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Process & Standards

How We Produce It.

Source selection, rendering method, filtration, and the standards we hold every batch to. Straightforward.

Questions about our process?
Step 1 — Source

Where the Suet Comes From.

Local Texas suet, sourced from producers we know. Pasture-raised cattle, no added hormones or antibiotics. We inspect the material before it goes into production. What goes in determines what comes out.

Suet sourcing at a Central Texas processing facility — first step of Ranch Hand Rendering's traceable supply chain
Named Producers

The Ranches Behind Our Tallow.

We believe the origin of a product matters. As producers grant permission to be named publicly, we list them here so the source of our material can be seen plainly.

Registered Black Angus cattle grazing at 2barC near Luling, Texas — primary source of suet for Ranch Hand Rendering
Primary Source

Hometown Meat Market & 2barC

Clyde Sommerlatte

Luling, Texas · Caldwell County · Registered Black Angus · USDA-certified facility

Hometown Meat Market is a USDA-certified processing facility in Luling, paired with owner Clyde Sommerlatte’s 2barC. Their Black Angus cattle are pasture-raised on rotational grazing in Central Texas, grain-finished for marbling, and raised without added growth hormones.

Mr. Clyde is also a respected Angus breeder — his seedstock program produces highly sought-after registered bulls that other Texas ranchers buy to start or strengthen their own herds. The genetics work is a core part of his business, and the quality of those bloodlines carries through to every animal we source.

Hometown is where the majority of our suet originates. Proximity to our rendering facility, the consistency of their herd, and a shared standard around how cattle are raised and handled make them the foundation of our supply.

Michael and Angela Mercer of 3M Cattle Co., a family-run ranch in Lockhart, Texas that supplies suet to Ranch Hand Rendering

“If I wouldn’t feed it to my own kids, I’m not selling it to yours.”

— Michael, 3M Cattle Co.

3M Cattle Co.

Michael & Angela Mercer

Lockhart, Texas · Caldwell County · Family-run · Est. 2017

3M Cattle Co. is a family-run Texas producer raising pasture-based, grain-finished cattle with a steady respect for land, livestock, and the standards that still matter. Their cattle are raised without added hormones or antibiotics and processed under state and federal inspection.

We value producers who take their work personally, steward their cattle with care, and understand that true quality is established long before rendering begins. 3M is one of the producers we are proud to name among our sources.

Jennifer and Jesse Balboa with their Akaushi Brangus cattle at 9H Cattle Co., a family-run ranch in Waelder, Texas

9H Cattle Co.

Jennifer & Jesse Balboa

Waelder, Texas · Gonzales County · Akaushi Brangus · Family-run

9H Cattle Co. is a family-run ranch in Waelder, Texas, raising Akaushi Brangus cattle on Gonzales County pasture. Jennifer and Jesse Balboa run the operation themselves and sell direct, only to customers they can meet in person. They believe you should know who you are buying from and who is buying from you. They keep no website; buyers who want to start a relationship reach out through their private community on Facebook.

The Balboas hold the same plain standard we do: clean inputs, transparent practices, and the willingness to answer any question a serious customer brings. Akaushi Brangus is a heat-tolerant cross prized for marbling, and that quality carries straight through to suet that renders to a particularly rich tallow.

Additional partner producers will be named here as permissions are confirmed.

Ground beef suet loaded into a slow roaster — step two of Ranch Hand Rendering's wet-rendering process
Step 2 — Rendering

Method Matched to Use.

We use different rendering methods for our two product lines, and we have a reason for each. Cooking tallow is dry rendered — when fat goes into your body, you want the full profile intact: fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, everything the original material carries. Dry rendering preserves that.

Formulation tallow is wet rendered. Water-soluble compounds don’t penetrate skin, so they aren’t bioavailable in a topical product anyway — nothing meaningful is lost in the rendering process for that application.

Both are cooked at controlled temperatures with careful attention throughout. Too hot and the fat degrades; too low and the render is incomplete. We monitor temperature on every batch.

Step 3 — Filtration

Multi-Stage Filtration.

After rendering, the fat goes through multi-stage filtration to remove solids and impurities. No chemical deodorizers. No bleaching agents. The result is a clear, finished fat with its natural character intact.

Filtered beef tallow set into clean white chunks after wet rendering and fine straining
What We Hold To

Internal Process Standards.

Source
Local Texas suet, selected before production
Render method
Dry rendered (cooking); wet rendered (formulation) — method matched to use
Filtration
Multi-stage, no chemical deodorizing or bleaching
Texture target
Monitored across batches for cooking and formulation use
Aroma
Mild natural beef character — not chemically neutralized
Transparency
We tell you our method plainly — ask us anything about process
Explore the Products

See What We Produce.

Formulation Grade Tallow

Selected suet, wet rendered — water-soluble compounds aren’t bioavailable through skin, so nothing meaningful is lost. Attention to texture consistency for cosmetic and skincare applications.

View Formulation Grade →

Cooking Tallow

Dry rendered, multi-stage filtered, mild natural beef character. For home cooks and culinary use.

View Cooking Tallow →

Have Questions?

Ask about current availability, pack sizes, or anything else about our process.

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