Of course, they’ve never left Nana’s kitchen, nor the cold rooms of nose-to-tail chefs, where tallow, lard and schmaltz have often been the secret ingredients behind the rich flavours and superb crunch so hard to replicate at home. Now, these golden fats are filling TikTok feeds and the fridges of ambitious amateur cooks everywhere.

So what are they and how do you use them?

Credit: Supplied

What is tallow?

“Beef tallow is a fat that can be used to fry foods just like vegetable oil — but it has a distinct beefy flavour that adds something special,” says executive chef Santiago Aristizabal of the newest Hunter St. Hospitality group restaurant, 24 York.  The kitchen uses beef tallow – rendered beef fat strained of any impurities – to cook the restaurant’s fries.

“It’s our way of turning something simple into something memorable,” Aristizabal says.

Beef tallow is also used in a more unexpected way at one of Hunter St. Hospitality ‘s other restaurants, The Cut Bar & Grill.

“Smaller cuts – like rump cap, Denver or sirloin – are dipped in melted beef fat to create an airtight seal,” Aristizabal says.

“This protects the meat from moisture loss (unlike dry-ageing), but still allows natural microorganisms to develop umami and tenderness.”

Related story: Sydney has been named best steak city in the world

Credit: Chris Court

What is lard?

Another animal fat, lard – rendered pork fat – is a shortening traditionally used in both frying and baking, and is increasingly available in supermarkets. Due to its high smoke point and neutral flavour profile, lard is adaptable to everything from fish and chips to puddings, and is especially appreciated by bakers for its ability to create the ultimate flaky crust on pies, both sweet and savoury.

Credit: Jeremy Simons

What is schmaltz?

Schmaltz (chicken fat) also has a long history, having been used for centuries in Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. Today, it’s found an equally comfortable place in contemporary cuisine.

“Once people try schmaltz, they fall in love with what can be done with it, “says Kim Kiss of Grassland Poultry.

Grassland began rendering and selling the fat from its pasture-raised, farm-processed heritage chickens five years ago. The schmaltz made an appearance on the table at 2025 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards, where Grassland Poultry was one of the national finalists in the ‘From the Paddock’ category.

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Credit: Mark Roper

“We believe in using the whole animal, so it makes sense to render the fat and sell schmaltz,” Kiss says.

Schmaltz is the ideal fat for roasting potatoes or other vegetables.

“Not only does it give them extra flavour, but a great crispiness as the fat doesn’t burn, so it can be used at high temperatures,” Kiss says.

That includes stir-frying.

“It’s perfect for stir-fried greens or anything you’d cook in a wok,” Kiss says. “It can also be used for browning meat for a casserole instead of olive oil. We even take it when we go camping and use it to cook with over the fire.

“Really, there’s no limit to what you can use it for.”

Schmaltz should be stored in the fridge, where it will last indefinitely.

“It’s quite soft, so easy to just spoon out as much as you need. Around two tablespoons will do a baking tray of vegies,” Kiss says.

Like other animal fats, this liquid gold can be strained through muslin and popped back into the fridge to use again, meaning not only does it dial up flavour and crispness, it’s also economical.

And while TikTokers may seek to claim credit for the resurgence in cooking with animal fats,  it really is an incontrovertible case of both Nana (and chef) knowing best and ‘everything old is new again’.

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