Today, I wanted to share why our next product offering is tallow. If you’re wondering what tallow is, you’re not alone. According to Google, the most frequently asked question about tallow is - Is it lard? No, but close! Tallow is rendered beef fat. The beef suet (fat) is melted and simmered at about 200 degrees for 6 - 8 hours, or enough time to cook out the impurities.
So why is this the product I’ve wanted to launch for five years? In short, it has the same three foundational pillars as our bone broth, and it belongs on your kitchen counter.
- Artisan Process:
The process used to make our products is naturally shelf-stable without additives or thickeners.
- Nutrient Dense:
They are both foundational foods for your health that help you absorb MORE nutrients from the good food you’re already eating.
- Animal & Land Stewardship:
They both allow for better stewardship of these regeneratively-raised animals, and the land they graze on.
Artisan Process
At FOND our artisan process is just as important as the ingredients we use, and it’s no different for our tallow. We don’t often talk about the process because it’s technical, but it’s a huge part of what makes our bone broth so nutrient-dense. There are only a few bone broth companies that actually make the bone broth they bottle. Most of them buy ingredients or concentrate from a provider (sometimes overseas), rehydrate it, and then bottle it. Then, they add gelatin or bone broth powders, additives to prevent caking, and yeasts to increase flavor. It’s a far cry from the process you use when you make your bone broth at home, and it’s less nourishing too.
Our bone broth is brewed, bottled (in glass!), and stored in a seamless process that, if the jar is left unopened, preserves nutrients almost indefinitely. We’ve been told that at year five in the jar, the nutrients will likely start to decrease. It’s the same with our tallow; our process is a huge part of what sets it apart. Slow-rendered in steel kettles, then infused and bottled in glass - just like our bone broth. It’s good unopened for one year, for one month on your counter, or for multiple months in your fridge. No sneaky seed oils or olive oils are added, just 100% pure regenerative beef tallow.
Good Tasting, Good For You
The second thing bone broth and tallow have in common is their amazing ability to help you absorb more nutrients from the good food you’re already eating. Bone broth does this by healing and sealing the gut lining, which ensures food is properly digested and that no toxins or food are passing through to the bloodstream. This is in addition to the amino acids, electrolytes, gelatin, and collagen that our bone broth provides. Tallow is very similar. In addition to providing a source of vitamins A, D, K, E, and B12, Choline, CLA, and other fatty acids, it also helps you better absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.
Bone broth and tallow were also integral parts of the kitchen until recent decades. Bone broth is your secret sauce for stews, sauces, grains, meats, and so much more, elevating both the flavor and the nutrient density. And by cooking with tallow instead of inflammatory seed oils, you’re going to get a more flavorful dish every time.
An example of this foundational principle in action is turmeric, the shining star in one of our infused tallows. The active, anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric is called curcumin. Curcumin is fat-soluble, meaning if you’re not taking it with a source of fat, your body can’t absorb it. This is why we recommend sipping our Turmeric & Black Pepper bone broth with coconut oil or blended with ghee (or soon, tallow!). Additionally, when you combine turmeric and cracked black pepper, studies have shown that you boost the effectiveness of the curcumin 2,000%. Can you guess what we paired our turmeric tallow with? That’s right: black pepper! Food as medicine synergy, at its finest.
Animal & Land Stewardship
Allow me a brief anecdote. There’s nothing like a talking-to from Chef Dan Barber, even if it’s through the screen on Netflix. The kids won’t know what I’m talking about, but some of you super-foodies will. In the series The Chef’s Table, Chef Dan Barber spoke to the tragedy of American cuisine. Do you know what the root cause is? We can cook a steak any time we want to. We haven’t had to learn the craft of creating something delicious out of the less desirable parts of an animal. The great kitchens (French & Italian) were founded on this need; to use everything and make that taste good. FOND is my little subversive way to get the lesser-used parts into every pantry in America, for more flavor and nourishing dishes.
At FOND, we’re big proponents of nose-to-tail eating. By using the bones after the meat cuts of the animal have been made, we create a nutrient-dense bone broth that also contributes to the further use of the animal. Our tallow is the same way; by purchasing the unwanted beef suet, we are increasing the use of the entire animal. By helping farmers use every piece of the animal they’ve raised, especially the lesser-used parts like the bones and the fat, we help them achieve a less wasteful, more economically viable operation.
As you probably know, we’re also huge supporters of regenerative farming. Our bone broth and our tallow are both the only verified regenerative (through Land to Market) options on the market. Regenerative farming supports increased biodiversity and carbon sequestration, among other benefits. This leads to a more nutrient-dense product, ensures future harvests, and fosters a flourishing pasture.
These three pillars guide what we do here at FOND. At the end of the day, everything we do is bonné sante - to your good health. We’re here to make nourishment easier, and so much more delicious. I hope reading this helps you understand why the next product line was naturally tallow, and the common ground it has with our bone broth. Our product pipeline is deep and I cannot wait for you to join me in the nutrient-dense revolution. Tallow is only the beginning!
