The Old-School Diner Food People Barely Seem To Eat Anymore - Tasting Table

"Looking back at vintage foods is a great way to indulge in nostalgia, enjoy new-to-you favorites, and suss out hidden gems among a variety of otherwise questionable dishes. Although once a staple fare of counter-service restaurants far and wide, one old-school diner food that you don't see on menus anymore is sometimes known by the somewhat R-rated name "s*** on a shingle.""

"Made using thin slices of dried beef cooked in a roux of flour, butter, and milk, this meal is typically served on toast and includes a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a hint of heat. Like many other "poor man's"-style meals, creamed chipped beef is yet another example of Great Depression-era ingenuity. The old-school food rose to even greater prominence around World War II as a popular meal with enlisted members of the US military."

Creamed chipped beef is made from thin slices of dried beef cooked in a roux of flour, butter, and milk, commonly served over toast with a sprinkle of cayenne. The dish originated as an economical, Depression-era 'poor man's' meal and became widely used in US military messes during World War II. Diner popularity peaked from the 1940s through the 1960s as part of a golden age of American diners. Chain-restaurant expansion led to the dish's decline and the disappearance of many classic diners. The dish remains a nostalgic classic and can be recreated at home using jarred dried beef or modern substitutions.

Read at Tasting Table