Good beef fat can be rendered into tallow for roasting, frying, and cooking from scratch. Pork fat can be turned into lard for pastry, potatoes, beans, tortillas, and everyday stovetop cooking. And for hunters, added fat is often what turns lean deer or elk into a burger or sausage blend that cooks properly and eats well.

Nose-to-tail cooking sounds ambitious, but at home it’s simply this: use the valuable parts that make your kitchen run smoother. Fat becomes cooking oil. Bones become broth. Organ cuts become a few reliable, repeatable meals. Below is a beginner-friendly roadmap—plus a request list you can use for your next bulk order.