Forget Butter: How To Use Beef Tallow For More Flavorful Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The tallow trend may have been birthed from people's desire to eliminate unhealthy fats from their diets, but its staying power lies in its ability to impart a rich, savory flavor to all kinds of foods (it's one reason why so many restaurant chains use beef tallow to make their french fries). Beef tallow is a game-changer for roasted veggies and upgraded fried eggs, but one overlooked use for beef tallow is making an epic, ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

Choosing the best type of cheese for a grilled cheese and adding other ingredients to elevate the flavor are terrific ways to give it some pizzazz, but you can improve a grilled cheese before adding anything inside the sandwich by slathering beef tallow on the bread instead of butter. You'll walk away with a crispier crust and a gorgeous, golden brown bread that looks like it belongs in an advertisement for grilled cheese sandwiches. It also lends the dish subtle umami notes which adds depth to the profile without dominating the palate. 

Beef tallow has a long shelf life, so you have plenty of time to make sure none of it goes to waste. Some people laud the fat's makeup as healthier than other cooking oils, but while that's still debated among dietitians and nutritionists, the fat's ability to take a grilled cheese sandwich to another level is undeniable.

Beef tallow is simply rendered fat that's been filtered to remove debris and contaminants. When it cools to room temperature, it solidifies into a spreadable substitute for butter and cooking oils. Thanks to the fat's composition, it develops a striking brown sear on bread when it's grilled that you just can't get with butter. It also has a higher smoke point, making it ideal for high-temperature cooking scenarios. While it's not a suitable butter swap for every dish (like certain baked goods), it excels at improving the flavor and texture of a humble grilled cheese sandwich.

It's not just the bread that benefits from beef tallow. Any grilled cheese add-ins, like caramelized onions or mushrooms, can be cooked in tallow first. Meats such as pepperoni or Spam (which is great for an umami-loaded grilled cheese) likewise receive a rich, meaty flavor boost when sauteed in tallow.

One drawback to beef tallow is that it is more expensive than butter, but it's not terribly difficult to make at home. Instead of tossing out the fat trimmings from various cuts of beef, toss them in a stock pot over the stove and set the heat to low. After simmering (and occasionally stirring) for four hours, strain the liquid fat a couple of times to remove any remaining solids. Once it cools, you'll have a container of delicious, shelf-stable fat ready to level up a grilled cheese sandwich at a moment's notice. Even better, it'll be derived from what would normally be kitchen waste.