Cooking Fats Compared: Why Tallow Comes Out on Top

Pure Peak
3 days ago
4 min read

We’re living in a time where cooking oils have become more industrial than intentional. A simple glance at supermarket shelves shows a sea of seed oils, margarine blends, and chemically processed options marketed as “heart-healthy” or “light.” But if you’re looking to cook in a way that genuinely supports your health — from your hormones to your gut to your brain — it might be time to return to what our ancestors knew best: animal fats like beef tallow.

Tallow isn’t a new health fad. It’s a traditional, nutrient-dense cooking fat that humans have relied on for generations — long before industrial food processing existed. In fact, this is the fat our great-grandparents likely used to fry their food, bake their pies, and nourish their families.

Now, as more people begin to question the health impacts of seed oils and ultra-processed fats, tallow is making its comeback — and rightfully so.

In this blog, we’ll dive into why tallow deserves a place in your kitchen — and how it compares to other fats like seed oils, coconut oil, butter, ghee, margarine, and olive oil

What Is Tallow, and Why the Source Matters

At its core, tallow is pure, rendered animal fat — most commonly from beef. When made properly, it’s solid at room temperature, shelf-stable, and naturally rich in nutrients. It has a high smoke point, a subtle savoury flavour, and a long history in traditional cooking.

But here’s the thing: not all tallow is created equal.

How Tallow Is Made

To create tallow, fat is slowly heated to separate the pure fat from any connective tissue, moisture, or impurities — a process called rendering. When done gently and without harsh processing, this leaves behind a clean, stable cooking fat that’s ready for use in everything from frying to baking.

At Pure Peak, we use a slow, traditional rendering method that preserves the integrity of the fat. No bleaching. No deodorising. No chemical solvents. Just real fat, prepared the way our ancestors did.

Why the Source of the Fat Matters

The quality of any animal product — including its fat — is only as good as the health of the animal it came from.

Factory-farmed beef is often raised on grain-based diets (typically soy and corn), routinely given hormones and antibiotics, and kept in poor conditions. Fat rendered from these animals can carry residues of those chemicals, have an unbalanced fatty acid profile, and lack essential nutrients.
In contrast, 100% grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free beef fat — like we use at Pure Peak — comes from animals raised the way nature intended: roaming on pasture, eating grass, and living without chemical interference. This makes a profound difference in both the nutritional quality and the safety of the tallow you consume.

Tallow from the Right Source = Real Nutrition

Properly sourced tallow is more than just a cooking fat — it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Grass-fed beef tallow contains:

Vitamins A, D, E & K (fat-soluble vitamins essential for immune health, hormone function, and bone strength)
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) — known for its anti-inflammatory and metabolism-supporting benefits
Stearic Acid — a saturated fat that supports mitochondrial health and has been shown to reduce visceral fat
Omega-3s (in modest amounts, but more balanced than grain-fed fat)

It’s clean, nourishing fuel — free from the toxic byproducts of industrial agriculture and rich in the fats your body actually needs to thrive. So before we compare it to other oils, remember this: the way your cooking fat is sourced, processed, and produced makes all the difference. And tallow, when done right, checks every box.

How Does Tallow Compare to Other Cooking Fats?

To make things simple, we’ve compared grass-fed beef tallow—like Pure Peak’s nutrient-rich, traditionally rendered version—with the most common cooking fats used today: vegetable/seed oils, coconut oil, margarine, butter, ghee, and olive oil.

Category	Grass-fed Beef Tallow	Vegetable / Seed Oils	Coconut Oil	Margarine	Pure Butter	Olive Oils (Refined vs. Extra Virgin)
Ingredients	1 ingredient: rendered beef fat	Often a mix of soy, canola, sunflower, etc.	1 ingredient (but varies in quality)	A blend of processed oils + additives	Cream from milk	Store-bought: often mixed; Cold-pressed, Extra virgin: 1 ingredient
Production Process	Traditional, gentle, slow rendering from whole fat	Chemically extracted, deodorized, often bleached	Most are refined; harsh heat to remove smell	Industrial hydrogenation	Minimal processing	Refined: heat/solvents; Extra virgin: cold-pressed
Heat Stability	Very high (smoke point ~400°F/205°C)	Low to moderate (oxidize easily)	Moderate (smoke point ~350°F)	Unstable at high heat	Low (~300°F/150°C)	Unstable for heat
Digestibility	Easy to digest, especially for those with gut sensitivities	Harder to digest, can promote inflammation	Easy if unrefined. But less easy when refined	Can disrupt digestion	Moderate - harder to those who are lactose intolerant	Cold-pressed olive oil is digestible, but ONLY raw (not for cooking)
Omega 3/6 Balance	Balanced; low in omega-6, and contains healthy omega-3	High in omega-6 (pro-inflammatory)	Mostly saturated fat; low omega-6	Unnatural ratio, often high omega-6	Balanced	Cold-pressed: good; Refined: high in omega-6
Nutrients & Vitamins	High in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K2, and CLA	Minimal or none	Contains lauric acid, some MCTs	Synthetic vitamins, if any	Good levels of A, D, K2	Cold-pressed: polyphenols, vitamin E Refined: minimal
Health Benefits	Supports metabolism, hormone production, brain + gut health	Linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic issues	Antibacterial; some metabolism benefits	Associated with cardiovascular risks	Rich, nourishing (if it's 100% pure butter)	Cold-pressed: heart-protective (only when used raw) Refined: linked to inflammation

The Takeaway

When it comes to cooking fats, not all options are created equal. While many oils on the shelf are processed, unstable, or stripped of nutrients, grass-fed beef tallow stands out for its purity, stability, and nutritional value. It's heat-safe, easy to digest, rich in fat-soluble vitamins, and completely free of seed oil chemicals or additives.

If you're serious about fuelling your body with real, ancestral nutrition, Pure Peak’s Beef Tallow belongs in your kitchen.

It’s not just a better fat — it’s a return to what your body was built for.