New Steak 'n Shake product on the way. What to know about the MAHA-approved item
After being lauded by the Trump administration's health movement for its transition away from vegetable oils and using beef tallow to cook its signature shoestring fries, Steak 'n Shake will sell tallow directly to customers.
The Indianapolis-based fast-food chain said its restaurants will start selling grass-fed beef tallow later this month. The chain began cooking its fries in tallow at all of its restaurants earlier this year; but the potatoes are pre-fried in seed oils.
"Buy our 100% Grass-Fed Beef Tallow for your home cooking at any Steak n Shake starting June 23. MAHA!' the chain announced on social media. The posts included an image of a 14-ounce jar.
Steak 'n Shake, a subsidiary of San Antonio, Texas-based Biglari Holdings, has about 400 locations nationwide.
Although the jars will be sold in the restaurants, other Steak 'n Shake-branded products, including chili made by Pinnacle Foods Group and frozen burgers distributed by AdvancePierre Foods, are sold in grocery stores.
Beef tallow is rendered beef fat, sometimes called beef drippings.
Like other solid cooking fats such as butter and coconut oil, beef tallow is made up primarily of saturated fat, including stearic acid, which appears not to raise cholesterol in the same way as other saturated fats, according to Mayo Clinic.
Tallow also contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are considered healthier, as well as fat-soluble vitamins that are vital for various bodily functions, including immune support, bone health, cellular function and skin health.
Steak 'n Shake announced in January that by the end of February, all locations would end the use of vegetable oil and switch to 100% all-natural beef tallow for its fries, onion rings and chicken tenders.
Operations chief Daniels told Fox the company had been considering the move for a while, a directive of owner Sardar Biglari, who as a boy, was impressed with fries he tasted in Belgium that were cooked in beef tallow.
'We wanted to switch years ago but couldn't get a chemical-free, additive-free, all-natural pure beef tallow,' Daniels said. 'He tells me we have to do beef tallow, but we have to do it all-natural and no additives and no preservatives. And we found a supplier who could finally do it for us.'
'We've RFK'd our fries.'
Steak 'n Shake touts beef tallow fries: Early MAHA supporters question chain's process
The move was praised by U.S. health czar Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda the brand supports.
The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services even did a Fox News Channel interview at a Florida Steak 'n Shake, commending the chain.
'Steak and Shake has been great. We're very grateful to them for RFKing the french fries,' Kennedy said. "They turned me into a verb."
Kennedy wants fast food companies to use beef tallow for frying instead of seed oils, like soybean and canola oil, which he has called 'one of the most unhealthy ingredients that we have in foods.'
The chain later said that while it is committed to removing seed oils from its restaurants, its suppliers pre-fry fries, onion rings and chicken tenders in seed oils before freezing them and shipping them to the shops.
Indy Steak 'n Shake $1M renovation: What's new at the downtown restaurant
Republican politicians and high-profile MAGA and MAHA boosters responded positively to Steak 'n Shake's blatant appeal on social media to Kennedy and others tied to the Trump administration. The chain's postings included a red hat with yellow letters saying 'Make Frying Oil Tallow Again,' nodding to the Kennedy-led agenda, and posting images of the health secretary. A version of the hat is available on the Kennedy's MAHA merchandise website.
The chain's social media accounts also made overtures to Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, who President Donald Trump tapped to lead an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending.
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