Recommending full-fat meats – or even worse, cooking with animal fat – could be considered a crime these days. But I like to live dangerously.
Good Meat Equals Good Fat
The equation is simple. If you can find high quality grass-fed and pasture-raised meats, the fat in those will be packed with the fat burner CLA, omega-3, and a ton of vitamins and minerals. The opposite is true: fat from grain-fed factory-raised animals will contain most of the pesticides, antibiotics and inflammatory omega-6 you really want to avoid. That’s simply because fat acts as a defender for the fragile organs in any mammal’s body, isolating the toxins instead of letting them stay in the bloodstream.
Animal Fat Is Perfect For Cooking
Like coconut oil, animal fat is very high in saturated fat. You should know by now that not only is saturated fat nothing as unhealthy as we used to think – it’s also very stable under heat, making it perfect for high temperature cooking and even frying.
The Animal Fat Faceoff
1. Fat from grass-fed animals (beef, lamb), because of the very high CLA and omega-3 content.
2. Pig fat, because it’s very stable under heat and contains a ton of vitamin A and D. Yes, it does include fat from pasture-raised bacon.
3. Chicken fat is less stable than the first two, but still a good choice.
4. Duck and goose fat are riskier choices, because most ducks are raised inside and fed grains. You’ll need to investigate a little more to find pasture-raised ducks that are free to eat an omnivorous diet instead of soy and corn.
Summary--> Animal fat is perfect for cooking – especially beef tallow.
--> The only animal fat you should ever consume is from grassfed or pasture-raised healthy animals.
--> Avoid factory-raised animals’ fat at all costs. It will contain most of the chemicals and antibiotics you want to avoid.
