Cream Chipped Beef

[Dove]

used to get paid once a month

Paul served 21 years and my allotment check was once a month..food had to last and still today when I shop I live that way. I bet I could go for months without going to the store .

 

[justplainbill]

used to get paid once a month

Paul served 21 years and my allotment check was once a month..food had to last and still today when I shop I live that way. I bet I could go for months without going to the store .

Would be nice if the rest of our fellow Americans were more like you.

 

[jpmcgrew]

My dad told me when he was in the army then air force they ate SOS with hamburger I have made it with the jarred chipped beef and agree with Dove even when you soak it it's still too salty. I think one could save a few bucks by drying their own beef with much less salt to make SOS. The jarred stuff is way too overpriced for the itty bitty bit you get.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Sure, NOW it's expensive for the little itty bit you get in those jars & plastic packs, but "way back when", it was cheaper than cheap. MUCH cheaper than fresh beef.

And anyway, the whole idea of it was more to just FLAVOR the sauce. It was never meant to be a big full meal of salty beef.

 

[Michael in FtW]

squeaker - sorry your recipe has turned in a discussion of military history!

In the US military SOS was originally creamed chipped beef. It's first use in the military appears to have been in the 1910 edition of the "Manual for Army Cooks". It was a little more elegant than what it would later become - beef stock, condensed milk, roux, pepper, parsley, and the chipped beef added at the last minute so the salty taste didn't overpower the dish.

By the 1940's it was a little less elegant. In the field it had been reduced to just roux, powdered milk, black pepper and chipped beef - and some of the cooks were soaking the meat overnight to reduce the saltiness although it was not a part of the recipe in the manual.

It appears that beginning in the late 1960's some parts of the US military began to use hamburger (the recipe was: creamed ground beef) as well for the dish that people called SOS. So, for those who thought I was doubting you - here is your vindication and my acknowledgment.

Dove - I grew up waiting for the Eagle to Fly! I know what you mean.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have to wonder what this would be like if you substituted beef jerky for the chipped beef. I bet it's be pretty good. I might have to give it a try.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Michael in FtW]

LOL - as Justin Wilson used to say ... "Fist you make a roux" ... then you add some milk and make a "white sauce" (aka gravy) then you can add:

Browed breakfast sausage (sausage and gravy)
Browed hamburger (creamed ground beef)
Diced or shredded chicken (creamed chicken)
Diced or shredded ham (creamed ham)
Drained canned tuna (creamed tuna)
Drained canned salmon (creamed salmon)

I think beef jerky would be just fine! I would probably soak it overnight to rehydrate it - but that's just the way I would do it.

 

[Jeff G.]

CREAM CHIPPED BEEF
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
finely chopped onion to taste
2 c milk
1-4oz pkg Buding Beef (The beef that is like 70 cents a pack...I dry it myself in the oven at 200 since dried beef is more expensive)
Salt and garlic pepper seasoning
Cayenne pepper to taste

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth and heat until bubbly. Gradually, stir in milk and continue stirring to keep from getting lumpy. The mixture-which is white sauce-will gradually thicken. Add the chipped beef (separate and cut into thin strips) and keep over low heat about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper as desired. Serve over toast, biscuits, mashed potato or baked potato.

I actually brown the beef a bit in the butter before adding the flour creating a meaty roux. I then stir in the milk. I don't add onion to mine.
I love chipped beef gravy..

For hamburger, sausage, etc. You need to brown the meats first then add flour to the meat/grease to create a meaty roux. Let that cook a bit to get rid of the "flour" taste. Add you milk and cook! very tasty stuff.

 

[kitchenelf]

My mom always added peas to our chipped beef - LOVE it that way!

 

[Robo410]

whether you like chipped beef, hamburger or sausage "gravy" it's great for brakfast llunch or dinner.

great with baked spuds and broccoli, wonderful on biscuits or waffles.

for the chipped beef, I always add a little dry sherry and chives

 

[lifesaver]

I bought some chipped corn beef about three or four years ago from a company that freeze dries all their foods. I was expecting more of the taste than i actually got and i didn't like it at all. I guess i didn't like it because I didn't like the dried out beef. I was wondering if anyone might be able to tell me if i could possibly make it without drying out the beef and have it come out ok?.

 

[squeaker]

The SOS recipe looks good. Only problem is, it seem's impossible to find the chipped beef that the military used to use.

Bless your old heart Bill i was a Cook in the Army & all we used was old fashioned hamburger

 

[elaine l]

I have never had this but since watching this thread I did buy some of the canned dried beef to make it soon. It does sound like a nice comfortable meal.

 

[goodgiver]

chipped beef

When my Mom and I make Creamed Chipped Beef we saute the chipped beef in a little butter first to bring out the flavor then we add the flour and cook it for a little bit to cook out the flour taste then we added the milk slowly. Just a little different way of doing it

 

[oldramon]

Military style SOS was just browned hamburger used for the beef in creamed beef.

this chipped beef in this recipe ? is it the sandwich packages beef ? i seem to remember Budding being a sandwich meat. i'm not sure where to find this at the grocery store.

also the receipe seems to indicate it needs to be dried in the oven. how do you do this ?

 

[BreezyCooking]

I believe the folks that mentioned oven-drying their beef were talking about making their own. There is absolutely no necessity or reason for oven-drying the "chipped/dried" beef products for sale in the plastic packets or glass jars. They're already dried & seasoned. Have a texture resembling Prosciutto ham. Just use them "as is".