Weekend Cooking...S.O.S aka Creamed Chip Beef

I am not sure why this simple dish gets a bit of a bad name.
Perhaps it is that name it picked up in the military... S*** On a Shingle. When my mom made it, that is not she called it.
Ok, maybe she actually did sometimes. lol
Oh, it may not be held in high esteem in some places, but for me, it is another one of those cherished comfort foods.

Unlike it's southern counterpart, sausage gravy, personally I don't really think of this as just a breakfast dish. No I think of it as being more of something for a lunch or even a fast dinner. But if you are able to find it in a restaurant, usually a diner in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, it will be for breakfast.


Now, of course, the one thing you need is the dried beef. Here in the East it is available in jars, or in little bags in the refrigerated section of the supermarket and even, in some places, like our nearest Amish market, fresh. Well, fresh, if you can call a piece of dried, salted beef fresh. It has to be sliced very, very thin.

Which raises the issue of salt. Sometimes, depending on the brand, the beef can be very dry and salty. If so, just soak it in cool water for a bit or boil it in a little water for a couple of minutes before you add it to the sauce. That should draw out any extra salt and also rehydrate it and then you are good to go.
We always had it on toast, but it would be great on biscuits or even on a baked tater.

Creamed Chip Beef

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups warm milk
* 4 oz. dried beef
* 1 pinch cayenne pepper
* a dash or two of Worcestershire


In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour to form a roux. Let it cook for a minute then whisk in the milk, a little at a time. Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Tear or cut up beef so you have small pieces. Stir the beef into the sauce and then add the cayenne and Worcestershire. Cook, stirring  for a couple of minutes until warmed through and serve.

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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