A good dictionary might clear things up. I use the internet as my superdictionary.
Suif shows up as a French word that translates to
tallow, which is rendered suet.
Suet is the kidney fat (the fat that surrounds the kidneys). Here is one definition in French: "suif (nm) - graisse fondue, de ruminants en particulier" You might clarify with your farmer whether he is rendering the suet to make tallow, or if he is just selling raw suet and assumes that the buyers do the rendering.
The fun begins when you figure in the usage of each word in various regions and occupations. I spent a lot of time learning beef anatomy from pictures so I could communicate with my butcher. Once you find out where your favorite fat comes from, you can keep asking for more. Remember, fat changes with the season, so stock up on your favorite fat when you enjoy it best. I like fat from the end of the grassy season.
I may be wrong, but I can't imagine someone trimming the fat from the heart to sell it separately, so keep getting untrimmed heart and enjoy the fat that adheres to it. I always ask for my meat untrimmed, and reassure my butcher that I really mean it.
So I'm paying more for this fat when suet satisfy me plenty, I wanna try this fat to see if I like it better as I recall getting no heartburn from beef heart fat and getting it from suet. What are you guys thought?
My take on suet is that it is dry and unpleasant. My take on back fat is that it melts in my mouth and is delicious. If suet gives you heartburn, don't buy it and don't eat it. Otherwise, try a little bit of everything and keep track of what you liked best.
