S.O.S. - The Good Old Days...

A retired marine wrote asking if I knew any place in the Philadelphia area that prepared creamed beef on toast the way he ate it 20 plus years ago in the Corps - made with ground beef instead of dried beef. 
 
Would be curious if anyone has come across this either in the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley area or elsewhere around the country.
 
Thanks

I cannot answer the question, but I remember that SOS more than 40 years ago while in The Corps.
Fatdoc Known in the Marines as "Duty Donut"

That was the SOS they served us in the Air Force. My favorite breakfast. Along with it they usually served what we called hand grenades because that's sort of what they looked like. They resembled large hushpuppies with knobs on them, but we poured syrup over them.

My dad was a Navy vet from the Korean War era.  I can remember as a child my mom making two types of SOS.  First was the conventional dried beef in white cream sauce.  The second was ground beef based in a tomato sauce.  IIRC it was simple, browned ground beef, small can of tomato sauce, perhaps a little minced onion and seasoning.  She served it over toast like the traditional SOS.

Here's one recipe variation that kept the troops moving!
 Creamed Beef Style S.O.S.
2 lbs pound ground beef
1/2 cup white flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lard or bacon grease
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4-1/2 cups whole milk
1 onion, diced, any variety will work
1  jalapeño pepper, diced
8 slices white bread, toasted
DIRECTIONS
Crumble ground beef in large pan.  Brown beef over medium high heat, until meat starts to brown, about 6 minutes.  Add diced onions and jalapeño peppers, and cook another 5 or 5 minutes, until beef is browned and diced onions are translucent.  Remove from heat.  Drain most of grease, but leave a small amount of grease in the pan for flavoring; about a tablespoon.  Add lard or bacon grease.  Return meat mixture to medium heat.
Add flour to meat mixture and stir until flour is cooked, about 2 minutes.  With the mixture still in the pot, add milk and Worcestershire sauce.  The flour will naturally thicken the sauce.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until ingredients are well blended and the sauce has thickened to about the consistency of runny pancake batter.
 

Now this brings back memories.  When  I  was  young  with four small mouths to feed,  Hanburger gravy on toast was a meal that we had  at least once  every  two weeks.  I always  served it with the  two  same  things...........................stewed tomatoes  (home-canned)  or tomato pudding  and   home canned yellow  or green beans.  I  have not made this in  years! 
 
I shall have to have it some night  and see what the family thinks.  Foodbeme,  I  use a  lot more pepper than you do  and  have never  put  jalapeno peppers in it.  I  probably  had never  even heard of them.

Greymo


Now this brings back memories.  When  I  was  young  with four small mouths to feed,  Hanburger gravy on toast was a meal that we had  at least once  every  two weeks.  I always  served it with the  two  same  things...........................stewed tomatoes  (home-canned)  or tomato pudding  and   home canned yellow  or green beans.  I  have not made this in  years! 

I shall have to have it some night  and see what the family thinks.  Foodbeme,  I  use a  lot more pepper than you do  and  have never  put  jalapeno peppers in it.  I  probably  had never  even heard of them.

Actually, I use a lot more pepper than it calls for. Who follows recipes anyway! The Jap gives it a little kick. I remove the seeds.

My father, a WW2 vet, made SOS quite often on weekends. It was always made with ground beef. Since he was in the 8th AAF, it makes sense that that was the way it was made in the Air Force. One of my favorite dishes growing up.

I as in the 8th, too, but when I was in it was the 8th Air Force, not the 8th Army Air Force.

My dad wouldn't allow S.O.S. in our house. He said after WWII, he never wanted it again. I had it firsat when I was in the service...and decided it was great. It's just hard to find in breakfast places. But when I see it, I order it!!!

I always thought it was made with chipped beef... whatever that is.

mar52


I always thought it was made with chipped beef... whatever that is.

It is, among civilians. Chipped beef is salted, thinly-sliced beef that can usually be found in either small glass jars or pouches in the canned meats shelves of supermarkets. Armour Star Sliced Dried Beef is the one most widely available. It's so available I happen to have a few pouches of it in my kitchen. And there's even a restaurant near me, a place called Tee Jay's, that offers it on their menu.

mar52


I always thought it was made with chipped beef... whatever that is.

It was, .. when on the front lines refrigeration was non-existent.  Dried Beef (chipped or not) was the only way to get meat to the troops.   ... AKA, jerky ....

I see.  Thank you. 
 
Never had it any way, chipped, dried or ground.

mar52


I see.  Thank you. 

Never had it any way, chipped, dried or ground.

You mean to say that you never served in the military?

Just missed it although I grew up a block over from Military.

I'm almost afraid to ask.

Military Avenue.  

mar52


Military Avenue.  

 
So after being on Military Avenue you went to Veteran Avenue?

EdSails

mar52

Military Avenue.  

So after being on Military Avenue you went to Veteran Avenue?

Pensacola FL has a Navy Blvd going to the Pensacola NAS.

mar52


I see.  Thank you. 

Never had it any way, chipped, dried or ground.

 
Going to have to fix that, Mar. It's really easy to make, Lots of stores have this:
 

Some mushroom soup and you're in the right direction. 
I haVe some in the jar now. Tell me you'll come down to Mission Viejo for brunch some time and I promise to brew you up a batch. 
 
 
 

Previous discussion on the subject:
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/were39s-the-best-creamed-chip-beef-in-Ct-m365156.aspx

I have a old military cook book that I found at my Mother's. I won't be home until the 11th.
It has all recipes, but in large qualities.
I think each branch of the service make there S.O.S. different.
Write down what you want me to look up and I'll post the recipes later if I can find them.
 
Birdhunter from Wisconsin

EdSails

mar52


Military Avenue.  

So after being on Military Avenue you went to Veteran Avenue?

Ed, I think she's just "over the hill" from Veteran's Ave

PNWCHEF

EdSails

mar52


Military Avenue.  

So after being on Military Avenue you went to Veteran Avenue?

Ed, I think she's just "over the hill" from Veteran's Ave

 
.... hahah .... Military Home Way ...??...

Ed Sails,
 
Mushroom soup? Try a simple white sauce with some dry Coleman mustard, Worchestershire sauce and freshly ground black pepper. And be sure to rinse the meat in a colander to get rid of most of the salt before adding it to the sauce.

Michael Hoffman


Ed Sails,

Mushroom soup? Try a simple white sauce with some dry Coleman mustard, Worchestershire sauce and freshly ground black pepper. And be sure to rinse the meat in a colander to get rid of most of the salt before adding it to the sauce.

 
You're probably right Michael. I seem to recall something from a can but that was many years ago and you know how memories can get confused sometimes. 

Never having had it happen I couldn't possibly know how memories get confused.

Michael Hoffman
 
And be sure to rinse the meat in a colander to get rid of most of the salt before adding it to the sauce.

Rinse the meat in a colander????????????????????Are you Crazy??????????
All the meat flavor goes right down the drain leaving tasteless crumbles of cow muscle!!!
I line a colander with paper towel and let the towel absorb the grease and some of the salt will go with it, BUT NEVER rinse the meat!!

I am  certain that  MH  is referring to   the  chipped beef;  it is too salty unless you do that.

Foodbme

Michael Hoffman
 
And be sure to rinse the meat in a colander to get rid of most of the salt before adding it to the sauce.

Rinse the meat in a colander????????????????????Are you Crazy??????????
All the meat flavor goes right down the drain leaving tasteless crumbles of cow muscle!!!
I line a colander with paper towel and let the towel absorb the grease and some of the salt will go with it, BUT NEVER rinse the meat!!
 

Hey, if you want the tons of salt feel free not to rinse. Me? I'll stick with rinsing it away in order that it will be edible. By the way, I've never run into any grease on my dried chipped beef. And I've never seen it crumble, either.
 
Your beef may differ, in which case I'd pass.

When I went through basic training at Lackland AFB, SOS was a staple and I sorta learned to like it.  I still buy Stouffers chipped beef with gravy and it is very good and as a matter of fact, I had it yesterday morning.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Michael Hoffman

Foodbme

Michael Hoffman
 
And be sure to rinse the meat in a colander to get rid of most of the salt before adding it to the sauce.

Rinse the meat in a colander????????????????????Are you Crazy??????????
All the meat flavor goes right down the drain leaving tasteless crumbles of cow muscle!!!
I line a colander with paper towel and let the towel absorb the grease and some of the salt will go with it, BUT NEVER rinse the meat!!

Hey, if you want the tons of salt feel free not to rinse. Me? I'll stick with rinsing it away in order that it will be edible. By the way, I've never run into any grease on my dried chipped beef. And I've never seen it crumble, either.

Your beef may differ, in which case I'd pass.

 
I misunderstood. I thought you were talkng about the ground beef version, not the chipped beef version.
I can see doing that with the CHIPPED Beef version.
 I'm on the same page now.

Thank goodness. You had me worried there for a moment.

Michael Hoffman


That was the SOS they served us in the Air Force. My favorite breakfast. Along with it they usually served what we called hand grenades because that's sort of what they looked like. They resembled large hushpuppies with knobs on them, but we poured syrup over them.

 
Michael, Navy had those too. Fritters, normally apple or pineapple. Haven't had those in years.

Fritters, right. Thanks.

Greymo


Now this brings back memories.  When  I  was  young  with four small mouths to feed,  Hanburger gravy on toast was a meal that we had  at least once  every  two weeks.  I always  served it with the  two  same  things...........................stewed tomatoes  (home-canned)  or tomato pudding  and   home canned yellow  or green beans.  I  have not made this in  years! 

I shall have to have it some night  and see what the family thinks.  Foodbeme,  I  use a  lot more pepper than you do  and  have never  put  jalapeno peppers in it.  I  probably  had never  even heard of them.

When I had 6 mouths to feed(3 of them boys), hamburger gravy over toast was something I would make on the day before grocery shopping when the cupboard was bare.  I used 1 lb of ground beef, extra oil, lots of flour to make a big shillet full.  Sides were usually green beans & fried apples(I always had apples).  Everyone ate it, very filling & no one went to bed hungry.

All this talk of hamburger SOS drove my curiosity right over to Christie's Corner Cafe this morning where they cooked me up a custom order, and it was EXCELLENT.  In fact, it covered an entire platter, and they put the eggs and hashbrowns on a separate plate.  With tax and coffee, it came to six bucks, and it was almost more than I could eat.   Holly, thanks for bringing up the subject! 

Navy had the red hambuger SOS, was called minced beef. Almost a pasta sauce. I thad nutmeg in it I know. Next to the real  SOS (dried beef), that was a closed 2ed in my book. 

Sundancer's right, Stouffer's Creamed Chipped Beef rocks and it's one of their biggest selling products.  I could eat it every day.

I try to always have a box of Stouffer's creamed chipped beef in the freezer.  It is good, and when I do it I mix in some Worchestershire sauce and some dry Coleman's mustard before topping my toast with it.

That's a good thought.  Gravies cry out for Worcestershire.

I'm 60 years old and I've never seen the military version(ground beef) in a diner, Mom&Pop cafe, breakfast buffet or restaurant in my travels. Not sure I'd want to

This thread motivated me to pick up some Stouffers Creamed Chipped Beef. I nuked it, scrambled some eggs, toasted some french bread and made S.O.S Benedict.
Toast then eggs on top smothered with creamed chipped beef. As terrific as I remembered!
Oh, and took Mr Hoffman's idea and sprinkled some Worchestershire sauce and dry mustard on top. Delicious.

I was wondering what to have for dinner tonight. Now I know what it's going to be! SOS, fried potaoes and a couple sunny side up.

I just made the ground beef version the other day and used a little Worcestershire in it.  I also have made it with tuna, which is something my Dad used to make for us when we were kids.  (There were eight kids in my house and it helped stretch the food budget.)  I like the Stouffer's version of chipped beef and buy them when they are on sale.  I also tried it out on my wife and kids one time.  Let's just say I ended up with more than one helping.