Why the Oil you Use for Cooking Matters!
Now more than ever, there’s more information swirling about the best fats and oils to cook with for optimal health. I find that many of my clients are often asking which oils are best for their nutritional and health as a whole. It can be challenging to find information on what oil is best and what provides the most nutrition.
Polyunsaturated Oils
For years, vegetable oils were most recommended for cooking as they were considered lower in saturated fats. However, most vegetable oils are high in polyunsaturated fats, which are unstable. Because of this, they produce a lot of free radicals when heated. Those free radicals can harm your body at the cellular level – causing all sorts of problems such as inflammation and an increased risk of developing degenerative diseases like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. A lot of these conventional vegetable oils like (canola, grapeseed, peanut, sunflower, sesame, etc.) are also considered high in PUFA’s (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids) which can cause oxidative stress on the body. PUFA’s have been associated with risk factors like alzhiemer’s, thyroid complications, heart disease, etc.
What Oils to Cook With
I always recommend striving to cook with oils that are optimized for high heat. These are my top recommendations for stable oils for a high-heat cooking option:
Raw or Grass-Fed Butter
These are my top recommendations for oils to be used frequently but more at a low to medium heat point:
Avocado Oil (used sparingly)
It’s important to always source your oils organically and from reputable sources. My favorite oil to cook with for my family is Beef Tallow. There are so many incredible health benefits and it is easy to make and keep around!
Health Benefits of Beef Tallow
Beef tallow isn’t just more flavorful and a better option for high-heat cooking, it offers some surprising health benefits. It boosts your immune health – with unprocessed fats like beef tallow in your diet, it’s easier for your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins that support your immune system. I always try to encourage clients to try getting the majority of their nutrients from food, rather than always looking to vitamins. Beef tallow is rich in nutrients – not only does it help you absorb more nutrients from your food, but beef tallow is also rich in vitamins A, D, E, K, and B1. Here are some of the primary health benefits:
Reduces inflammation – tallow contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a natural anti-inflammatory.
May help protect the body from infection – one of the fatty acids in beef tallow – palmitoleic acid – possesses fantastic antimicrobial properties, which may help to ward off infections.
Good for your nervous system – tallow is high in choline, a nutrient that supports the nervous system. Also, the healthy fatty acids help to protect nerve cells.
Helps the body burn fat – consuming healthy fats stimulates the release of glucagon, the hormone that signals to your body it’s time to burn stored fat to use for energy.
Softer skin – the saturated fat found in tallow nourishes your skin’s cell membranes, which helps to keep skin smooth. You can also use tallow on your skin as a natural moisturizer!
Protects your body from free radical damage – not only are you avoiding the free radicals that your body would have to deal with if you cooked with some vegetable oils, but tallow is also rich in vitamin E, which helps to protect your cells from free radical damage and PUFAs.
How to Make Beef Tallow
Gather the beef fat in a large stock pot, and heat to a low simmer. Low and slow temperatures while you render or the fat will result in a browned tallow with a stronger flavor, and it won’t be as white when it cools.
During the cook time, you will notice the fat slowly starts to render and cook. There will be a light simmer and small bubbles forming during the cooking process, but you don’t ever want a rolling boil. If your rendered fat starts bubbling too much, reduce the heat and stir well.
Straining is important. Impurities won’t taste great and can cause the tallow to spoil faster, so make sure to strain twice. The first strain is in a fine strainer to remove any large pieces, and the second uses cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or a paper towel to get all the final small pieces removed.
You can use this immediately. It will remain a liquid until cooled where it will turn solid and white. Once you have your beef tallow cooked down and strained, store it in a lidded glass jar or container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
I like to source the beef fat from local farmers and ranchers - I recently got mine from 1915 Farm.