Emeril Lagase said:Creamed Chipped Beef with Pinot Gris / Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon
The Pinot Gris is a refreshing choice with just enough crispness to contrast with the creaminess of chipped beef. A big, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon would be another great choice to balance the salty beef.
Families who were departing along the Oregon Trail gathered at small towns on the Missouri River, called "jumping off points." Independence, St. Joseph, and Council Bluffs were among these towns. At this point their wagon trains would have been almost completely outfitted. The wagon, which was made of seasoned wood to withstand extreme temperatures, was hauled by four to six oxen. Tools and spare parts were stored under the wagon. Utensils including forks and knives, plates, cups, a kettle, fry pan, and a coffee pot were packed inside. Their food consisted of about 200 pounds of flour, 150 pounds of bacon, 10 pounds of coffee, 20 pounds of sugar, and 10 pounds of salt.(4) Chipped beef, rice, dry beans, dry fruits, pickles, and other foods were also packed. In total, the outfitting usually cost between $500 and $1000 ($10,000-$20,000 today).(5) Sometimes it was difficult to know what to bring, and some items had to be abandoned along the way. "Two wagons were filled with merchandise which we hoped to sell at fabulous prices when we should arrive in 'the land of gold' [California]. The theory of this was good but the practice - well, we never got the goods over the first mountain." (6) Wagon trains arrived at a jumping off point in March and left in April when the snow melted enough. Hopefully they would make it to Oregon before winter.
The Native North Americans originally taught the settlers how to pull or cut meat into long strips. The strips of beef would be cured, seasoned and smoked. The word jerky comes from the Native American word “charqui” meaning jerked beef. The Native American jerky was sliced thin and dried on rocks in the sun. We know it as pemmican-style dried meat today.
Now cowboys liked their jerky thick and meaty. This jerky was hand cut and pulled from a side of beef. They would use the leftover cuts of beef to make the jerky.
Their jerky was a knotted and twisted hunk of beef, that was salted, and hung over tree limbs to dry in the sun and wind. The cowboys carried this beef jerky in their saddlebags. When they were out on the range for long periods of time this jerky was their only source of protein and nutrition.
Béchamel Sauce (bay-shah-mel) - As the housewife in the 17th Century did not have the luxury of modern refrigeration, they were wary of using milk in their recipes. Peddlers were known to sell watered down or rancid produce. Basically, only the rich or royalty could use milk in their sauces.
In France, it is one of the four basic sauces called "meres" or "mother sauces" from which all other sauces derive. It is also know as "white sauce." It is a smooth, white sauce made from a roux made with flour, boiled milk, and butter. It is usually served with white meats, eggs, and vegetables. It forms the basis of many other sauces.
History: There are four theories on the origin of Béchamel Sauce:
* The Italian version of who created this sauce is that it was created in the 14th century and was introduced by the Italian chefs of Catherine de Medici (1519-1589), the Italian-born Queen of France. In 1533, as part of an Italian-French dynastic alliance, Catherine was married to Henri, Duke of Orleans (the future King Henri II of France. It is because of the Italian cooks and pastry makers who followed her to France that the French came to know the taste of Italian cooking that they introduced to the French court. Antonin Carème(1784-1833), celebrated chef and author, wrote in 1822: "The cooks of the second half of the 1700’s came to know the taste of Italian cooking that Catherine de’Medici introduced to the French court."
* Béchamel Sauce was invented by Duke Philippe De Mornay (1549-1623), Governor of Saumur, and Lord of the Plessis Marly in the 1600s. Béchamel Sauce is a variation of the basic white sauce of Mornay. He is also credited with being the creator of Mornay Sauce, Sauce Chasseur, Sauce Lyonnaise, and Sauce Porto.
* Marquis Louis de Béchamel (1603–1703), a 17th century financier who held the honorary post of chief steward of King Louis XIV's (1643-1715) household, is also said to have invented Béchamel Sauce when trying to come up with a new way of serving and eating dried cod. There are no historical records to verify that he was a gourmet, a cook, or the inventor of Béchamel Sauce.
The 17th century Duke d'Escars supposedly is credited with stating: "That fellow Béchameil has all the luck! I was serving breast of chicken a la crème more than 20 years before he was born, but I have never had the chance of giving my name to even the most modest sauce."
* It is more likely that Chef Francois Pierre de la Varenne (1615-1678) created Béchamel Sauce. He was a court chef during King Louis XIV's (1643-1715) reign, during the same time that Béchamel was there. He is often cited as being the founder of haute cuisine (which would define classic French cuisine). La Varenne wrote Le Cuisinier Francois (The True French Cook), which included Béchamel Sauce. It is thought that he dedicated it to Béchamel as a compliment. La Varenne recipes used roux made from flour and butter (or other animal fat) instead of using bread as a thickener for sauces.
PseudoChef said:What's wrong with lutefisk?
<-----------Swedish
...same here...never look at the section...think chunky brew!!Revvy said:Using the New Posts button, I never notice the location of a particular thread...I figured it was in drunken rablings myself...
But I did relate it to beer https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=591951&postcount=4
But hey...if jones can make turkey dinner soda...maybe the OP is looking for the recipe for an SOS flavored beer.....
david_42 said:SOS. Nasty, slimy stuff. I think it is the German equivalent of lutfisk (lutefisk).
zoebisch01 said:Yeah I concur with the idea of it arising out of necessity. Basterma is probably the origin of the dried beef part, and at some point in time I imagine someone thought to put it in with a Bechamel. It is a great form of beef to have for long journeys and places/times lacking refrigeration.
I use Bechamel based sauces for topping thick slices of toast, usually with Morels in the spring, Chanterelles or Black Trumpets in the summer, Porcini, Chicken of the woods, Hen of the woods, etc in the fall. Other times it is used with fresh pork sausage on top of home made biscuits.
Revvy said:I kept coming up with Basterma as well but I kept getting recipes (which sound great btw) but liitle info on the history of it except that it was Armenian.
Drooling thinking about mushroom infused Bechamel sauces!
david_42 said:OK, if a mod wants to move the thread, I don't mind.
DesertBrew said:Mmmmmmmm - SOS. I haven't had that since I left home moons ago. Never liked the hamburger version though. This was something my dad actually liked (WWII vet) but spam was a forbidden entity in the house as it should be. My wife actually likes friggen spam on occasion.
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