Beef Tallow Day

Beef Tallow Day – July 13

Brief Origin

Beef Tallow Day was officially launched in 2017 by the Healthy Fats Coalition, a group of nutritionists, chefs, farmers, and food advocates. The day was strategically placed on July 13 to align with National French Fry Day, paying tribute to the time when fries were cooked in beef tallow—a practice that many culinary experts argue gave them their rich, unmatched flavor.

The observance was created in response to growing public awareness around traditional, unprocessed animal fats, and to reclaim beef tallow’s place in the kitchen after decades of negative perception fueled by the anti-fat movement of the late 20th century.

Historical Background

Before the 20th century, beef tallow was a household staple:

• Used in cooking, baking, frying, and soap- and candle-making.

• Tallow was prized for its long shelf life, high smoke point, and rich flavor.

• Famous fast food chains like McDonald’s used beef tallow to fry their French fries until 1990. The switch to vegetable oil was prompted by a campaign led by health advocates like Phil Sokolof, who raised concerns about saturated fats and cholesterol.

However, modern research has re-evaluated the role of saturated fats, and animal fats like tallow are being embraced again—especially in paleo, keto, carnivore, and ancestral diet movements.

Key Themes of Beef Tallow Day

1.  Reclaiming Traditional Fats

• Recognizes tallow as a natural, nutrient-rich fat that has been wrongly demonized.

• Highlights how early civilizations and modern chefs used tallow for flavor and health.

2.  Nutritional Awareness

• Tallow is rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

• Unlike unstable polyunsaturated vegetable oils, tallow is oxidation-resistant at high temperatures.

3.  Sustainability & Nose-to-Tail Eating

• Promotes whole animal use—reducing waste by using rendered fat from cattle.

• Advocates for ethical meat consumption and minimal food waste practices.

4.  Culinary Heritage

• Celebrates the art of cooking with tallow, particularly for fries, pastries, roasted meats, and skincare.

• Encourages a revival of ancestral food wisdom.

5.  Challenging Dietary Dogma

• Counters decades of dietary guidelines that promoted low-fat, high-carb processed food trends.

• Promotes scientific reevaluation of saturated fat and heart health.

Significance of Beef Tallow Day

Cultural and Culinary Significance

• Reminds us of the flavor and performance that beef tallow brought to classic fried foods.

• Reinforces culinary heritage, especially in traditional cuisines across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Nutritional Importance

• Encourages people to consider natural fats over industrial oils, especially in high-heat cooking.

• Highlights the nutritional density and digestibility of animal-based fats.

Environmental Responsibility

• Aligns with sustainable agriculture and reducing waste by using every part of the animal, including fat.

Public Education

• Invites people to rethink fat—to distinguish between harmful processed oils and beneficial traditional fats.

• Educates about the role of dietary fat in hormone regulation, brain health, and immune function.

Ways to Celebrate

Here’s how individuals, restaurants, and foodies might celebrate Beef Tallow Day:

• Make fries or roast potatoes in tallow (like the old McDonald's fries).

• Create homemade tallow balms or lotions—great for skin health.

• Bake pie crusts or pastries using beef tallow for rich, flaky textures.

• Attend workshops or watch documentaries on the role of fats in nutrition and food history.

• Compare cooking oils—learn about smoke points, stability, and nutrient content.

• Share tallow recipes or creations online using hashtags like #BeefTallowDay or #TradFatsRevival.

Interesting Facts

• Tallow soap is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic.

• Tallow can be stored at room temperature for months when rendered and stored properly.

• It was used historically in industrial lubricants, lamp fuel, and even explosives during World War I.

• In some indigenous diets, rendered fat was considered sacred and medicinal.

Key Points Table

Aspect	Detail
1. Date	July 13 (same as National French Fry Day)
2. Founded By	Healthy Fats Coalition (2017)
3. Main Purpose	Celebrate beef tallow as a natural, healthy fat with culinary, cultural, and                         nutritional value
4. Key Themes	Traditional cooking, fat education, sustainability, culinary heritage
5. Significance	Reclaiming traditional fats, challenging anti-fat myths, promoting nose-to-tail                 eating
6. Celebrated By	Chefs, nutritionists, farmers, paleo/carnivore communities, real-food advocates