Interesting, but wouldn't that be the case for totally raw suet as well?
Dan’s post was in line with what I was thinking. Tallow / Rendering makes one think you are discarding the solid chunks and reserving the liquid fat. If this is the case, and you haven’t heated the fat at a high enough temperature, then some of the more saturated fatty acids may not fully liquefy and you’ll be discarding them with the remaining tissues. Of course if you are consuming the solid bits of tissue that you would normally discard as well as the liquid fat then you are getting everything there is to get, just as you would if consuming whole raw fat.
Correct, I make small batches that I consume quickly. It's also interesting that the Inuit and Chukchi eat fermented fat. So while spoiled fat may taste lousy to me currently, I'm not sure that it's necessarily unhealthy.
I actually like fermented meat – though not overly fermented. I often leave my food in my warm car from early morning to mid afternoon on summer days and it does get a bit ‘bubbly” and sour tasting. I suppose it is an acquired taste. However, I’m not overly fond of slimy High Meat. I guess I’m rather pedestrian in that I prefer beer over rock gut whisky so to speak.
Yeah, I didn't have past problems with higher-heated fat either, so I suspect something went wrong. I don't know for sure whether I became less tolerant of higher-heated tallow or if it was a one-time fluke due to something going wrong. I should experiment with it again. Maybe the extra moisture that was on it made it more prone to burning or maybe I let the crock pot run too long.
I never make a decision on one or two meals. Way too many things going on to be able to determine if there is a true problem with such a small sample – unless of course I get violently ill and puke my guts out. Stress at work or in a relationship can cause indigestion as can a passing bacterial or viral infection. These things are usually very short lived and you’re back to normal (whatever that is) within a couple of days.
How long do you typically render for?
Depends on the temperature I’m rendering at. If I’m in the mood to keep it low – around 220F, then I have to render for 8 to 10 hours, or maybe longer if it’s a big batch, to remove most of the water. If rendering at 240F then usually 3 hours is enough. I go by the look of the floating solids. If they are barely “fizzing” then most of the water is gone. You can see this in my Pemmican manual. Also be aware that things will be barely fizzing at the lower temperature just because the heat is low and moisture is released more slowly so you have to just get the feel of it as you do it. For pemmican or tallow that I’m going to store long term I will strain out the solids and then return to the heat at about 230F for another hour or so just to make sure all the water is gone.
It was in one of his more recent blog posts that I replied with a comment to. I can look up the link if you're interested. His problem was with some tallow or pemmican he made, not any you sent him, as I recall. So your cooking skills are not in question.
Never thought my cooking skills were at issue. Just pointing out that I render at 240F and Danny has eaten my pemmican and never said anything about it causing indigestion. So it was a reference to high temp rendering and not the over all process.
Lex
