Is beef tallow back? Switching to it has boosted sales, central Pa. restaurants say

At Dough n Joe , owner Brad Livezey is deep frying homemade doughnuts with an old-school ingredient: Beef tallow.

His Hampden Township and Mechanicsburg shops recently joined chains such as Steak ‘n Shake, Outback Steakhouse and Popeyes in embracing the cooking method.

After researching beef tallow, Livezey now considers it a healthier and more flavorful alternative to the soy-based vegetable oil blend he previously used.

“Tallow is pretty pure. They don’t do much to it. It’s going back to what our ancestors used for cooking,” he said.

Plus, he said the doughnuts taste richer, and a bit savory with a crispy texture.

Tallow — rendered beef fat cooked down to a solid form — is having a resurgence. Once shunned for heart health concerns, its popularity has been driven by flavor, nostal