Free Republic

Steak ‘n Shake has rolled out its new tater tots cooked in beef tallow, expanding the fast-food chain’s push toward traditional frying methods. The announcement drew attention on social media after the Indianapolis-based company highlighted the ingredient Monday morning in an X post, with commenters praising the move, while others debated whether beef tallow is healthier than vegetable oils. Steak ‘n Shake previously made headlines last year when it announced that its fries would be cooked in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil — part of what the company described as a return to the “authentic way” of frying potatoes....

President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services has brought renewed attention to Kennedy’s stance on health matters, including his belief that beef tallow is a healthier cooking fat than seed oils. On social media, Kennedy recently cited beef tallow as a more natural, nutritious option, especially compared to widely used seed oils like canola and soybean oil. In an October post, Kennedy suggested that seed oils are a primary contributor to the obesity crisis, tying their rise in popularity to fast food chains like McDonald’s. The shift from beef tallow to seed oils...

Malcolm Gladwell’s latest contrarian position could go over worse than the time he defended Lance Armstrong’s doping: McDonald’s fries suck, he declares on the latest episode of his Revisionist History podcast. Before you rush out and declare him un-American, though, realize he means well. Gladwell opens the podcast by telling listeners that “McDonald’s betrayed me so many years ago” when it stopped frying potatoes in beef tallow, so his ultimate goal is to help the fries return to their former glory. But his personal vendetta is woven into the far more interesting story of Phil Sokolof, the drywall magnate who...