The Rich Deviled Egg Addition That Loads Up The Appetizer With Umami

Deviled eggs are a perfect party food: They're flavorful and relatively easy to make yet more sophisticated than a bowl of chips and salsa. There are many, many ways to make deviled eggs, but the basic recipe simply involves halving boiled eggs, taking out the yolk, mixing it with mayo and spices, and then using it to fill the whites again. If you're looking to wow your guests with an unexpected, umami twist to this dish, add beef tallow.

"Strained tallow adds a deep, Maillard-forward flavor [to deviled eggs]," Chef Nelson Serrano-Bahri, the director of innovation at The American Egg Board, exclusively tells the Takeout. "Think roasted, beefy, and subtly nutty, along with a luxurious mouthfeel and a firmer, more pipable texture once cooled." He recommends a fairly simple recipe. "Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm, liquid tallow per six yolks and blend it into the yolk base along with mustard and vinegar so the egg yolk's natural lecithin can emulsify it. Add a teaspoon or so of warm stock or pickle brine to keep the mixture smooth and spreadable as it sets."

If you're not a fan of mayo, you can swap it with sour cream, and the dish will be just as good (some would say better). However, Serrano-Bahri explains that you do need a bit of one or the other even if you're using tallow. The rendered fat doesn't have the water and emulsifiers that mayo and sour cream provide, so the filling can be too stiff without them.

Blending beef tallow into hardened yolks isn't the only way to use it in deviled eggs. Chef Nelson Serrano-Bahri also recommends using tallow mayo by blending tallow with a neutral oil and then making homemade mayo with it. Another recipe he shares is making toasted toppings. "Toast breadcrumbs, shallots, or capers in tallow for a crunchy, aromatic finish," the expert states. You can then use these ingredients as deliciously crispy toppings for the eggs.

If you're not afraid of something a bit more complex, try a "powdered" tallow garnish. "Whisk melted tallow with tapioca maltodextrin to create a savory snow that melts instantly on the tongue," Serrano-Bahri instructs. But our favorite recipe that the chef shared uses tallow for a warm glaze. "Lightly brush halved egg whites with melted tallow and torch briefly for a glossy sheen and subtle beef aroma." Combine this with one of the other recipes to add flavor to both the yolk and the whites.

Of course, we also encourage you to play around with different ways of using beef tallow to bring a bit of a kick to your deviled eggs. Experimenting is, after all, the funnest part of cooking — just make sure to try out your recipes before serving them to others. No matter how you use this wonderful (and fairly underrated) ingredient, make sure that you don't heat it to its smoking point, as high temperatures can ruin the taste of beef tallow and spoil your entire dish.