Chef shares whether duck fat or beef tallow makes the 'best' roast potatoes

A chef has revealed which type of animal fat makes the best roast potatoes. Roast potatoes are a staple of the traditional Sunday roast dinner, with countless recipes and techniques suggesting the ideal way to prepare them.

New Zealand chef Andy, who shares his culinary adventures on social media under the name Andy Cooks, recently conducted an experiment to determine which type of fat yields the tastiest roast potatoes in a YouTube video. In the clip, Andy prepares one batch of roast potatoes with duck fat and another with beef tallow.

Beef tallow is a form of rendered beef fat typically produced by melting and purifying the fatty tissue surrounding a cow's organs. Duck fat, derived from ducks, is renowned for its savoury flavour.

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In the video, Andy addresses the camera directly and begins: "What's better for roast potatoes, duck fat or beef tallow? Let's find out."

He can then be seen preparing both sets of roast potatoes before conducting a taste test.

Starting off, Andy said: "We'll start with the duck. It smells like a roast potato," he then takes a bite and continues: "Good crunch, I think they're about as well roasted as you're going to get.

"I do feel like some of them are starting to go soft. Good flavour, though."

He then tries the potatoes cooked in beef tallow. Andy concludes: "Richer flavour, good crunch. Feels like they're holding the crunch better.

"I don't know if there's any science to that or if it's a straight placebo but for me, the tallow wins."

In the comments section, viewers shared their thoughts. One person said: "My wife just got me our first tallow from the markets this past weekend. Can't wait to experiment."

Another quipped: "Duck can now breathe in relief." A third said: "Goose fat is the answer."

Someone else asked: "What about lard and clarified butter?"

Offering a different perspective, another YouTube user commented: "I tried roasting potatoes in duck fat. I found I actually preferred the flavour of them done in olive oil."

Agreeing with this sentiment, another person said: "I'm sure there is a scientifically best roast potato out there, but for me, the magic my dad pulls with parboiling them and heating up a pan of vegetable oil to scorching will always be the winner."

Beef tallow has proved popular in cooking for a long time but it's also been praised on social media for its supposed benefits in skincare - but experts warn against it.

It's not actually a new trend, with many skincare enthusiasts trying it out and documenting their experiences more than a decade ago. A recent resurgence of clips and recommendations across multiple social media platforms has sparked a fresh wave of people to try it as an acne and anti-ageing treatment.

Lesley Reynolds, skincare expert and co-founder of the Harley Street Skin Clinic, said: "While [beef tallow] does contain moisturising factors, there are actually many downsides to using beef tallow as an everyday skin care product.

"Unlike your regular moisturiser, beef tallow is heavy and can block pores by trapping moisture, bacteria and dirt, which can lead to blackheads and sebaceous filaments.

"This can be triggered further if you're someone with sensitive skin. The use of beef tallow can cause breakouts and irritation, and this is due to the fact that it's an unrefined animal product.

"This means that it hasn't gone through the necessary processes to remove impurities that may damage your skin. Therefore, I do not recommend using this as a means to combat acne."