View Full Version : SOS
BMT (RIP)
11-20-2005, 19:41
Who make's the best SOS?
BMT
Lovin' that SOS
magician
11-21-2005, 01:16
Oh, man.
Great idea.
I cannot wait to see some recipes for this.
:)
Sausage on Sauce? :confused:
magician
11-21-2005, 05:04
"Shit on a shingle," colloquial expression for sausage gravy over toast.
Somehow it became a custom in the US Army to offer SOS at breakfast, and it is one of those things that I truly miss.
I remember making it with chipped beef at home....but it was not quite the same thing.
I didn't expect to be close.
Just to expand the topic a bit (if you guys don't mind), how would you rate the food between when you first joined and when you guys retired? I'd imagine 20 years can change the mess food.
Who make's the best SOS?
BMT
Lovin' that SOS
An Army mess hall. The purists will claim only SOS made with chipped beef counts.
The smell of a mess hall at breakfast time could drift on the lightest breeze for miles. A person could track large units in the field by that smell. Once they got closer they could pick up the sound of the generators.
The SOS in the "All you can eat" breakfast joints around here is too pasty.
brewmonkey
11-21-2005, 07:46
LOL!
I was just telling my wife not 20 minutes ago about how much I miss the chow hall in the morning, the only meal I really loved at that place. Eggs to order, praying they had mushrooms, olives and cheese for my omelots and then getting my pieces of toast to cover with SOS.
In the field it was the one meal you prayed for to be served hot. When 1SG would show up with the mermites that line would form quicker then the penicillian shot line on Monday morning at the TMC.
My dad used to make SOS when I was a kid but around here it is hard to find someplace that even makes it, let alone makes it well. I have often thought of going up on post and paying at the Bell Hall mess hall just to have breakfast one more time.
You need breakfast sausage, AP flour, milk, salt, and pepper. Get an inexpensive brand of sausage that has a high fat content as you need the the fat for the gravy.
1. Brown the desired amount of sausage, remove the sausage, then drain the sausage fat back into the pan.
2. Add flour equal to the amount of fat in the pan. Too much flour makes a doughy gravy. Mix the flour and fat and let it brown a little.
3. Add milk slowly while stirring until you have the consistency you want. It will thicken as it cooks. General rule of thumb is 1 tbsp flour/1 tbsp fat to 1 cup of milk.
4. Add the sausage back to the pan and simmer on low for a bit to allow the gravy to suck some more flavor out of the sausage plus it will give you that nice greasy sheen on top. Stir occaisionally to keep it from sticking. Salt and pepper to taste. Cayenne doesn't hurt.
If it's too thick add a little milk. Too thin - add some flour mixed with milk (prevents lumps). If the sausage doesn't have much flavor I have added a little chicken boullion w/ OK results.
My dad said SOS was pretty popular when he was in the Navy (USNA class of '59). He said it was made with chipped beef. Never saw it when I was was serving. Fried dough was pretty popular.
Who make's the best SOS?
BMT
Lovin' that SOS
My mom, god rests her soul. It was a tradition, she made it once a week and I would eat 2 or 3 servings. That is the definition of comfort food.:)
ObliqueApproach
11-21-2005, 08:43
5th Group chow hall at Campbell served greaaaaat SOS, but it was best followed by two slices of deep fried French Toast (or is that Freedom Toast?!?!?!:mad: ) covered in melted butter and hot syrup. It ensured that the SOS stayed with you all the rest of the day!
The Reaper
11-21-2005, 09:22
SOS over a ham, cheese and mushroom omelet. Liberal application of Tabasco.
French toast on the side.
You need a five-mile run every morning to eat like that and live.
TR
I loved the Desert Inn's verson that ObliqueApproach speaks of and I usually got it the way that TR mentioned.
I used to make it the way that Squidly posted, but now take an little easier on the arteries approach.
- 2lbs of sausage (I buy the Jimmy Dean brand large package and the "hot" version to add some spice)
- chip it up while it browns
- once browned, drain off the grease and set the sausage aside in large serving bowl
- I then use some pre-mix I buy..."sausage gravy" flavor
- using the same hot pan add two packages of sausage gravy/water/milk mixture
- add some pepper for more zing
- stir and remove when gravy is just before the desired thickness (it will thicken a bit more)
- pour gravy into the large serving dish and mix the gravy/sausage
- serve over some Bisquick or baking powder bisquits
Since I make a large batch, we have some leftover unless company is here. Nuke leftover gravy and serve over leftover bisquits or freshly made toast.
When I'm lazy I'll go to the Bob Evans restaurant down the street when I want some SOS. Good eatin'! No chipped beef there thank goodness.
the only time i ever ate SOS was four or five times at Dahlonega, during my incarceration in Ranger School...SOS, eggs, blueberry pancakes...that's about all i remember about the Mountain Phase...that and the fact i had to buddy-repel with my Ranger buddy, who had been a linebacker for U.Vermont...:lifter
Just to expand the topic a bit (if you guys don't mind), how would you rate the food between when you first joined and when you guys retired? I'd imagine 20 years can change the mess food.messhall food never seemed to change much in my mind...i liked C-Rats more than MREs, B-Rats better than T-Rats...
Stargazer
11-21-2005, 14:22
I learned how to make SOS from my Mom whose brother was a cook in the Navy. That might explain why the version I know includes chipped beef. I've never had anyone complain nor been saddled with leftovers when making this dish.
Melt butter in a skillet and add chipped beef. Brown it for a few. Add flour and mix it well. Gradually add milk and stir constantly until thick and smooth (usually use 4 TBSP butter/flour and 3 cups of milk). On occasion, I have added a shake of hot sauce for a change. Course, salt and pepper and serve over toast.
BMT (RIP)
11-22-2005, 05:47
I'm going to stir the pot!!
Add a little ground beef to the mix.
BMT
Saute some chopped onion before adding the flour. Sliced tomatos with salt, pepper, and Tabasco on the side.
The Reaper
11-22-2005, 08:42
There is a difference between chipped or creamed beef and sausage gravy.
Both can be very good.
TR
...during my incarceration in Ranger School...SOS, eggs, blueberry pancakes...
Ah yes, the calorie-craver's diet. One big mound of biscuits & gravy, topped by scrambled eggs, covered with fried potatoes, with grits poured over the whole mess, liberally seasoned with black pepper and Tobasco, and you had a great big spoon to shovel it all down as fast as humanly possible. Brings the whole concept of 'food is only a fuel' to life. At least they had the decency to put your blueberry pancakes off to the side of Mount Greasy so you could enjoy their flavor exclusive of everything else. The scary part is that despite eating all that for a couple weeks, you still lost weight by the end of the phase.
magician
11-22-2005, 17:35
This thread made me hungry.
No sausage gravy over here.....though I am thinking that I might be able to find something over at Villa supermarket. I will check it out later. Meanwhile, tonight....
I cooked up some homefries with onion, garlic, and some small chunks of roast pork, then threw a little oil and butter on there for taste, and garnished with three perfect little chopped Thai red peppers. When it was ready, I plopped an egg on top and waited until it was perfect.
Got my caloric and cholesterol quota for the day. And then some.
Not as good as SOS....but good enough for watching the sun rise.
:)
And then there was Pon/Pan Haas and/or Scrapple. Double yummy with authenic home fries (schredded) with onions. Three over medium eggs please. Rye toast. Appropriate beverage to follow. Biscuits with sausage gravey. Grits for decoration. 1/2 bottle of Texas Pete.
I had never heard of creamed or chipped beef before, so I did a little googling before I jumped in.
This is what I found using the terms "creamed beef":
http://www.seabeecook.com/cookery/recipes/sos_recipes.htm
The recipes on the site purport to be straight out of the US Army/Navy etc cookbooks of differing eras.
I still don't know what the difference between creamed/chipped/ground/minced beef is though.:rolleyes:
Stargazer - Is that the Armour Dried Beef in a jar you see at grocery stores?
Stargazer
11-24-2005, 07:17
Stargazer - Is that the Armour Dried Beef in a jar you see at grocery stores?
Squidly, I have only used Buddig's sliced beef. It's usually found in a refrigerated case where bacon, hot dogs, etc... are stocked.
Thanks. Our local supermarket stocks Buddig's. I'll give it a try.