Fatworks makes pasture-raised rendered animal fats, beef tallow, pork lard, duck fat, chicken schmaltz, and others, from known sourcing. They were one of the first companies to make traditionally rendered animal fats commercially available at scale when the market for these products had effectively collapsed due to the vegetable oil era. If you want beef tallow or pasture-raised lard, Fatworks is the most widely available quality option.
Why animal fats have the lowest omega-6 of any cooking fat
The source animal's diet affects the fat's omega-6 content. Grain-fed animals produce fat with a higher omega-6 ratio because grains are high in linoleic acid. Fatworks' pasture-raised sourcing produces fats with the lowest possible omega-6 content for that fat type.
Fatworks product lineup
Our Pick
Fatworks Pasture-Raised Beef Tallow
Their flagship product. Rendered from pasture-raised beef suet (kidney fat), the purest and most neutral-flavored tallow available. ~4% omega-6 linoleic acid. Smoke point ~400–420°F. Use for searing beef, frying potatoes, roasting vegetables, seasoning cast iron. The definitive seed-oil-free frying fat.
Our Pick
Fatworks Pasture-Raised Leaf Lard
Leaf lard from the kidney area, the cleanest, most neutral lard available. Nearly flavorless, which makes it ideal for pastry: pie crusts, biscuits, tamales. ~4–6% omega-6 linoleic acid (pasture-raised). The most important lard for baking; back fat lard has more pork flavor.
Our Pick
Fatworks Duck Fat
Rendered duck fat with a distinctive savory flavor. ~14% omega-6 linoleic acid, significantly lower than any vegetable oil. Duck fat is the traditional fat for confit, roasted potatoes, and French cooking. Smoke point ~375°F. Expensive relative to tallow or lard, but the flavor is genuinely unique.
Our Pick
Fatworks Chicken Schmaltz (Chicken Fat)
Rendered chicken fat, the traditional cooking fat of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. Rich, savory flavor. Use for sautéing vegetables, cooking eggs, spreading on bread. ~22% omega-6 (grain-fed chickens), higher than tallow or lard but lower than canola or soybean oil.
Is Fatworks worth the price premium?
Fatworks is more expensive than rendering your own fat from a butcher source. If you have a relationship with a local butcher or farmer, buying suet or leaf fat and rendering it yourself will produce a comparable product at lower cost.
For those without a butcher relationship or the time to render, Fatworks is the most widely available quality option. Their Whole Foods distribution makes it accessible without a subscription or specialty order.
The main value proposition: a jar of Fatworks tallow replaces a bottle of vegetable oil that costs less but delivers significantly more omega-6 per tablespoon. If you're already spending money on quality protein, spending $20 on the fat you cook it in makes sense.