S.O.S. What a Treat!

S.O.S. stands for many things. As an abbreviation it stands for “save our souls” and is used as an international code signal of extreme distress. S.O.S. comes from the Morse Code system that uses dots, dashes, and spaces to communicate letters and numbers. In my mind and in my life, it has stood for something entirely different! In fact, when I hear the acronym S.O.S. I think of dinner time! In these trying political and economic times, S.O.S. can mean many things for many people. In fact, the history and origins of S.O.S. probably go hand in hand with economics and politics, for it stems from the military, which whether we like it or not parallels political and economic movements, just like art can. Cooking is an art! So is cooking well and on a budget! That is just what S.O.S. can be for many of us!

S.O.S, just what is it? It sounds so secretive, and like it could hold many meanings and titles. Maybe it’s syrup on saltines or sardines over salsa. Those don’t sound too appealing to me and remind me of some of the recipes I saw in my Salvadore Dali recipe cookbook! S.O.S. It is a recipe that was passed down in my family from my Father. He was in the Navy and told us stories about eating it on ships. He would call it “Shit on a Shingle”. Of course as a kid, my brother and I would giggle at the use of the S-word, and keep shoveling bite by bite of the scrumptious meal into our mouths. We had it at least once a month growing up and it was always a hit and filled up our stomachs. Just thinking about it brings me back to my childhood. It was a staple in our household. In my brother’s words it is simply “delicious and filling” and reminds him of our Dad. For me, I continue to make it till this day. My family requests it from time and time and ultimately asks that I make a big batch to ensure there are leftovers to eat and to freeze!

So, it sounds so scrumptious, but just how is it made? Well, it is pretty simple! Even a novice chef or someone who hasn’t spent much time in the kitchen can make it! First one has to decide on the exact version of S.O.S. that they are looking to eat. There are several ways to make it, but the two main proteins that can be used are ground beef or chipped beef. It is a yummy and creamy gravy beef-based slop if you will that is topped upon a shingle, a piece of toasted bread. Despite its easy to make aesthetic, it is actually quite tasty and I would dare say, a good source of comfort food during a cold winter’s night. Apparently, the history of S.O.S dates way back to the World Wars I and II. The first published version of the recipe was in the Army and called for dried chipped beef, which was a dried meat just perfect for the battlefield. The Navy adopted the recipe and added their own twist on the recipe to make the protein that of ground beef. In doing more research, the origins of S.O.S date back to the French! Oh, the French! The soul of S.O.S. is a classic Bechamel, that is one of the five mother sauces. Apparently, there are five mother sauces, which include, bechamel, velouté, sauce espagnole, sauce tomat, and hollandaise sauce. At least according to the French! I happen to love France and almost anything French, so to me, it adds a level of fancy to my usual S.O.S. dish that I never knew could be just quite that interesting! Now, what to serve with S.O.S. Just the main dish and the toast and then whatever you drink! I used to have a glass of milk at supper time with my serving of S.O.S., however as an adult it can be quite tasty with a nice cold and crisp glass of beer or even wine if you want to fancy it up a bit.

At first bite, after you cut with your knife and load your fork with a piece of the crusty bread with the warm sauce, beef, and potatoes, you are hooked! The flavors and the textures meld together very nicely. Another great thing about S.O.S. is that it is cost effective to feed a big family or even if you have a smaller family, it is great for leftovers and to freeze and reheat as well! You can also get creative with it, if you choose to add other ingredients! Maybe you could add veggies and tomatoes! I like adding sauteed onions to mine, and in the recipe I have it listed as “optional”.

Again, it might not be the most appealing cuisine you have ever seen on a plate or ever eaten, but it sure can contend as a weeknight supper option!

The recipe is as follows:

1 pound of ground beef

1 sauteed white onion (optional)

6 potatoes cubed and boiled

2 cups of milk

4 TBSP of salted butter

4 TBSP of all-purpose flour

Salt to liking

Pepper to liking

Slices of Toast – White or wheat, whatever your liking

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. Drain excess grease and set aside.

2. Cut and cube potatoes. Boil potatoes until tender and done to liking. Use salt for the water when boiling.

3. Sautee onions in a separate pan with either oil or butter (opitional)

4. Melt butter in the same sauce pan. Add flour and whisk until butter/flour mixture is bubbly.

5. Add milk, salt, and pepper. Turn heat up to high and whisk continuously until thick and bubbly. Turn heat down to low.

6. Add cooked ground beef back in and stir.

7. Taste and adjust seasonings of salt and pepper.

8. Serve over toast