The enthusiasm for beef arrives in Quebec and nutritionists call for moderation

The beef tif takes braid in the United States and Quebec, where its followers prefer it to vegetable oils and sometimes praise its alleged virtues.

Beef tallow is the fat of the kidneys inside the ox rib. It was the secret of the famous taste of McDonald’s fries, until the chain replaced it with vegetable oils under the pressure of cardiovascular health activists in 1990.

About thirty years later, promoted by the controversial secretary of health and social services in the United States, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the beef tif has passed from the oblivion to the tablets of the butchers.

“The trend started about two years ago,” says Dominique Rioux, Bouchère and author of the Recipe Book Carnivore. At the butcher’s shop, before, we really didn’t sell much. ”

“We are asked more and more, corroborates Jules Pelletier, from the Capitol butcher, in Montreal. Rather than getting rid of it as before, we sell it. You can cook anything with that. “

A real craze

Yannick Daudelin, from Drummondville, uses it as fat almost every day. More than 1,100 people reacted to his publication on Facebook where he describes the beef tallow by Realgood Foods as “the best kept secret” of Costco.

“I often read on new nutrition currents,” he explains on the phone. I was interested in it after RFK Jr. promoted it. If I cook meat, I use it to replace vegetable oil. ”

A question ofquilibre

Nutritionists surveyed by The newspaper However, call for caution concerning the exclusive use of saturated fats such as beef tallow or coconut butter, two options promoted on social networks in recent years.

“It goes against any scientific and nutritional logic,” says Stéphanie Côté, holding a master’s degree in sports nutrition. Like anything in food, the best option is to vary the fat sources. ”

According to the nutrition doctor Isabelle Huot, the best investment to protect her health is an extra virgin olive oil.

“It is the best fatty body for health,” she confirms. If you make a fried in the beef tallow from time to time and you like it, so much the better, but that is not something that should be used on a daily basis. ”

Heat tolerant

Beyond theories concerning its health benefits, beef tallow is also popular for its good taste and heat tolerance, which makes it particularly useful for fried fries.

“When you melt a regular fat, there will be small pieces that will have fried, called scratches,” specifies Dominique Rioux. There are much less in the beef tallow, so there is less loss. This is particularly popular for traditional plum-pudding; We only sold it before Christmas before! ”

The popularity of the beef is intimately linked to the reproaches attributed to vegetable oils, which contain linoleic acid, the omega-6 family. Contrary to popular belief, omega-6 are not harmful to health; In reasonable quantities, they even help reduce bad cholesterol, according to the heart and stroke of Canada’s disease foundation. “The type of fat that is consumed has more impact on health than the amount of fat consumed. This is why it is important to choose unsaturated fat [comme les huiles végétales]the healthiest type. “

Despite numerous debates on the effects of saturated fatty fat, experts agree: natural saturated fats are much less harmful than saturated fats present in processed products such as croustilles and ice cream. “People are still looking for solutions and miracle diets and are ready to embark in a lot, deplores Isabelle Huot. Start by eating less transformed and you will see, you will be in a lot better health! ”