Things You'll Need
Wide, tall stockpot
Colander
Animal fat undergoes fine clarification and liquification at around 203 degrees Fahrenheit, making boiling the most efficient method for rendering fat from beef, pork and chicken in the home kitchen. Although you can't render out 100 percent of the fat from meat -- 2.5 to 5 percent of beef fat, for example, remains in interstitital and intramuscular form -- you can get it as lean as possible and still have an edible product left over with gentle simmering.
Step 1
Trim the pork or beef of all visible fat and cut it into 1-inch pieces; if cooking chicken, remove the skin, bones and visible fat. Add the meat or chicken to the stockpot.
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Step 2
Add enough cold water to cover the meat by 3 or 4 inches and season it with a few pinches of salt. Bring the water to a rapid boil; skim and discard the coagulated proteins and froth from the surface of the water for the first 2 or 3 minutes of boiling.
Step 3
Lower the heat so the water barely simmers. Cook the meat until tender, about 1 1/2 hours per pound; cook chicken for 30 to 45 minutes per pound. Take the stockpot off the stove.
Step 4
Transfer the meat to a colander using a slotted spoon and rinse it under hot water for a couple minutes. The meat is now as free of fat as possible from boiling. Dry the meat with paper towels and store it in an airtight container up in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Tip
Chill and skim the leftover broth to remove the fat rendered into it during simmering. Let the broth cool to room temperature and place it in the refrigerator overnight to chill. The next day, lift out the congealed fat floating on the surface using a slotted spoon and let the broth settle for about 15 minutes. Strain the broth through a sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth and use it within 2 days.
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