An Old Favorite - Chipped Beef on Toast

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;" align="center"><img style="width: 357px; height: 189px;" border="0" hspace="0" alt="" align="baseline" src="http://nymag.com/images/2/daily/food/07/04/04_chippedbeef_lg.jpg" width="357" height="303"><div align="left">&nbsp;</div></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The other day&nbsp;I was poking around in a small town grocery store and&nbsp;found some small packages of dried beef made by a&nbsp;locker plant in the tiny town of La Porte City, Iowa.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dried beef is&nbsp;thin slices of&nbsp;lean, cured, roasted&nbsp;beef.&nbsp; It will crumble in your fingers... Some also called it "chipped beef"...</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The best of the "real stuff" is made by a place such as a locker plant and it costs a little more (but not as much as many of the deli meats).&nbsp; There's no comparison between it and the paper thin, greasy&nbsp;stuff that comes wadded up in the tiny 1 ounce deli packets at the store.&nbsp; </p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">For all the vets out there, I'm sure many of you had something similar called "shit on a shingle"... </p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I just lightly browned a few ounces of the crumbled beef in a skillet over low heat, added a few tablespoons of&nbsp;country gravy mix, and a bit of water, cooking until it was the desired consistency.&nbsp; There was enough seasoning (salt and pepper) in the gravy that nothing else had to be added.&nbsp; The beef flavor permeates the gravy.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Rather than making toast, I just tore up some bread scraps and poured the mixture on top.&nbsp; Dang, that tasted good this morning!&nbsp; Total cost for a&nbsp;double serving&nbsp;serving was about $1.50.&nbsp; </p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Including 2 oz of bread, the&nbsp;nutrition was around&nbsp;300 calories and 10g fat (most of it in the gravy)&nbsp;... Not too bad!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">With an egg and a piece of fruit, this might make an easy and tasty camping breakfast for under 450 calories.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I did a seach and was delighted to find that this new discovery (Kramer's brand) is carried by a few stores in eastern Iowa.&nbsp; Two&nbsp;are within 5 minutes of home...&nbsp; That rocks!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[Guest]

Bradford....in the Navy we had SOS but it was made with ground beef...my mom used to make the SOS you mention though....<br><br>I have a good friend who was in the Marine Corp in Vietnam who joined the VFW in Alaska purely for the once a week lunches of SOS just like yours...funny, I won't do much that reminds me of Vietnam but I went with him once for the lunch...it was a flash from the past for me...<br><br>Eat hearty,<br>Bri<br><br>

 

[SoulRaven]

Man with the picture should be the song "memories".... though for me the chipped beef is a bit salty, I will take/make a good sausage gravy instead... Man this takes me back about 45 years or more to when Dad got a craving for this Sunday morning delight... He would also add his perfect poached eggs... Just don't see this anymore do we... Ahhh memories, the gift for the over the hill gang...<br>

 

[karl]

That is a memory jolt- SOS was a rare sunday "light" meal when I was a kid, usually with poached eggs, home made toast, and beef that came in a small glass jar with a pry off lid.....haven't had it in many years- gotta fix that....<br>

 

[akrvbob]

I did a quick search on Amazon.com and found this:<br>http://www.amazon.com/Armour-Dried-...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1334947511&amp;sr=8-3<br><br>It is Armour dried beef in 4.5 ounce packets, a case of 12. That makes it $3.50 a packet. But they will last forever. Reviews said it was very good tasting. I might have to get some. Bob<br><br>

 

[Wild_E]

I do not want to detract from the post, but this reminds me of Creamed Peas on Toast. Nice memory from my childhood. Same or similar meal but&nbsp;using&nbsp;peas.&nbsp;

 

[Guest]

<span id="post_message_1273181416">I joined the Canoe Club (Navy) 1963.</span>

<br>Hey Sparky,<br>I joined in 1961 and got out in 65...<br>Is the name referring to a Radioman in the Navy????<br>Bri<br><br>

 

[Zil]

This is an old thread, but deserves to be brought back. The ground and formed dry beef is not fit to eat. get a dried sliced beef. When i was in army we had ground beef done this way. But while growing up we often had the dry beef over toast. I always liked stuff I could eat with ketchup. I still make the dry beef. A touch of butter or oil, stir fry in a pan along with some flour. Add a little milk to make gravy, cook to thicken. i like it over sweet potatoes as well as toast. Some peas would make it a balanced meal.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Navy, Vietnam, '65-66, river patrol coxwain.
Chipped beef and gravy on toast was a fave long before I served. I like it, but Margie doesn't (too salty), so I rarely have it.
She does like sausage gravy and its another fave, especially on fluffy biscuits with a couple eggs on the side.

Ok, I guess I need to get cookin since we haven't had breakfast and all this talk has really made me hungry.

---

I like a few dashes of hot sauce on either of these gravies.

 

[sparky1]

Creamed Chipped Beef in a package--(ESSKAY brand) in a 11 oz package I think i got them wally world---or Kroger-- NOT frozen heat & serve (microwave---open it & Heat it) it was very good---MY 2 Cents.
sparky1 (electrician) uncle sams canoe club for many years,

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Good to know ya, Sparky With that siggie line you should snag ya a hunny. What gal could resist living in nature's splendor with a retired salty gent

We'll have to look for that brand.

 

[sparky1]

thanks---That surely would improve my place having a Gal here,I have a 35 ft Bounder too.no one ever rides with me."sad" got a great Boondocking parking spot too.With 15 amp---more available 100 + feet away. I can still wear my old Uniforms too. slowly But surely getting off the grid--but still have it.
sparky1 in southern central Va. gorgeous sunset tonight too.
ps; i cook a Roast Beef every weekend, carotts,tators, Mushroons,

 

[cleanheart]

Wow! This was one of my favorite things my mom made. Filled up all 7 of us and warm in the belly!

 

[owl]

I always liked it made either way, chipped beef or ground beef. I even taught my tac squads senorita cook how to make it in Panama.

 

[sparky1]

Found a store that sells the (Esskay) brand 11 oz Creamed Chipped Beef packages (Martins grocery store) around Richmond & -"north" called them "Hull street" store,they have it.Jumped in the car this morning (Raining all day)100 miles one way Bought 18 packages they were on sale too.NOW i have a whole shelf in my fridge with yummy "Creamed Chipped Beef for my eating pleasure."
sparky1

 

[Stargazer]

Oh...my...dog! My grandmother would make this for me whenever I'd spend the night with her. With the dried chipped beef, not ground. It was heavenly. Oh, the days when one could eat anything without guilt or worries or being told it would kill you. I just know that one serving of this would immediately clog my arteries and I'd fall over dead instantly. Hmmm...might be worth it, though.

 

[SoulRaven]

One of my favorites... This is how I make mine, tho I do substitute 2 of the individual type of roast beef for the dried beef.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1 (8 ounce) jar dried beef
1 pinch cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour all at once to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Bring to a boil, stir in beef and cayenne, heat through and serve over toast.

 

[owl]

OK, let's all get together somewhere and make this stuff!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[SoulRaven]

I am in, leaving middle December just haven't pick a direction.