You might be surprised to find this recipe on my food
blog. One, it’s pretty simple, and Two,
it’s a much maligned dish in the eyes (or mouths) of many. But I actually like the dish, and I thought
it might be a fun if not obscure little dish to share with you.
As it can be made with shelf-stable ingredients, this
dish was a mainstay for the American military throughout much of the Twentieth
Century. It was from this environment
that it developed its other moniker, “S.O.S,” which in polite circles is said
to mean ‘Same Old Stuff,’ as the dish was served quite often, or ‘Save Our
Stomachs,’ but of course, this being coined by servicemen, the more common,
more crude meaning was ‘Shit on a Shingle.’
Apologies for using such a word on a food blog, but, I strive
for accuracy. We’ll move on now.
Chipped beef is a really interesting product. It can be found at your local grocery store
in the canned meat section, but it isn’t canned.
It is merely sealed in a glass jar, as the
beef has been dried and heavily salted, making it shelf-stable for perhaps
years.
You could of course make this recipe with non-dried beef,
and it might be even tastier. I have
visions of someday making it with my smoked brisket, and I bet that would be
good. But here I will present you with
the authentic, more or less, version that you would find in military mess halls
or galleys. This is the version that I
first tried—not in the military, but at an aviation commissary that served a
great deal of former military personnel.
When I’d seen it, I thought it didn’t look very appetizing, but so many
people were raving about it, I had to try it.
I found it actually somewhat tasty, and started making it at home a
short while later, usually for breakfast.
Chipped Beef on Toast
3 Tablespoons Butter
2.5 Oz (1 Jar) Dried Beef, Shredded
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 Slices Toast
Melt Butter in a skillet.
When it has melted, sift in the flour...
...and allow it to cook for a minute
or so, then stir.
Add the milk...
...and allow
this to cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring it occasionally.
Meanwhile, shred your beef. I find a pizza cutter works well for this,
but any old knife will work, or you can even tear it with your hands if necessary.
Add the Cayenne
and the Worcestershire
to the skillet
mixture, then add the beef and stir.
Resist the temptation to add any salt to
the dish, the beef has plenty of salt in it already.
Pour over toast
and serve.
Until next time,
Dissss-misssssed!
Chris
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