Before the 1990s, many of the most famous fries in North America were cooked in beef tallow, and the switch to vegetable oil is still the most common complaint about how fries changed. Tallow gives a crisp shell, a fluffy inside and a clean, savoury flavour. At home, the secret is two fries at two temperatures.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 kg (2 lb) russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- Beef tallow, enough for 8 cm (3 inches) in a heavy pot (about 1.5 kg / 3 lb)
- Fine salt
Method
- Cut the potatoes into 1 cm (1/2 inch) sticks. Soak them in cold water 30 minutes to rinse off the surface starch, then dry them very well on a towel.
- Heat the tallow to 150 °C (300 °F). Fry the potatoes in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft but still pale. Lift onto a rack and let them rest at least 20 minutes.
- Raise the tallow to 190 °C (375 °F). Fry the potatoes again for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on a rack, salt immediately and serve.
Notes
- Never crowd the pot: too many fries at once drops the temperature and makes them greasy.
- After the first fry you can freeze the fries on a tray and do the second fry straight from frozen.
- Let the tallow cool, strain it through a fine sieve or coffee filter, and keep it in the fridge. It can be reused several times until it darkens or smells strong.
- Tallow is solid at room temperature, so melt it gently before heating it to frying temperature.
More with tallow: homemade pemmican, beef tallow explained and the cooking fats guide.
From Rise Nutrition
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Beef tallow from grass-fed Canadian cattle. Ships from Canada · Free shipping over $45 · 30-day money-back.
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