pan. Lard is the rendered fat from hogs. The soap mold is prepared for a small batch. There has to be something to this, right? 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. Beef fat is still solid and deer fat in my mind is harder than the beef. You can decorate the jar with whatever you'd like that is nonflammable. To make a large batch of candles, contact a local processor and ask if they can save some tallow for you. Depending on what you’re planning to cook, you may want to add fat to your ground venison. One big reason is because that lovely flavor coats your palate. That said, fat is the primary carrier of individual flavor in animals, not lean meat. Hi - Can you add scents to the candles as well? Optimally at about 120F (you may need to melt, then cool it a little), stir in EVOO and essential oils. (More on that in another post.) Tallow can be used for waterproofing metals, conditioning leather, machine lubrication, and even healthier cooking grease. Whitetail deer fat can be slowly boiled down and rendered into tallow. You got a deer this season! In fact, it’s one of my more favorite hunting myths to puncture when I talk to other hunters about game cookery. Deer are deer, with real but more subtle differences in flavor. Ever wonder why that happens? Most of the fat on a deer is used as an insulation and energy storage layer, between the meat and the hide. This means there is slight excess of fat in the recipe, which ensures there will be no unreacted lye (which would cause skin irritation). It consists primarily of fatty acid glycerides. You just might find a source during hunting season. I’ve long been a proponent of using deer fat in cooking. To begin, source some high quality beef fat. Rule No. Save it from deer that had been eating nice grasses, grains or acorns. Let cool. Is it a stopper? It’s cheap and perfect for smaller batches. At the very least it’s cholesterol neutral. Render some in a pan with a little water, and if it smells good it is good. It is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, due mostly to a diet of grasses. What have your experiences been with deer fat? If you are a soap or candle maker, this stuff is golden. Slice off any fat that was exposed to air after you’ve hung the carcass. 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. Heat tallow in pan until completely melted. 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. Birds really love it, though, especially in winter. Unlike beef fat, deer fat does not taste good. 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. Turn heat to medium. Deer fat is more saturated than fat from beef, lamb or pork. I always add about 15-20 percent fat if I’m making hamburger or … I promise to never sell your information to advertisers because I hate spam as much as you do! How can you tell? (You can offer them as snacks to your pets once cooled. Next you will often see a lot of fat around the kidneys as well as some stuck here and there within the gut cavity. So. Make Soap Using Tallow.