One of the best things about tallow besides the beefy goodness it adds is that it has a very high smoke point. of 400 degrees. This makes it useful for deep frying and other high heat techniques like searing. I'd sooner stick with canola oil than use Crisco. Just my opinion, but if you intend to cook well, eat a variety of proteins, and eat healthy you need a variety of oils for different things. Butter is always great, except that it has a very low smoke point, so it's use is limited. If you want buttery goodness and a high smoke point, clarified butter (ghee) is perfect. Extra virgin olive oil has a relatively low smoke point as well, but I use it most often when I want that olive oil flavor. Avocado oil is another great option. It is very healthy oil, has one of the highest smoke points at 500 degrees and a rather neutral flavor profile. My deep fryer is full of beef tallow, and I occasionally render my own tallow from brisket trimmings. I just did this a month ago with the trimmings from three briskets from last summer. Save it up frozen, then do it all at once. That produced three quarts of good clean tallow, about 6-7 lbs. worth. Tallow is expensive, relatively speaking, and making your own from scraps is free and easy. It will keep for a very long time refrigerated, even longer frozen. Same with ghee.
