{"id":240045,"date":"2025-05-13T15:28:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T15:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/burger\/mcdonalds-fries-the-golden-era-of-beef-tallow-burger-beast\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T15:28:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T15:28:07","slug":"mcdonalds-fries-the-golden-era-of-beef-tallow-burger-beast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=240045","title":{"rendered":"McDonald\u2019s Fries: The Golden Era of Beef Tallow \u2022 Burger Beast"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Remember the irresistible aroma of McDonald\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> fries in their golden age? Before 1990, these weren\u2019t just a side; they were legendary, thanks to a secret ingredient: beef tallow. My book, \u201cAll About the Burger<\/a><\/strong>,\u201d delves into burger history, but the McDonald\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> fry story is too delicious to ignore.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Vintage\"Vintage
Vintage-style McDonald\u2019s Sign in Oakland Park, Florida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Ray Kroc\u2019s Obsession with the Perfect Fry<\/h3>\n
\n
\"McDonald's\"McDonald's
McDonald\u2019s Ray Kroc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

From the beginning, McDonald\u2019s has been obsessed with the perfect fry. Co-founder Mac McDonald<\/strong> started with fresh-cut Idaho Russets. Still, the rich, beefy flavor imparted by their unique oil blend \u2013 93% beef tallow and 7% vegetable oil, courtesy of Interstate Foods \u2013 made them truly iconic.<\/p>\n

Ray Kroc<\/strong>, recognizing the fry\u2019s power, was equally fanatical. He sent reps to measure potato solids, demanding spuds with 20-23% for optimal crunch. His curing process, storing potatoes to convert sugars to starch, was another key to their success.<\/p>\n

The Simplot Partnership and the Rise of Frozen Fries<\/h3>\n
\n
\"Simplot\"Simplot
Simplot Headquarters in Boise, Idaho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

To ensure consistency nationwide, engineer Louis Martino even developed a \u201cpotato computer.\u201d While fresh-cut fries eventually gave way to frozen in 1966, the beloved taste, thanks to \u201cFormula 47\u201d (named after their original meal!), remained. This was solidified through a pivotal partnership with J.R. Simplot<\/strong>, who revolutionized their supply chain with year-round Russet potatoes. (Fun fact: I even use Simplot fries at my burger pop-ups<\/a><\/strong>!)<\/p>\n

A Side of Ketchup? Enter the Dunk Cup<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1960s\"1960s
1960s McDonald\u2019s Dunk Cup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Believe it or not, ketchup wasn\u2019t always a fry companion. Early McDonald\u2019s policy reserved it for burgers, celebrating the fries\u2019 inherent beefy, salty goodness. But customer demand led to the ingenious \u201cDunk Cup,\u201d introduced by franchisees Don and Enid Dunkleman, a pre-filled, lidded ketchup cup that became a dine-in staple.<\/p>\n

The Day the Fries Changed Forever<\/h3>\n
\n
\"McDonald's\"McDonald's
McDonald\u2019s Fries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Then, on July 23, 1990, everything changed. Driven by concerns over saturated fat, McDonald\u2019s switched to a vegetable oil blend, inadvertently introducing trans fats and losing that unforgettable flavor. While today\u2019s fries are still good, they haven\u2019t captured the magic of the beef tallow era. The inclusion of \u201cnatural beef flavor\u201d offers a hint of the past and, perhaps, a glimmer of hope for its return.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Remember the irresistible aroma of McDonald\u2019s fries in their golden age? Before 1990, these weren\u2019t just a side; they were legendary, thanks to a secret ingredient: beef tallow. My book, \u201cAll About the Burger,\u201d delves into burger history, but the McDonald\u2019s fry story is too delicious to ignore. Vintage-style McDonald\u2019s Sign in Oakland Park, Florida […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[10732,10550,6255,13170,56885,52605,3311,31926,45223],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-240045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-burger","tag-beast","tag-beef","tag-burger","tag-era","tag-food-history","tag-fries","tag-golden","tag-mcdonalds","tag-tallow"],"yoast_head":"\nMcDonald\u2019s Fries: The Golden Era of Beef Tallow \u2022 Burger Beast - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=240045\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"McDonald\u2019s Fries: The Golden Era of Beef Tallow \u2022 Burger Beast - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remember the irresistible aroma of McDonald\u2019s fries in their golden age? 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