A Military Delicacy

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

[Blackwater 53393]

SOS??

 

couldn’t get the video to work.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

As a kid, my Mother used to make $__t on a shingle once in a while, with peas in the sauce.

I liked it, but maybe I was weird.

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 minute ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

SOS??

 

couldn’t get the video to work.

 

 

Go to Youtube, search "Tasting History," then go to his video list. look for "What did WWII soldiers eat?"
 

"

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 minute ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

but maybe I was weird.

 

Makes you fit right in in the Saloon.  

[Utah Bob #35998]

The official Army recipe calls for ground beef. I believe thr Navy uses chipped beef. Both are tasty. 

https://quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/publications/recipes/section_l/L03000.pdf

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

5 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Makes you fit right in in the Saloon.  

Thank you!

Thank you very much!

[Pat Riot]

As soon as I read the title I knew it S*** on the shingles…or as our Senior Chief Mess Specialist called it “Creamed roast beef on toast…and if I here one more (colorful expletive) call it SOS, your a** won’t eat for a week and I ain’t kiddin’ neither!” 

 

We ate a lot of canned roast beef on my ship. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I know it’s heresy but I never liked it.

[Blackwater 53393]

Worked that time. My mom used to make it with a package of Lipton onion soup mix added into the ground beef when she was browning it.  REALLY TASTY!!

[Pat Riot]

5 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I know it’s heresy but I never liked it.

Heresy? No. Lots of guys I knew aboard ship hated the stuff. 

I actually liked the SOS on my ship. I would go back for more. 
I remember the first time I did that I was new aboard ship. It was like a scene from Oliver Twist only the surprise on the mess crank’s face was more of humorous surprise. I guess no one asked for “more” of the SOS. 
 

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

9 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

I love that stuff! I wasn't in the military but my aunt used to make that when we went to visit her. My mom made it once in awhile as well.

[Subdeacon Joe]

I like it.  Or, more accurately, I like meat in a cream sauce (or gravy) over toast or biscuits.  I make some variation at least once a month.  

[Rye Miles #13621]

1 minute ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

I like it.  Or, more accurately, I like meat in a cream sauce (or gravy) over toast or biscuits.  I make some variation at least once a month.  

I've never made it myself, I'm going to have to do it! I've got no one to make it for me unless you send me some!!

[Cypress Sun]

I love that stuff on toast. 

 

Stoffers makes it in a frozen/microwavable pouch, it's not bad...not like homemade, but not bad.

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

I love the stuff.  I just had breakfast and I'm hungry again!  The truth is that mess sgts don't always follow the recipes exactly and can make the stuff tastier.

[Rafe Conager SASS #56958]

Love it, dad used to make it once a month! I make it every now and then. 

Rafe 

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I've never made it myself, I'm going to have to do it! I've got no one to make it for me unless you send me some!!

 

It's idiot-simple to make.  Cheap way - go to the store and get some packages of sliced beef, 

 

or if you want to get fancy, go to the deli counter and get some thin sliced pastrami.  Take it and cut it into ribbons 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide, set aside.

For one cup of sauce, melt two TBS butter or other fat in a pan over medium heat, sprinkle in two TBS flour and stir until it starts to brown a little, slowly add one cup of milk, stirring constantly  Add in the sliced beef.  Add pepper to taste.  You may need a little salt in it depending on how salty the meat is.

Another way is to put the meat into the skillet to brown a little, add the butter, sprinkle the flour over it, stir until all the flour is coated with the butter,  stir in the milk.  

Instead of salt, in either case, try adding some granulated beef base, or something like Better Than Bouillon Beef Base to give you the salt and punch up the beef flavor.

[Subdeacon Joe]

36 minutes ago, Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 said:

The truth is that mess sgts don't always follow the recipes exactly and can make the stuff tastier.

 

It's amazing how much the flavor can change just by changing how you make the roux.  Going slow, allowing the roux to brown a little can really improve the flavor.  I know that for a traditional bechamel you don't want color, but I've found that for SOS it helps.

 

[largo casey #19191]

I use Sausage & Chopped Green Chili's

                                                                         Largo

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Stauffer's creamed chipped beef, white bread toast, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste:  Same critter in seven minutes.  Add coffee and 50/50 orange juice and apple juice and it's as good a most breakfasts and better than some.

 

I have it about twice a week.

[twelve mile REB]

I liked SOS as well both in the Marines and here at home.  My wife does things her own way and it goes over biscuits excellent.  Then I also liked Corned Beef and would choose Ham and Lima beans out of C-Rats.  

[Cypress Sun]

You guys talked me right into it...

 

 

Damn, it was good!!

 

Edit - 2.5 servings per container...HA,HA. It's only one!

[J.D. Daily]

18 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

The official Army recipe calls for ground beef. I believe thr Navy uses chipped beef. Both are tasty. 

https://quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/publications/recipes/section_l/L03000.pdf

It must have changed between WWII & VN.  During my service in the army 4/1/1969-12/7/1971 SOS used ground beef.  My memories from my childhood is that my mother occasionally served the WWII version.  The only thing I remember is it was very salty.  I only made the mistake of trying it in the Army.  I have always been willing to try food I am not familiar with.  The hardest part was getting past the look of it, contents of a newborns soiled diaper.  The taste was better but not good enough to eat it again.  Army messes always had choices so I never had to eat it. 

[Phantom Falcon, SASS # 46139]

SOS is just downright nasty with no social redeeming value. It looks and tastes like it's already been eaten once. My Dad thought SOS and SPAM were just like a steak. His eating policy was that if Mom put it on the table, we were expected to eat it. He didn't make me eat either. Didn't get any substitute; had to make do with what was on the table but didn't have to eat that stuff.

 

PF

[Utah Bob #35998]

I am going to make it tomorrow! 

 

And so I did. 

[Blackwater 53393]

Gonna pick up a pound of ground beef and some Lipton onion soup in the morning while I am out and about!!  The rest, I already got!!

[Rye Miles #13621]

15 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

You guys talked me right into it...

 

 

Damn, it was good!!

 

Edit - 2.5 servings per container...HA,HA. It's only one!

Gonna pick one up today, I hate cooking.

[Grass Range]

On 11/16/2022 at 9:16 PM, Utah Bob #35998 said:

The official Army recipe calls for ground beef. I believe thr Navy uses chipped beef. Both are tasty. 

https://quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/publications/recipes/section_l/L03000.pdf

And good stuff it was

[Rye Miles #13621]

18 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

You guys talked me right into it...

 

 

Damn, it was good!!

 

Edit - 2.5 servings per container...HA,HA. It's only one!

Went to two different stores and couldn’t find it! 
I did pick up. Frozen DiGiorno’s pizza though.

[Cypress Sun]

15 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Went to two different stores and couldn’t find it! 
I did pick up. Frozen DiGiorno’s pizza though.

 

That's kinda weird. All of the Walmart stores (Neighborhood/regular/super) have it along with the Publix stores in my area. Couldn't figure out how to spell Publix plurally. The DiGiorno's aren't bad, I'll toss some extra stuff on those on occasion and adjust cooking time accordingly.

 

Guess it must be a "Southern Thing" as far as the store carrying it.

[Rye Miles #13621]

4 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

That's kinda weird. All of the Walmart stores (Neighborhood/regular/super) have it along with the Publix stores in my area. Couldn't figure out how to spell Publix plurally. The DiGiorno's aren't bad, I'll toss some extra stuff on those on occasion and adjust cooking time accordingly.

 

Guess it must be a "Southern Thing" as far as the store carrying it.

I didn’t go to Walmart,  I very seldom do!

[The Blarney Kid]

On 11/17/2022 at 6:57 AM, Cypress Sun said:

I love that stuff on toast. 

 

Stoffers makes it in a frozen/microwavable pouch, it's not bad...not like homemade, but not bad.

I like the Stouffers chipped beef as well, I fix it for dinner when the boss can't cook.

[G W Wade]

Great topic Joe.        GW

[Rye Miles #13621]

On 11/18/2022 at 12:32 PM, Cypress Sun said:

 

That's kinda weird. All of the Walmart stores (Neighborhood/regular/super) have it along with the Publix stores in my area. Couldn't figure out how to spell Publix plurally. The DiGiorno's aren't bad, I'll toss some extra stuff on those on occasion and adjust cooking time accordingly.

 

Guess it must be a "Southern Thing" as far as the store carrying it.

 

On 11/18/2022 at 4:50 PM, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I didn’t go to Walmart,  I very seldom do!

I went to WalMart and they were out of it. A friendly store employee says they usually have it!