How to Render Suet

Rendering suet (also called "tallow") which is beef fat, is the process of heating it to the melting point.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Traditional Oven

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    Use an oven-safe pan or dish large enough to hold the amount of suet you plan to render.  Use a pan that has high enough sides to hold all the suet when it becomes liquid. A wider pan, such as a 9" X 13" cake pan, with 2 inch (5.1 cm) sides will work well for 6 to 8 cups of suet.
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    2
    Put the suet in the oven-safe pan. Place the pan in the oven at about 200ºF/93ºC.  Rendering is a slow process of melting the fat. Do not boil the rendered fat, and be aware that rendered fat (as oil) will be flammable, so use appropriate caution if rendering suet in a gas oven or near any open flame.
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    Check the suet every hour to make sure it is melting––but not boiling. Adjust your oven temperature up or down by 25 degrees, if needed. The rendered hot oil will start to clarify. If you have used raw, untrimmed suet, you will see particles that will settle at the bottom of the pan, and some that will float to the top.
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    4
    Filter the suet. When the suet is fully melted, (the timing will vary depending upon the quantity of suet rendered), filter it by pouring it through a fine steel mesh, or a funnel with a coffee filter or paper towel lining it. Caution! The oil is hot and will not pour through a filter quickly, so take your time to avoid spilling.
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    5
    Allow to set. After filtering, pour the hot, melted, filtered suet into a container. (If using plastic, make sure it will withstand heat.) As it cools, the suet will solidify again.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Microwave Oven (Faster)

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    1
    Use a tempered glass or other microwave safe container.  For example, a clear Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup with handle. Put the suet in, filling to within an inch of the top of the container.  Do not put in more than the container will hold.
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    2
    Put the microwave safe container and suet into the microwave. Heat on high for 1 minute.  Continue to microwave at 1 minute intervals, checking each time to make sure that the suet is melting––but not boiling. The rendered hot oil will start to clarify. If you have used raw, untrimmed suet, you will see particles that will settle at the bottom of the container, and some that will float to the top.
  3. Image titled Render Suet Step 8
    3
    Filter the suet. When the suet is fully melted, (the timing will vary depending upon the quantity of suet rendered), filter it by pouring it through a fine steel mesh, or a funnel with a coffee filter or paper towel lining it. Caution! The oil is hot and will not pour through a filter quickly, so take your time to avoid spilling.
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    4
    Allow to set. After filtering, pour the hot, melted, filtered suet into a container. (If using plastic, make sure it will withstand heat.) As it cools, the suet will solidify again.
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    5
    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Can I feed rendered beef fat to birds?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes. Rendered beef fat is the main ingredient in suet bird feeders. To make a bird feeder, you could mix some birdseed into the cooled rendered suet, then roll the mixture into balls.
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Warnings

  • Caution! Rendered suet is simply hot oil. Use appropriate care, as it is flammable and can also cause burns if spilled.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need

  • Suitable heatproof container (cake pan for oven or tempered glass for microwave oven)
  • Filter (fine steel mesh, coffee filter, funnel, etc.
  • Suitable container for holding suet as it sets (do not use anything that might melt when hot liquid is poured into it)


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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 20,392 times.
28 votes - 86%
Co-authors: 4
Updated: July 11, 2017
Views: 20,392
Categories: Beef and Lamb
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