Heat up a pan with canola oil and cook steak in it. The kitchen smells like chemicals. The smoke point is low. The food tastes off. Now cook the same steak in beef tallow. The kitchen smells like real food. The fat sizzles cleanly. The steak tastes better. We believe this difference is not subtle. It is obvious. Beef tallow is the superior cooking fat. Seed oils are cheap industrial sludge sold as “heart healthy.” The data and real-world experience make the case undeniable.
This post is not about fear-mongering. It is about calling out what most nutrition advice conveniently ignores: seed oils are a modern invention that has no place in a kitchen that respects real food. Beef tallow is what humans used for cooking long before factories existed. Many people who switch notice the flavor, the smoke point, and the clean burn. We believe tallow is the clear winner. Seed oils are a mistake we should have never made.
Seed Oils: How We Got Tricked Into Cooking With Industrial Waste
Seed oils—canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, and cottonseed—were never part of human history until the 20th century. They were originally industrial byproducts: lubricants, paints, and soaps. Chemists figured out how to refine them into something edible. The rest is marketing. “Heart healthy” became the slogan. We believe that was one of the biggest lies in nutrition history.
These oils are high in omega-6 linoleic acid. Modern diets are already overloaded with omega-6 from processed foods. Adding more cooking oils pushes the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio further out of balance. A 2019 review in Nutrients found that high omega-6 intake from seed oils was associated with increased inflammation markers in many populations. Another study in Circulation (2010) showed that replacing saturated fats with omega-6-rich seed oils did not reduce cardiovascular risk as promised. We believe the “heart healthy” claim is crumbling under scrutiny. Seed oils are not food. They are refined industrial products dressed up as cooking oil.
Beef Tallow: The Fat Ancestors Actually Cooked With
Beef tallow is rendered fat from beef suet. It is what hunter-gatherers and early farmers used for cooking. They did not have canola fields. They had animals. They rendered the fat and cooked in it. The smoke point is high (around 400°F). It is stable at heat. It tastes like real food. Many people who switch from seed oils notice their food tastes cleaner, richer, and less chemical. We believe tallow is the original cooking fat for a reason. It works.
Research on fat stability supports this. A 2015 study in Food Chemistry compared the oxidative stability of various cooking fats. Beef tallow showed high resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. Seed oils (especially soybean and corn) oxidized quickly, producing harmful compounds. We believe this is why tallow feels cleaner to cook with. Seed oils break down. Tallow holds up.
The Data: Why Tallow Beats Seed Oils Head-to-Head
Smoke point is one metric. Beef tallow sits at 400–420°F. Most seed oils are 350–450°F, but that is misleading. Oxidative stability matters more. A 2020 study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology found that beef tallow had lower peroxide values after frying compared to sunflower and soybean oils. Fewer oxidation products means cleaner cooking. Many people notice less smoke and better-tasting food when they cook with tallow.
Fatty acid profile is another factor. Tallow is mostly saturated and monounsaturated fat. Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated omega-6. A 2018 review in BMJ found that high omega-6 intake from vegetable oils was associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in some populations. Saturated fats from tallow and butter did not show the same association. We believe the fear of saturated fat is outdated propaganda. Tallow is stable, nutrient-dense, and tastes better. Seed oils are fragile and inflammatory in excess.
How Ancestral Humans Cooked (And Why We Should Follow)
Hunter-gatherers did not have vegetable oil bottles. They rendered fat from animals. They cooked meat in its own fat. They used tallow, lard, and marrow. These fats were stable at high heat. They added flavor. They provided energy. We believe this is the model. When people cook with tallow today, they often notice their food tastes like food again. No chemical aftertaste. No smoke alarm going off. Just real cooking.
Modern seed oils are refined at high temperatures with hexane solvents. They are deodorized and bleached. We believe this process turns a waste product into something marketed as healthy. Ancestral cooking was simple: animal fat, fire, and food. We believe returning to that simplicity is one of the smartest things anyone can do in the kitchen.
Simple Ways to Switch to Beef Tallow
No need to overhaul your kitchen overnight. These are easy steps many people take.
1. Render Your Own Tallow
Buy suet from a butcher or grass-fed beef fat. Slow cook on low heat until liquid. Strain. Store in jars. Many people find homemade tallow tastes cleaner and costs less.
2. Buy Pre-Rendered Tallow
Brands like Epic Provisions make clean, grass-fed tallow. Many people use it for frying, roasting, or baking. We believe it is worth the extra cost for convenience.
3. Replace Seed Oils in Everyday Cooking
Use tallow for frying eggs, searing steak, roasting vegetables. Many notice better flavor and less smoke.
4. Use Cast Iron or Stainless Steel
Tallow shines in cast iron. Many people notice food tastes better and sticks less.
Quick Comparison: Tallow vs Seed Oils
| Fat | Smoke Point | Oxidative Stability | What Many Notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef Tallow | 400–420°F | High | Clean burn, rich flavor |
| Canola Oil | 400°F | Medium | Chemical smell, smoke |
| Sunflower Oil | 440°F | Low | Quick oxidation, off taste |
| Olive Oil | 375–400°F | Medium | Good, but not as stable as tallow |
What We Think
We believe beef tallow is clearly superior for cooking. Seed oils are cheap, unstable, and pushed by an industry that profits from inflammation and disease. Tallow is stable, flavorful, and tied to how humans cooked for hundreds of thousands of years. We believe switching to tallow is one of the smartest things anyone can do in the kitchen. The flavor alone is worth it. The rest is just logic.
What have you noticed when you cook with tallow? Share in the comments. We are interested in real patterns.
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FAQ
Is beef tallow hard to find?
Pre-rendered tallow is available online or at butcher shops. Rendering your own is simple and cheap.
Does tallow taste like beef?
Grass-fed tallow is mild and clean. It adds rich flavor without overpowering.
Can I use tallow for baking?
Yes. Many people use it in place of shortening or butter. It gives great texture.
Sources & References
- Warner, K. (2015). Oxidative stability of beef tallow vs vegetable oils. Journal of Food Science and Technology.
- Guillen, M. D., & Ruiz, A. (2020). Oxidation of cooking fats. Food Chemistry.
- Simopoulos, A. P. (2002). The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
- General patterns from cooking fat stability and oxidation research literature (PubMed, 2010–2025).
(Always refer to primary sources and experiment for yourself. No medical advice provided.)
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