Beef Tallow where to Buy Locally

[AlphaPapa]

I am doing my first brisket starting this Sunday. After reading a lot of posts here, I decided I wanted to try injecting it with some wagyu beef tallow. I ordered some from Amazon and it was supposed to arrive last Tuesday. Well, that ain’t happening. So, does anyone know where I can buy some tallow locally? It doesn’t have to be wagyu at this point. Will grocery stores like Publix or Kroger have it?

 

[rgreenberg2000]

You could render the trimmed fat from your brisket for all the tallow you need.....that's what I do!

Lots of how-to's on the internet. Essentially, the fat goes in an oven safe pot @ something less than 240° for a few hours. Stir occasionally, and when the bits that are left in the rendered fat start to crisp up, then they have given all they are going to give. Strain through doubled paper towels into a mason jar. Inject while liquid, keeps in the fridge for a LONG time.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Ditto rgreenberg2000’s comment. You can make your own. Go to your local grocery store and ask the butcher for his ribeye trimmings. They are the easiest to render. You can actually use a shallow pan on your smoker and infuse a light smoke flavor into the tallow if you don‘t use a dish that is over 2” deep. If you are pressed for time waiting for Amazon, cut the fat chunks into small 2-3” pieces and let it simmer just below the boiling point but be careful, as it starts to render it can go from great to scorched pretty fast. Good luck with the cook.

 

[BNeal]

You could render the trimmed fat from your brisket for all the tallow you need.....that's what I do!

View attachment 16442

Lots of how-to's on the internet. Essentially, the fat goes in an oven safe pot @ something less than 240° for a few hours. Stir occasionally, and when the bits that are left in the rendered fat start to crisp up, then they have given all they are going to give. Strain through doubled paper towels into a mason jar. Inject while liquid, keeps in the fridge for a LONG time.

Same here. I just put my trimmings in a foil pan along side the brisket and then refrigerate for later use.

 

[rgreenberg2000]

Same here. I just put my trimmings in a foil pan along side the brisket and then refrigerate for later use.

BNeal....that's how I do it, too. I suggested the pot to the OP since he would need to render trimmings from the brisket he's about to cook, but it's WAY more efficient to just do it when you are cooking the brisket, provided you are at tallow rendering temps (which I am for brisket!)

@AlphaPapa, if you try this out, check back and let us know how it goes. I've never injected fat into a brisket (let alone Wagyu fat), so I'm curious (and I'll try most things at least once!)

R

 

[orangebiker]

BNeal....that's how I do it, too. I suggested the pot to the OP since he would need to render trimmings from the brisket he's about to cook, but it's WAY more efficient to just do it when you are cooking the brisket, provided you are at tallow rendering temps (which I am for brisket!)

@AlphaPapa, if you try this out, check back and let us know how it goes. I've never injected fat into a brisket (let alone Wagyu fat), so I'm curious (and I'll try most things at least once!)

R

And, you can get the smoke flavor that way as well.

 

[AlphaPapa]

All,
Thanks for the replies! Because of the timing it doesn’t look like I’ll get to inject the tallow this time. I plan to use beef broth. As suggested above, I am going to render the fat while I am smoking the brisket. Then, I’ll add some of the refrigerated tallow to the packages that I vacuum seal. That way, when I boil those bags later, the juices can mix together.

If I render the fat when I smoke the brisket, how long can I leave it in the smoker? I am going to put the brisket on around 10pm and go to bed. I don’t plan to do anything to the brisket overnight. So, if I can only render the fat for 3 hours or so, I will plan to add it to the smoker in the morning.

While I like some bark, I really dislike dry meat. So, I plan to wrap it in pink butcher paper somewhere around 165 degrees and start checking for probe tender at 203.

While I have you on the line (remember that phrase?), is there a problem with doing the overnight portion of the cook at 200? I’d rather the overall cook take longer than for the internal temp to get too far into the stall while I am asleep. I can always increase the cook temp when I wake up. But, will that contribute to making the meat more dry?

Thanks again!

 

[rgreenberg2000]

If I render the fat when I smoke the brisket, how long can I leave it in the smoker? I am going to put the brisket on around 10pm and go to bed. I don’t plan to do anything to the brisket overnight. So, if I can only render the fat for 3 hours or so, I will plan to add it to the smoker in the morning.

That's what I would do. You won't need as much time for the fat rendering as the full brisket, so just load it up while you are sipping your morning coffee and basking in the glorious smell of brisket in the morning!

While I have you on the line (remember that phrase?), is there a problem with doing the overnight portion of the cook at 200? I’d rather the overall cook take longer than for the internal temp to get too far into the stall while I am asleep. I can always increase the cook temp when I wake up. But, will that contribute to making the meat more dry?

That's exactly what I do. Either LOW or 200 over night, then bump to 230 until it's where I want to wrap. I usually wrap around 170/175, pink paper.

Good luck!

 

[Jim6820]

While I like some bark, I really dislike dry meat. So, I plan to wrap it in pink butcher paper somewhere around 165 degrees and start checking for probe tender at 203.

If I might suggest, start checking for “probe tender” at about 198 F IT. I’ve had a brisket or two get to “probe tender” 4-5 degrees ahead of the standard 203 F. When that happens, further cooking can dry out the flat. And, even if you pull it at 195 F, during a recommended 1-2-hour rest in an insulated cooler, the temp will continue to rise 4-5 degrees.

 

[SmokeZilla]

I agree with Jim6820. I know the body of knowledge suggests ~203, I’ve found anything above 195 starts to make it a little chewy, dryer, and a little tough. It may be dependent on the cow but I usually buy the rightside full packer prime grade from Costco. Also, I‘ve tried them at 200 and the meat seems a little more like jerky if you don’t raise the temp to about 225 because it isn’t starting to render the meat at the lower temps just drying out the meat. If you inject the flat, that will probably compensate for the lower temps though.

 

[AlphaPapa]

Well, the polls have closed and the waiting is over. My first brisket has been sliced and taste tested. I’ll first outline the process I used and then talk about the results.

Brisket - full packer choice grade from Kroger, approx 14 lbs, $1.99 /lb

First, I made a broth to inject into the meat. Poured 4 cups of Swanson’s low sodium beef broth into pot. Added some chunked up celery stalks, garlic cloves (about 8), and a shallot (didn’t have any onions on hand). Added 3 packs of no sodium beef bouillon powder. Brought to a slight boil then reduced to a simmer for an hour and a half. Poured the broth thru a mesh strainer into plastic container. Put in the refrigerator for later use.

Trimmed fat from brisket after watching YouTube video. Seasoned all sides of brisket liberally with kosher salt, coarse black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Put brisket back in the refrigerator uncovered for about 8 hours.

About 3-4 hours before the cook I injected the broth throughout the entire brisket at approximately one inch spacing. I would have done this when I first seasoned the brisket but the broth was still hot. I thought it would be best to wait til it cooled.

10 pm - preheated smoker to 225 degrees using most cherry pellets. Placed brisket on elevated stand with fat cap down (toward the heat source) and put tray underneath to catch drippings. Put a little water in the drippings tray.

4:45 - Spritzed with 50/50 mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. Flat at 155 degrees and point at 160.

7:15 - Spritzed and wrapped in pink butcher paper. Flat at 168 and point at 168. Reinserted temp probes through the butcher paper.

9:45 - Flat at 193 and point at 202. Used an instant read thermometer to test for probe tender. Not there yet.

11:09 - still not probe tender. Turned brisket over and probed through fat cap. Now it feels probe tender. Flat at 202 and point at 207. Decided to pull it. Wrapped it in a towel and placed it in a cooler and stuffed with more towels.

3:00 - removed brisket from cooler and sliced.

Results:
I am very happy with how it came out. It is pull apart tender and mostly juicy. Some outer parts may be a little dry. I may have left it on a tad too long. If I had been probing from fat cap side all along, I may have pulled it a little sooner.

The bark is probably below average but I am ok with that. From the outset I was willing to sacrifice some bark if I could keep the meat moist.

Lessons Learned:
Next time I will trim a little more of the fat cap off. I was shooting for a quarter inch. But, I am not real sure how you measure that away from the edges where you can’t see meat until you cut too much.

I need to more definitively make the reference cut when prepping the brisket so that I know which way the grain of the meat is running when I slice it up after the cook.

I will probe for tenderness from fat cap side.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Congrats on your first cook. You are now free to move around the brisket planet. Your process is good and you did what most forget to do, document your steps! You also pulled off one of the toughest feats of all, both ends of the full packer were close to the same temperature when done which doesn’t always happen.

During earlier discussions we didn’t mention your injection technique. We also didn’t mention the grade of beef which can sometimes make a difference. You may want to limit the injection to the flat only as the point typically has enough fat to render to keep the meat moist. Further, you don’t want the injection to overly influence the point’s cook time or it could result in dry flats. An additional note, your injection(s) are pretty aggressive. I would agree that you can change the flavor profile to taste but brisket is the holy grail of beef and should be respected because of its natural flavor (just my opinion). I am always very cautious when mixing vinegar and beef. It works well with pork, but beef is a little bit of a stretch and must be delicately approached because too much can prematurely dry the beef as the vinegar converts to gas/evaporates and the after taste can be quite potent. A final note, if you find your flat is drying out prematurely, don’t hesitate to cover it in foil/paper to protect it (shine side closest to the meat). I use that technique on offset smokers with known hotspots that can’t be avoided. In your situation with the heat coming from below, a quick spritz and a food safe 1” firebrick placed under the flat at room temp can also slow down the drying process for the flat as you wait for the point to fully render and hit temp.

IMHO, burnt ends are fun and great, but the show is usually all about the flat.

 

[AlphaPapa]

Congrats on your first cook. You are now free to move around the brisket planet. Your process is good and you did what most forget to do, document your steps! You also pulled off one of the toughest feats of all, both ends of the full packer were close to the same temperature when done which doesn’t always happen.

During earlier discussions we didn’t mention your injection technique. We also didn’t mention the grade of beef which can sometimes make a difference. You may want to limit the injection to the flat only as the point typically has enough fat to render to keep the meat moist. Further, you don’t want the injection to overly influence the point’s cook time or it could result in dry flats. An additional note, your injection(s) are pretty aggressive. I would agree that you can change the flavor profile to taste but brisket is the holy grail of beef and should be respected because of its natural flavor (just my opinion). I am always very cautious when mixing vinegar and beef. It works well with pork, but beef is a little bit of a stretch and must be delicately approached because too much can prematurely dry the beef as the vinegar converts to gas/evaporates and the after taste can be quite potent. A final note, if you find your flat is drying out prematurely, don’t hesitate to cover it in foil/paper to protect it (shine side closest to the meat). I use that technique on offset smokers with known hotspots that can’t be avoided. In your situation with the heat coming from below, a quick spritz and a food safe 1” firebrick placed under the flat at room temp can also slow down the drying process for the flat as you wait for the point to fully render and hit temp.

IMHO, burnt ends are fun and great, but the show is usually all about the flat.

Great information. Thanks!

Regarding getting the temps reasonably close… I didn’t mention it in my write up, but I did rotate the brisket 180 degrees a couple of times because it looked like the temps were getting uneven.

What do you recommend spritzing with?

 

[Pacman]

What do you recommend spritzing with?

Just chiming in sort of. I've used a cider vinegar/low sodium soy sauce mix several times. I've used beer once (really added nothing). I used the liquid I injected into the flat once (too salty). I've even just used plain old water a few times and frankly it works fine just to moisten and help build the bark. For pork I often use apple cider (not vinegar) or even some pineapple juice.

 

[Waterboy]

I just use water. Not trying to add any flavor, just want to keep things from drying out. I agree with SmokeZilla that if you have a trouble spot put a little foil or paper over that spot.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Just chiming in sort of. I've used a cider vinegar/low sodium soy sauce mix several times. I've used beer once (really added nothing). I used the liquid I injected into the flat once (too salty). I've even just used plain old water a few times and frankly it works fine just to moisten and help build the bark. For pork I often use apple cider (not vinegar) or even some pineapple juice.

You identified some of my tricks. I also use Wagyu tallow mixed with a little pepper, salt, and onion powder to inject my flats. I‘ve also done a bunch of cooks using the Wagyu as a binder to keep the packer moist and ensure good adhesion of the rub. It does a fantastic job because it keeps moisture in but quickly renders when the meat goes above 100 degrees. allowing great bark formation. ProTip: Mix the tallow with clarified butter and soy sauce or Worchester sauce, and the bark will look like a burned tree (color only with great flavor later) as it renders and approaches wrap time. Just my thoughts but every cook is an experiment filled with positive and negative risks. It’s all about the risk mitigation!

 

[Gotcha]

Has anyone mixed Tallow with Kosmos or butcher blend brisket injection ?
Best Greg