SOS By Any Other Name

 

By: Garland Davis

SOS. Not only us sailors but all servicemen came to have a hate/love relationship with it. SOS has many meanings, Save Our Stomachs, Same Old Stuff, Same Old Shit, but the most popular name was Shit On A Shingle. I listened to hundreds of sailor’s piss and moan about this dish, even as they begged for seconds by saying, “I don’t like SOS. But you got to eat something.” Pretty much the same thing they said about Roast Beef and Beef Stew.

There were four dishes that earned the name Shit on a Shingle.

There was Minced Beef also called Train Smash or Red SOS. A simple dish and easy to prepare.

Minced Beef (6 portions)

1 Lb Ground Beef

1 Medium, Onion chopped

1 Tblsp Flour

2 14oz Cans Tomatoes (diced or crushed)

½ tsp of Mace or Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown beef and onion and drain all fat. Return one tablespoon fat to pot and stir in flour and cook over low heat stirring constantly for one minute. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium and stir until reaching a boil and thickening slightly. Add Mace or Nutmeg. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Serve over toast slices.

 

Next was creamed Ground Beef.

Creamed Hamburger (6 portions)

1 Lb Ground Beef

1 small onion chopped

2 Tbsp Flour

1 pint Milk

1 pint Half and Half

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Brown beef and onion and drain all fat. Return one tablespoon of fat to the pot and stir in flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for one minute. Add milk and Half and Half, increase heat to medium and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over toast slices or biscuits.

 

Then, of course, there was Creamed Dried Beef also affectionately known as Creamed Foreskins.

Creamed Chipped Beef (4 portions)

4 ounces Butter

4 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1 cup Half and Half

6 ounces dried beef, cut into one-inch strips

Pepper to taste

Salt will probably not be needed as the dried beef is salty.

Melt butter over medium heat and stir in flour. Cook for one-minute stirring constantly. Add milk and Half and Half and stir until thickened. Add dried beef strips. Season with pepper and salt if needed.

Serve over toast slices or biscuits.

 

And lastly, the least liked of the creamed breakfast dishes.

Creamed Eggs (Scotch Woodcock) (4 portions)

4 ounces Butter

4 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1 cup Half and Half

6 eggs, quartered lengthwise

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Melt butter over medium heat and stir in flour. Cook for one-minute stirring constantly. Add milk and Half and Half and stir until thickened. Add eggs. Salt and pepper to taste

Serve over toast slices or biscuits.

Bon Appetit!