Chipped Beef

Creamed chipped beef is American comfort food royalty, a diner classic and military mess hall staple that has earned its place at Sunday brunch tables for generations. Chopped dried beef folded into a silky white sauce, scattered with hard-boiled egg, and ladled over toasted English muffins.

The white sauce is a classic bechamel at its simplest: butter, flour, milk. Making it in a double boiler is the old-school approach that prevents scorching and gives a smooth, unbroken sauce every time. Stir constantly as the milk goes in and the sauce thickens, whisking works if you prefer it to a wooden spoon.

Dried beef comes in jars and is already heavily salted. That is why the recipe calls for checking salt only after adding the beef, skip this step and you get an over-seasoned breakfast. Rinse the beef lightly if yours tastes especially salty.

Chopped hard-boiled eggs are an old-fashioned addition that gives the sauce body and extra protein. They also hide the occasional lump of flour from guests who are not looking.

Serve on toasted English muffin halves, buttered toast, or biscuits. One batch of sauce covers 6 to 8 muffin halves, more if you ration, fewer if you are generous.

Kitchen Tips

• Rinse and taste the dried beef before adding, commercial jarred beef varies widely in saltiness.
• Whisk the roux until it smells nutty before adding milk, raw-flour sauce tastes pasty.
• Warm the milk slightly before adding, cold milk slows thickening.
• Serve immediately, this sauce skins as it cools.

Variations

• Add a generous pinch of smoked paprika or white pepper for depth.
• Stir in a splash of sherry at the end for adult brunch fare.
• Serve over buttermilk biscuits for a Southern spin.