Beef Cheeks, Tallow Gain Ground as Animal Protein Demand Rises

As consumers shift back toward animal protein even as beef prices climb, operators are turning to beef cheeks, a low-cost, underused cut, to capitalize on the trend without the price tag of pricier cuts.

Beef cheek menu penetration has grown 33% over the past four years as operators look for a lower-cost way to meet renewed demand for animal protein amid rising beef prices, according to Datassential’s Animal Protein Issue report.

Nearly three of four consumers say animal meat is more satisfying than plant-based alternatives, according to Datassential’s Meat’s Back on the Menu report. That growth comes as beef production costs have risen roughly 44% since 2023, per Datassential’s May Burger Price Index. Average ground beef prices climbed about 76% between January 2020 and December 2025, and 77% of consumers say they’ve noticed beef prices rising, according to Datassential’s Inflation: Perceptions vs. Reality report.

The gap between consumer appetite and rising costs is where cheaper cuts like beef cheeks come in. The Animal Protein Issue report notes the cut requires low, slow cooking to break down heavy connective tissue, but once properly prepared, it turns tender in a way comparable to short rib or osso buco, at a lower cost than either.

Beef cheek remains a niche item, with overall menu penetration under 1%, and is currently concentrated in fine dining at 2% penetration, where operators have worked it into dishes like ragu and bourguignon. But its growth trajectory points beyond fine dining: Austin-based Tacodeli already uses slow-braised Texas beef cheeks in its Barbacoa Tacos, suggesting the cut has room to move into casual formats like sandwiches, bowls, and tacos.

Operators are also increasingly turning to beef tallow, the rendered fat from beef, which sits in the Adoption stage of Datassential’s Menu Adoption Cycle. Menu penetration also sits under 1%, though 24% of consumers say they have tried it and 17% say they love or like it. 

Adoption is highest among chef-driven independent restaurants, and the fat has drawn added attention as the Make America Healthy Again movement pushes the use of animal fats instead of seed oils. 

On menus, tallow is most often used as a frying oil for fries, though some operators have gotten more creative. Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin, for example, serves Charred Edamame with smoked beef tallow, chili, and sea salt. It could also be used as a next-level ingredient in fatwashed cocktails. At Apothecary in Dallas, a bar crossover includes Beef Cheek Tacos dressed with a mezcal-tallow emulsion.