Which culinary pleb made that? At least bang the taters in the stew while it cooks.
What is that? Potatoes with a side of stew on a plate?
Nearly - minced beef in gravy with some chopped vegetables thrown in (usually peas and carrots), next to boiled potatoes (that are usually mashed up).
Some parts of the UK have bread and butter as a side with everything.
It is a hearty dinner mind - it’s not flashy or instagram-ready, but it is tasty and fills you up.
Savory mince is simultaneously one of the best and worst meals I’ve ever had in my life. When its done right its amazing, when its bad its proper fucking garbage.
Rationing lasted until the mid-50s and left a lasting impression on people’s diets. It’s taken decades to recover socially, mainly with the aid of foreign cuisine.
Indian immigrants are the MVPs 👍
I mean, we had rationing in Italy too, but you don’t see people struggling to make a passing meal here. I’m pretty sure we were also much poorer than the British both going into and coming out of WW2
At first, I thought that you declared Indian immigrants as a minimum viable product. After some googling I guess it’s meant to be most valuable players. Small but significant difference. 😂
While we’re on this tangent, I’ve always felt the need to point out the following.
Minimum Viable Product = Poorly planned, or not planned at all, crappy product that is created in haste by overworked, stressed out developers to make some middle manager in a suit and sneakers type feel like they’re doing something to please corporate, because they don’t have the guts or good sense to push back. This abomination is usually sold as “we’ll flesh it out in phase two.” Phase two never happens, because they’re off chasing whatever either shiny thing they think is important. Also, the last MVP that they farted out “didn’t gain traction.” /rant
Why does the same acronym have meanings on two extremes :(
In short, consultancies.
There are many good ones, and many rip off artists who spend as much time disguising their horseshit as they would just doing real work. At a certain point, consultancies started hiring less and less experienced people who had to sell more and more bullshit.
Acronyms and abbreviations are psychologically powerful; they imply something is commonplace or important to the point of it not needing to be spelled out. When you suddenly coin a random one you can pretend you know something the listener doesn’t-- you’re right back to the emperor’s new clothes–most people are too scared to ask. Any industry, same shit.
I like all the acronyms and shit. It helps me know who to ignore, or avoid working for / with.
Oh shit that would have been so bad hahah
To be fair, the Brown Sauce is actually pretty neat. But not in everyones taste tho.
First time I had brown sauce was on a breakfast sammy while on a bender at my friend’s house, it was magical
Me too. Except in a hotel in Scotland but my condition was the same. They don’t sell that stuff in supermarkets in my country, but we have the internet for that.
The stew might be super tasty, but those white potatoes look bland as fuck. Throw them in an oven or skillet with some of that butter, get the edges a little crispy, sprig of whatever herbs were used in the stew, and they will be much better.
I’m not talking about the stew. I mean the bottle on the upper center of the picture.
what is “herbs”?
It’s like a vegetable but smaller.
And a vegetable is like a fruit but less fun.
This reminds me of that post
“Is British food really that bad?”
“If made correctly, Yes”
I’m going to be visiting in a few months. Speaking as a foreigner of course, is it British culture to minimize both color and hope in your cuisine?
You just need to stick to real British food, such as pizza, curry and Chinese.
Honestly you’ll find pretty much the same food here as anywhere else.
Don’t eat at a JD Wetherspoon, it’s basically McPub.
As I said in another comment, British cuisine basically had to be neutered during the wars due to extended rationing. People lived, but long-term damage was made. The best food here isn’t British, but British takes on foreign food.
So what’s pre-war british food like ?
Curry. I’m being totally serious. The first curry shop predates both WWII and the first fish and chippery in GB.
Fun fact: the first curry shop to open in GB predated the first fish and chippery. Curry may not have been invented in GB, though apparently Chicken Tikka Masala was, but I would claim that the popularization of curries worldwide was certainly influenced more by the British than the Indians.
I would be shocked if that is true about the fish and chips coming after the curry. But, if it turns out to be true, I promise to repeat it very often.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindoostane_Coffee_House
They are the first curry shop, opened in 1810
https://docksidehhi.com/the-history-of-fish-and-chips/
According to that the first fish and chippery opened in 1860
I’ll take British cheese over any other.
Shropshire blue forever
Bleu cheese is good, but this is the first time in 43 years I’ve ever heard someone praise British cheese above Swiss or French cheeses.
Edit: looking it up that does look tasty. I’ll have to find some nearby.
Edit 2: fucking hell. It’s $20 a pound… Gonna have to get some though, any suggestions on a wine pairing? Apparently I could get an entire wheel for $130, but I don’t have a cellar to store it in, and there’s no way I’d go through an entire Skyrim sized wheel of cheese.
If you like sharp cheeses, I would highly recommend the cheese shop in Cuba, NY. They make some excellent extra sharp white cheddar.
If you’d like to make any suggestions especially in the south London area or Southampton I’d be happy to hear them.
If it’s not too late for your visit, the most renowned curry house in soton is Kutis. I used to live near the city rather than in it and found myself more often than not heading out to the new forest to find a country pub to go for nice meals.
It is not too late! Just a few more days.
Though I haven’t been there recently enough to offer any suggestions, London is packed with really good restaurants. You’ll be able to find basically whatever you want there.
I don’t know Southampton very well but I see there is a “The Pig…” there. I’ve been to one elsewhere and it was really good.
In terms of London, I’d say don’t limit yourself to the south, you’re never really more than 45 mins away from anywhere really. Brick Lane is a fun area, it’s kind of hipstery/street food/vintage clothing-y but also has two of my favourite places.
SMOKESTAK - one of the best things to actually survive the barbecue revolution a few years ago. Everything is smoked on premises, no take out.
Beigel Shop. This is one of (if not the) oldest bagel joints in London. It’s open 24/7, take out only, they only do three things (lox, chicken & salt beef). Have the salt beef with pickles and mustard, expect to queue, thank me later.
E. Thought Beigel was older, it’s only from the 70s. E2. Found it, it was next door. It’s from 1855, link updated
The salt beef is better than the lox? I’m suspicious.
The smoked salmon is good too, but it’s more of a normal sandwich. The salt beef is a bit more obscene, like you need a lie down after.
Ahh, like a good Thanksgiving feast, got it.
Awesome! I will make an effort to stop by the Beigel shop especially because my wife and I love bagels.
Awesome! I forgot to mention there’s a Dishoom round the corner from all the Brick Lane stuff, it’s all based on Bombay style food. They’re open for breakfast too, can highly recommend the breakfast keema, best cure for a hangover I’ve ever found.
Also, if you’re interested in the whole salt beef sandwich thing, The Brass Rail at Selfridges is a fucking institution. Pro tip: if you see a queue but there’s a few people hanging back, it means they’re just about to bring out a fresh load of brisket. Hold off until those folks swoop in.
Edit: actually you know what, have some more recommendations.
Literally any Hawksmoor, there are a few in London, they’re always in art deco spaces, but in unusual places - Air Street is in the arches over some of the biggest shops in London, just off Piccadilly circus. If you want to know what a proper roast looks like, go here. Beef cooked over charcoal, charged by weight.
The Quality Chop House - this is an old favourite. Chop houses used to be all over London, they were a kind of after work eatery for your average businessman. Drop in after work, hang your hat by the door, have a beer and a chop, at some point later remember you have family, stagger home etc. As far as I know, this is the only chop house that still exists that has the original Victorian setup - very, very narrow benches and extremely thin tables (eat up, then fuck off!), and the folks who took it on have maintained the tradition of cooking their chops over coals. I mention this specifically because they have “mince on toast” on the menu which is what the OOP is shitting on. It’s a very traditional dinner and this would be the best place to try it outside of home cooking. Also, their confit potatoes are incredible. Small plates, expect to share, if you’re going there at the weekend it will be empty because nobody actually lives in Farringdon. They also do pretty decent set menus on weekdays and there is a roast on Sundays!
I was in London for a week last year and I went to that exact Dishoom three times, twice for breakfast and once for dinner. Probably my favorite meals of that trip. Everything was delicious, and I ended up buying a tin of their chai so I could make it at home.
I can highly recommend their cookbook if you’re into cooking. Their chicken ruby is probably one of the greatest things I’ve ever put in my face.
They call it chicken ruby but it’s basically a butter chicken/tikka masala.
Did they forget to add the spices back in or something?
They probably forgot how exactly to add the spices.
It changed people’s perception of food. They might’ve thought spices were too strong.
40s and 50s food was simple to make and high in calories, like you’re trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse or something. My grandparents didn’t experience a lot of the post-war optimism a lot of the world seemed to have because Britain got fucked in a properly long-term way. Being an island that fought to the very end left it in a fairly unique position.
Small history rant over.
Like others have said, the war ‘locked in’ perceptions but there were years of supply shortages and government rationing of foodstuffs afterwards, ending in the early 50s.
Cookbooks were re-written at the time to emphasize economic meals like stews and soups that used a lot of vegetables you can grow in the garden and to use up scraps. Potatoes, leeks, and cabbage grew to feature much more heavily, meat was OUT as was sugar and most fruit… You try working varied and fun meals with those limits
So combined with the more ‘bland’ cuisine of the era and extensive rationing limitations, generations of households got used to cooking and eating the basic foods. Immigration and globalization has broadened the modern offerings, but the British classics’ are undeniably under spiced shades of grey and brown.
Also I imagine industrialization did a number even before the world wars. As I understand it a lot of Northern European recipes relied on certain styles of preservation that wouldnt be possible in say a London tenement. Hell just looking at my own families recipes from back during westward expansion it heavily emphasizes cured meats and foraged ingredients. Either that or harrassing Mexicans for spices.
Beware their bread.
What, UK too?
Don’t know why you are getting downvoted, you are absolutely right. The last time I was in London, which to be fair was over 10 years ago, their bread tasted sweeter than some cakes in my country.
I was there 7 years ago. I love bread and all forms of buns. I am an absolute fanatic. I cannot eat English bread, tho. It’s straight up vile to me. :< Like, I cannot say anything bad about everything else in there. But the bread is so terrible…
English national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala. With a bit of garnish it can look quite colourful.
Lmao I guess when you’ve subjugated half the world, you can claim any dish as your own.
Chicken Tikka Masala appears to have credibly originated in the UK. It’s probably as British as Beef Stroganoff is Russian (okay, looking it up, it looks like the latter may be at least a bit of a myth, but it gets my point across).
I’m not disagreeing there. But were those British chefs who came up with it? And not chefs they brought back from places which Brits had conquered? Obviously no.
And, needless to say, tikka masala is about as far from modern English cuisine as you can get.
Well, they were British chefs with South Asian heritage who of course were indirectly here because of horrific Imperialism
But it is British, its very British. Despite what Farage and co want you to believe, we’re a multi-cultural nation and have been for centuries.
British-Indian cuisine is at this point distinct and diverse enough from traditional Indian cuisine that it is its own thing. And its super widespread - even the racists discuss how shitty they are over a curry
But, more to my point: let’s say I walk into an English pub, and ask what they’ve got on the menu. How many times do you think they’ll tell me about the unseasoned fried fish, or the unseasoned fried potatoes, before they mention “oh and we’ve got chicken tikka masala”
Not exactly a national dish, in my opinion.
How about 'spoons on a Thursday? Actually I think they have Curry on the menu all week now.
You know, this got my mind working for a bit. We have a similar phenomenon in the United States, where just about every ethnic cuisine is kind of a bastardized version of the more authentic dishes brought here by people emigrating from their home countries. American Chinese, Tex Mex, etc are all distinctly American but have clearly been inspired by their origin but modified for western tastes and sensibilities. It makes me wonder at what point a certain cuisine is considered to be a genuine and unique creation, rather than just something adopted from elsewhere by way of either conquest or cultural exchange? How many things do we associate with a particular nationality as being their specialty when that style of cooking or method of preparation or presentation were probably acquired along the way somewhere and forgotten with time? I guess it’s hard to know for sure.
Thomas Jefferson gave us Mac and Cheese. That’s 100% American food inspired by other pasta and cheese dishes, but Jefferson just got obsessed with Elbow Macaroni for some reason.
I’m pretty sure the only reason Apple Pie is associated with the US is because Johnny Appleseed was a drunk that wanted lots of cider.
That’s an interesting thought.
If I wanted to be rigid about it I would say it can be considered as part of the region if you can locally source the ingredients. Anything ingredient you have to import should invalidate the fish but my actual opinion is, who cares. If it’s good it’s good.
“British chefs with South Asian heritage” lmao. That’s one way of putting it.
Yes. I agree. It is VERY British.
Would you like to go more into the origin of the phrase “British-Indian”?
I’m not denying the fucked up colonial history. You seem to be denying that South Asian immigrants are British - they are
Another example.
Fish and chips is Portugese. Surprisingly, so is vindaloo
It was invented in the 1970s. It’s not exactly classic cuisine. It definitely counts as modern British.
As American as Mac and Cheese is my go-to, since while there were pasta and cheese sauce dishes elsewhere, Thomas Jefferson got obsessed with Elbow Macaroni specifically, and had the extrusion machines shipped to his property in the US while he was an ambassador in Italy.
He then created a simpler version of oven baked Mac and Cheese, and insisted on serving it at every formal dinner at Monticello, while he was president.
The way they censored the name is a new low point. Usually, you at least need to look for a few seconds, but this is just plain readable.
Had to scroll way too down in comments to find anyone mentioning this…
Looks like a lovely bit of scran that does. Yall too obsessed with overdone memes to appreciate a nice bit of comfort food.
Can anyone tell me why there’s HP sauce there?
What do you do with it?
Squirt some into your mouth before you take a bite. What else would you do with it?
Nah I’m just too obcessed with spices and would like to see some used in this meal, especially on those naked potatoes.
You’re supposed to spice those naked potatoes with the meat and gravy. This is basically Haggis if I recall correctly, without fancy serving. And it is really good.
Haggis would have cabbage and lung meat wouldn’t it?
Haggis is traditionally sheep organ meat, oats, and spices. Black pepper and nutmeg are usually the dominant ones, although I assume that’s a development from within the last couple hundred years since neither is native to anywhere near Scotland. You’d serve it alongside potatoes and turnips, traditionally both mashed with a bit of butter.
Spices on boiled potatoes? I only put salt on mine. What are you recommending?
As an American, this comment almost made me drop my gun and steer my F-350 off the road (I was scrolling and driving ofc). I feel so sorry for you guys, I hadn’t realized you’d been living like this since we broke up.
You can do so much with potatoes and a little bit of spices. Maybe start out with some black pepper, or some chili powder or paprika. Old Bay would also go great. If you’re really feeling adventurous, instead of conquering India, you could pan fry the potatoes instead of boiling them, and use a little hot sauce or ketchup. For boiled or baked potatoes in particular, dressing them with some sour cream or sauerkraut can be very good.
I happen to love the other comment about us eating like we have universal healthcare because my favorite potato is the loaded one lol
Baked potato, sour cream, bacon, chives, melted cheese… (Insert Homer drooling image)
I’m american, homie. I’m just not a fan of complicated potatoes is all. But i appreciate the recommendations.
Try tumeric with a bit of paprika, maybe a bit of cayenne if you like spice. Add some ghee or butter if you want something more indulgent.
You can’t actually be sure that stew doesn’t have a ton of ground spices in it, because they wouldn’t show. The flavor could be so intense you might need the plain potato bites to rest your mouth. (Highly unlikely but possible.) The real crime is the complete lack of anything green on the table. It’s like they looked around at the lush greenery all around them and decided to leave it all outside.
Truthfully, I’ve been to the UK and had some great food, I just like to rag on the brits!
But yes, the lack of color is probably the real issue with this meal. You really want some fiber to go with a meal like this, to say nothing of the missing nutrients. As an American though, mocking an all brown-and-white plate of food seems a little hypocritical, haha.
But like…
Why aren’t the potatoes in the sauce?
That just seems obvious to me 🤷♀️
Tbh, as a British person, I think the same thing every time is see this meme. Although, I might make it worse
I’d have it with mash potatoes. Then, its like pie and mash, just without the pastry.
Even then, those look like boiled potatoes served plain. Toss some herbs on there and roast them for a bit. It’s not hard.
Naked potatoes mixed in with a hearty sauce are fine.
Though imo they should be brushed with oil and salt, then roasted (or airfried!) because boiled potatoes are boring lol
Yeah, I’m of the opinion that you should only boil a potato if you intend to mash it. Otherwise, what are you even doing? There are faster and tastier ways to prepare it.
You should boil them a bit in an alkaline water before roasting as well. It breaks down the surface into a starchy mess that crisps up wonderfully while they roast.
Alkaline water? Do you mean salt water or water with vinegar? I don’t know enough about Ph to know which one makes alkaline water… I think vinegar is an acid, but is salt a base?
Neither, I’m referring to adding a small amount of baking soda to the water. You’re correct about vinegar being acidic. Table salt is neutral. Sodium bicarbonate is basic and increases the alkalinity of the water.
Oh, that sounds great, thanks for the tip!
Not everything has to be soaked in fat. Plain potatoes in a sauce, like in Japanese curry for instance, is pretty good.
A light brush of fats makes the outer layer crispy when cooked under high heat!
I understand, but I don’t want crisp in my curry potatoes 😋
I wonder which version is correct in japanese/Indian curry recipes? Not that it makes any preferrence wrong, tastes are personal.
But I could’ve sworn one way is the traditional way and one isn’t… Oh well 🤣
It’s not hard and it’s not necessary. There are different ways to enjoy a potato.
I know British food tend to be memed as “brown stuff”, but this doesn’t even look half bad, the lighting makes it look worse than it actually is.
Slap an Instagram filter on it and it will look way better.
The unseasoned boiled potatoes and the untoasted bread are just bland.
The ground beef and carrots in the undefinable brown liquid would be a textural nightmare. I cannot fathom how it tastes because the closest thing in the US would be a sloppy joe.
The real problem with this is lack of technique and seasoning.
Here’s how I would “fix” this: Toast the bread, roast and season the potatoes, make the ground beef and sauce into a something resembling Salisbury steak, and cook the carrots as their own side dish.
The bread is a sop. You can’t sop with toast; that’s insane. The “undefinable brown liquid” is stock and is common across the world’s cuisines. If you season the potatoes further, assuming they’re lightly salted, you run the risk of overseasoning the dish (they’re sitting next to a very rich stew). You’re just making these up now.
I cannot fathom how it tastes
Then don’t say anything! Easy peasy!
Edit to add: The only problem as it were with this food is that it lacks colour, so of course you wouldn’t serve this at a restaurant. But when’s the last time anyone gave a fuck about colour when bashing out tea on a thursday eve?
Stay mad bob
Very drole.
What do you mean unseasoned, they have salt on them. smh
Perfectly good boiled potatoes and stew.
Laugh at this ne’er-do-well who can not see the beauty of a plain slice of buttered white bread.
I can, but it’s better toasted
Toasted is inferior for soaking up the sauce.
Cheers to plain white buttered bread, then 🥂
you’ve chef’d your last boyardee, Rigatoni!
Stick it under the broiler for 45 seconds and then slap another coat of butter on top.
Even cheap British bread usually tastes good.
And it would still be better toasted
I can’t argue with that!
Better than USA bread but worse than e.g. French or German.
It does not. Unless you never had actual bread.
The fact that it looks like you think that the “brown stuff” is the issue there is really funny
A thick beef stew with boiled potatoes and buttered bread was a common meal in my 90s Midwestern USA childhood. It is delicious
I don’t even know what I’m looking at. Sliced white bread with butter, HP sauce, salt or pepper shaker, and a plate with what seems to be boiled potatoes and some unknown viscous fluid with what might be sliced (presumably cooked) carrots.
It’s lentils slow cooked with various cuts of meat, sausage and veggies
It’s absolutely flavorful, filling and delicious. One of my favorite meals to eat in winter time.
https://blindinglygoodfood.co.uk/recipe/slow-cooked-sausage-lentil-stew/
lol, definitely no lentils in that.
It’s likely a version of mince and tatties, but with boiled potatoes instead of mash.
Add butter and some green herbs, like rosemary or cilantro, on the potatoes and is an instant update on that plate
Like, make something completely different and flush this down the “loo”? Yeah that works.
It’s reasonable food! Most people are pretty bad at making photos look good, myself included.
I’d want a bit more seasoning on the potatoes but man, potatoes are delicious in almost all forms, even when they look plain.
Deconstructed Sheppards pie
And now it is suddenly fancy enough for the insta crowd.
Exactly.
the best homemade dinner on the planet x
Planet X must have terrible food if this is the best thing it has to offer. Glad I live on planet Earth.
The Aussies would just grab all that and wack it into a shortcut / puff pastry meat and potato pie. Not half bad actually.
It is basically a meat pie filling just with potatoes instead of pastry. People will look down their noses at this because of the plating and then happily eat hundreds of extremely similar foods.
The issue people have is with how naked the potatoes are. If they were mashed and had the stew poured over them, I bet people would be salivating.
The plain boiled potatoes do feel very UK “my parents grew up in the tail end of rationing” style. Idk if it’s because I grew up with it that I don’t mind, or if I know just putting a bit of the gravy on it means they don’t need to be cooked any other way.
Saying all that that though, I don’t tend to boil potatoes like this personally and would totally mash them or something.
My mum often served just boiled potatoes like this, due to growing up during rationing. They’re actually fine as long as they’re not over-boiled, and then when you get the Jersey Royals in season it’s an absolute crime to peel, chip, over-season or mash them.
I’m 48, my parents absolutely grew up through rationing which lasted into the 1950s. Plain boiled potatoes was a really common way of serving them all through my childhood. Even now they will commonly eat plain potatoes, with a bit of butter on them. In fact as they have got older, now in their 80s, their meal might just be plain potatoes and peas.
This dish, mince and tatties, was an absolute staple at my Scottish grannie’s house, with an overboiled cabbage as well for good measure.
British Empire conquered the world at one point, and had access to unimaginable variety of spices, herbs, flavors and tastes.
and they still eat nothing but boiled vomit.
- It builds character.
- You were supposed to use more expensive ingredients to make your food “tastier”.
Yeah, and what a character the UK has now. Really worth all that boiled dog vomit.
Looks like the meals I was recently had at the veterans hospital in the USA.
OK, I come from southern Europe and this will blow some people’s minds, but sometimes we have bland food on purpose. Especially after a week of eating grease/spicy foods.
We do too but we refrain from photography
Englishman here. I’ve never eaten anything like this? Just me?
Same. I dont even know what it is. It’s like they wanted to make shepherds pie but they were too lazy to mash the potatoes
I was just thinking what the hell is it supposed to be? I’ve never in my life eaten that. Spray “cheese” anyone?
Over in the province we’d call that mince and onions, obviously being part of the island of Ireland the potatoes are inferred from kt being a meal.
The yanks might be taking the piss, but as far as I’m aware they put it in a bap and call it a sloppy Joe (which frankly sounds like a sex act).
Tangentially, other fine Northern Irish cuisine includes the vegetable roll, which is primarily a sliced beef sausage with a wee bit of onion and celery. Tasty.
Brother, just because you call your hamburger meat mince doesn’t mean you know how to handle it better than us here in burgerland. Our sauce for it not only includes onions but also tomatoes and, in true American fashion, sugar(either from ketchup or brown sugar). And of course, said hamburger meat goes in a bun, not on a plate unless you’re serving it with noodles from hamburger helper. What savages.
