For A Richer Pan-Fried Steak, Cook It In This (It's Not Butter Or Oil)

Steak fans are often looking for ways to improve on their rendition of the staple dish but are not always sure of where to start. While some think the key to this improvement comes down to what cut of steak they choose for their dinner party, there are so many factors at play that can make your meal infinitely better than what you're used to. One of the most overlooked of these variables has to do with what kind of fat you use. Many believe that butter gets the job done as well as any other type of fat, but beef tallow can actually provide a much more noticeable boost in your meat's overall taste and transform your perspective on steak dinners forever.

Beef tallow is the perfect ingredient to use for pan-frying steak, as it is quite literally the concentrate of the most flavorful parts of the cow. The game-changing ingredient is the rendered fat that is either made from suet, the fatty tissue around a cow's organs, or leftover from cooking certain cuts of steak, such as brisket, which arguably produces the best beef tallow. While using this form of fat can give many foods a rich, meaty flavor upgrade, it is arguably the most valuable when cooking steak, as it unsurprisingly complements the meat incredibly well, giving it a well-defined crust and juicy exterior.

While using a new ingredient like beef tallow for your steak can be a bit stressful if you don't know what you're doing, it can luckily be used in a similar fashion as butter or oil in most cases. In fact, the ingredient has a similar, relatively high smoke point — around 400 degrees Fahrenheit – compared to vegetable oil and olive oil, which is why it's a great option for pan-frying or searing your steak on high heat. Just melt down the tallow in the pan and let it work its magic while cooking. You can also cook your steak halfway within beef tallow — using a dish like a Dutch oven to do so — before throwing it on the grill or in a pan to finish cooking, a strategy that ensures your steak is fully covered with the core ingredient.

Furthermore, while you'll likely find it worthwhile to use whatever beef tallow you can get your hands on for cooking steak, Wagyu beef tallow — which is made entirely from ultra-fatty, grass-fed Japanese cows — is an especially great difference-maker for your pan-fried or seared meats. There's no doubt that Wagyu beef tallow is superior to butter when it comes to making steak, but it also gives your meat a velvety texture and a further-enhanced beefy taste that can turn any given steak dinner into a meat lover's dream dish.