I have no intention of ever taking a picture of this dish with any sort of colorful garnish. I’m not a fan of useless food decoration. The lamb soup uses the mint. The chicken truly should include that basil. This thing we see above doesn’t deserve or warrant greenery. For a few reasons…

Monday Evening

• Me: what do i want to eat
• Patricia: foods
• Patricia: the eatable kind
• Patricia: or the noneatable
• Me: mmmmm
• Patricia: you should have something light.

What I Used

• Country Style Pork Sausage
• Flour
• Half & Half
• Biscuits

What I Did

1. Heat cast-iron skillet to medium and cook pork sausage
2. Remove sausage bits from the rendered fat and set aside
3. Add flour to fat and cook the resulting rue until flour is browned
4. Add half & half, salt, pepper, and stir until rue is thoroughly mixed (no lumps)
5. Add back the sausage and let simmer until thickened
6. Serve atop the biscuit/toast/english muffin of your choosing

I know what you’re thinking. “What a light and refreshing meal!”

Ok, so its the furthest possible thing from light. Oops. But there’s one reason not to garnish this dish with, say, some parsley leaves. It’s brutal and heavy and no amount of parsley is going to change the flavor or impression of this dish. Putting something green on it would be a lie.

As for this whole “Shit On A Shingle” title, SOS is the popular name in military circles for what is classically Chipped Beef On Toast. It was produced in mass in the middle of grueling campaigns and I don’t think I could ever put something like a sprig of thyme on top of that much history and connotation.

Though what I have made strays from the classic recipe, it was how I was first introduced to the SOS dysphemism as a teenager, having eaten it in this fashion early one morning before dove hunting. I’m interested in recreating the traditional dish now. But where the hell am I supposed to find chipped beef?!?!

Tuesday Morning

• Patricia: omg
• Patricia: white people eat horribly

Update: The next trip to the store I actually looked for chipped beef and found it. Game on.