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jryan39 · 12-01-2019, 03:59 PM

Stories bring back great memories. In the field and its raining and cold what a meal. However, back in the late 1960 SOS had a different Army name

david2385 · 12-01-2019, 04:25 PM

I went into boot camp in 1972 in good shape playing sports at 150 pounds. We didn’t have a lot to eat at home. Came out of boot camp at 175 lbs eating 3 squares a day and SOS. Everyone disliked the food but me. It was some of the best food I had ever had.

FL420 · 12-01-2019, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jryan39

Stories bring back great memories. In the field and its raining and cold what a meal. However, back in the late 1960 SOS had a different Army name

POS (Poop On a Shingle) is already taken and the original/military S won't make it past the mods.
It is what it is.

Vandave · 12-01-2019, 05:09 PM

Our artillery unit went to Vietnam on the USNS Gordon. Had it every morning for 30 days.

bobfrommaine · 12-01-2019, 06:01 PM

Oh yeah,. SOS was the ubiquitous breakfast on-board.. Not all recipe's are created equal. Stouffers makes Chipped Beef frozen breakfast and I find it pretty good, though my wife buys Hormel Dried Beef in a jar and she makes the sauce. I try to have it once a month. I don't find the "biscuits and gravy" to be the same as SOS though. WHen we crossed the equator and had the Shellback Cermony the cooks made a form of SOS that almost ruined it for me for life though! Ugh, glad we didn't have to do that again. I agree with the frozen beef dated 1944. Terrible, the resemblence to actual hamburger is only casual at best. I was on a small ship (a tin-can destroyer) and milk and fresh veggies/fruit lasted 2 days out of port, then back to powdered milk and some unidentified mushy substance that may have been green or orange that was supposed to be a vegetable. Sometimes the eggs were green for contrast.
Bob '14 Winnebago 37F Adventurer; Jeep toad.

Russ Silber · 12-01-2019, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobfrommaine

Oh yeah,. SOS was the ubiquitous breakfast on-board.. Not all recipe's are created equal. Stouffers makes Chipped Beef frozen breakfast and I find it pretty good, though my wife buys Hormel Dried Beef in a jar and she makes the sauce. I try to have it once a month. I don't find the "biscuits and gravy" to be the same as SOS though. WHen we crossed the equator and had the Shellback Cermony the cooks made a form of SOS that almost ruined it for me for life though! Ugh, glad we didn't have to do that again. I agree with the frozen beef dated 1944. Terrible, the resemblence to actual hamburger is only casual at best. I was on a small ship (a tin-can destroyer) and milk and fresh veggies/fruit lasted 2 days out of port, then back to powdered milk and some unidentified mushy substance that may have been green or orange that was supposed to be a vegetable. Sometimes the eggs were green for contrast.
Bob '14 Winnebago 37F Adventurer; Jeep toad.

As long as its toasted.[emoji12]

WyCamper · 12-01-2019, 06:14 PM

My Dad used to make us SOS on Sunday mornings when we were kids, usually in the winter to fuel a day of sledding. So when I joined the Army in 75 I was already familiar with it, although it wasn't near as good as Dad's.

SOS (Stuff On a Shingle) is and always has been creamed chipped beef (the "Stuff") on toast (the Shingle). No sausage, no biscuits. Creamed chipped beef on toast. Eggs over easy or poached on top are not mandatory but very welcome. Plus Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce, of course.

MoBird · 12-01-2019, 06:22 PM

My Dad was a WWII veteran of 4+ years based in England. He always said that the only decent thing he ever ate over there was SOS! First thing he taught my Mom to make when he came home. And, he taught me by the time I was 6. I have fixed it regularly ever since. One of our favorite meals when we are on the road.

Recipe for SOS--WWII style

Melt 1/4 stick butter over med. heat in Iron Skillet. Saute a pkg of chopped, dried beef until edges begin to curl and brown a bit.

Stir in 2 Tablespoons flour---stirring well to coat flour with melted butter. Cook a couple min. and then slowly stir in 2 cups whole milk. Stir constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Add at least 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. (Don't omit the Worcestershire sauce--it adds great flavor.)

When thickened, serve over well buttered toast. Enjoy

ensmitch · 12-01-2019, 06:31 PM

So does anyone have a really good recipe for SOS? And where do you find chipped beef?

clev · 12-01-2019, 06:53 PM

I didn’t read all 4 pages of this, so in case some one did not clear this up, please allow me. I’m a 20 year Army Green Beret, ‘68-‘88 and loved SOS. First, in the army, there is no such thing as “SOS, and biscuits and gravy”, as some alluded to, The SOS is the gravy. It is chipped beef gravy, same thing as hamburger gravy, not sausage. The SOS refers to the gravy on toast and stands for ‘feces on a shingle’, you can guess the ‘s’ . Restaurants may have something similar, but if it’s not chipped beef gravy, it ain’t SOS.

zzotte · 12-01-2019, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlorlomoski

Many was the long winter night when I was stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine (long since closed) that a healthy serving of SOS from the dining hall got me through -25 degree nights standing guard on an alert B 52. This was always the high point of my shift. The only time it wasn't enjoyable was when a new cook had the duty and left flour lumps in it!!! I still don't understand why most places that call themselves "diners" don't have it on their menu's. Except for places around Gettysburg, PA. where every diner has it. Which for me is just another great reason to visit that area.

Wow! Loring AFB....I had SOS most mornings it just hit the spot on those freezing days, crap I went from McDill AFB in Florida to Loring Maine, I must have pissed off somebody

SOS was my comfort food LOL

Zzotte

maddczech · 12-01-2019, 07:22 PM

Heck , in 1944 it was probably made with horse meat. And that ain’t all that bad .
My mom made beef tenderloin tips with dark gravy on toast or mashed taters.
Dad was ww2 b-17 in Air Corps cadet program . He always had a big smile and a joke when it was served.

Or thin sliced smoked beef chopped up in the white sauce made with butter, milk and corn starch and flour..
Grampa was a cheese maker so we had white butter and unpasteurized whole milk which certainly was premium taste.
We had fresh green peas and canned tuna that got the same treatment on toast.
Or green beans and chipped chicken on toast.
If it was pork it was on buttered caraway rye toast, yum yum.
Now in going into the galley....

NMgypsy · 12-01-2019, 07:26 PM

, too, love SOS. I've had both the biscuits and gravy but the one I really like is the chipped beef on toast. I think Marie Callender's makes a frozen chipped beef. I may have the manufacturer incorrect but it will be in your frozen food aisle and it is excellent. My mom used to make it before I went into the Navy and I was happy to see it once again. I have it at home several times a month. Carolyn Clark USN air traffic controller 1962 to 1965