Meaty Gravy (1940s British recipe)

During the war when food was rationed (esp strict in Great Britain), a recipe was born to stretch the flavour of meat through the week. They would make a big batch of rich meat gravy and use it to add meaty taste to vegetable-based dishes. A week’s meat ration of ground beef would make enough of this beefy sauce to flavour carrots and potatoes all week.

Ingredients:

    8 ounces ground beef
    8 ounces over-ripe tomatoes
    1 large onion
    1 beef bouillon cube
    salt and pepper
    dried thyme
    water

Brown the ground beef in a saucepan with the finely chopped onion. Add a pint of water and the bouillon cube, and stir as you bring it to a simmer. Then, season well with salt, pepper and thyme. Chop the tomatoes up small and add them to the gravy. Simmer on a low heat for at least 20 minutes; thicken with cornstarch if needed. Serve as gravy spooned over potatoes (boiled or mashed) or other dishes.