Each issue we hope to share family recipes. Give us some history about your dish and tell us your traditions. Send along images too.

Heard of S**t on a Shingle?

S.O.S. Yes, sounds gross, of course. I’ve been making it for years and it’s something we grew up eating in my family. As a former single parent, it was one the first things on my grocery list when my budget was tight. Assuming you have a couple cupboard items on hand, this meal can easily feed four for under $5. I’ve always considered this poor-folk food, Appalachian. It turns out, this comforting dish’s name is rooted in the military. Not only that, my kids used to devour it.

During WWII, S.O.S. (looks like bird poop on a rooftop) was served in mess halls. If you ever watched M.A.S.H., they spoke lovingly about it at times. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, troops developed a love/hate relationship with it because it was served all the time. The meat was cured, so it was cheap, quick and easy to prepare. It still endures in diners on the Northeast Coast, and likely in the kitchens of older generations all around.

There are so many varieties of this dish. My mother made hers with hamburger mostly, and she would drench it with sodium-laden Kitchen Bouquet to make sure the gravy looked brown. She would set atop mashed potatoes, and she made it in a pinch. We also had the white gravy version, which is just as yummy.

Roux and Gravy Basics

To make any gravy, it all has to start with the right roux. Begin with any kind of hot fat, be it butter, browned meat, or broth. Once these are sizzling in your skillet, add flour, turn heat on low and whisk to combine until creamy. The end result is your roux, and it’s the foundation of your gravy.

Next, pour in your cold liquid and whisk often on low to medium heat until it thickens. If you go trying to add flour after your cold liquid is added, this is when lumps forms.

S**t on a Shingle (for 4)

• 3-4 packages cured beef (I buy Carl Budding, and it’s around $1 a package, found in lunchmeat aisle)
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• ½ cup of flour
• 5-6 cups 2% milk
• Whole grain bread, lightly toasted
• Salt and Pepper

Chop beef into strips and fry in butter until edges get crispy. Turn on low heat and put flour in skillet, making sure to blend it well with the beef. Pour in milk and return to medium heat, whisking very occasionally until gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper through process to taste. Take off heat once it’s thickened enough for you and let sit for a couple of minutes while you prepare your toast. Eat immediately; it does not work well as a leftover.