# Old-timers; what is "meat sauce" in this recipe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 17, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667 "2024-05-17T01:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/1 "2024-05-17T01:18:35Z")
I’m part of a Facebook group that shares recipe cards from the '50s and '60s - a strange, dark time in American history, when “spicy” meant using salt _and_ pepper, mayonnaise was considered one of the basic food groups, and the culinary gatekeepers of the modern housewife were home economists at Kraft trying to figure out how to shoehorn as many branded products as possible into a recipe and see if people would actually eat it. It’s in this context that I came upon this recipe for cream cheese dip; [![](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53726869580_00e6f1d08e_o.jpg) ](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53726869580_00e6f1d08e_o.jpg) Compared to some of the other recipes that pop up (just the other day there was one for hot dog chowder), this one sounds bland but inoffensive. I can’t wrap my head around what they mean by “meat sauce” in this recipe, though. It’s certainly not anything (gasp!) Italian, and since there’s only a tablespoon of it to an entire brick of cream cheese it’s clearly meant to be a flavoring, but it must be common enough that the writer didn’t feel any need to elaborate or say to use Kraft™ Meat Sauce™, instead just referring to it generically. Was there some condiment that was commonly referred to “meat sauce” back in the day? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/2 "2024-05-17T01:23:50Z")
Au jus? Maybe. It can’t mean a gravy. I’m like you I don’t think it means an Italian meat sauce. No pink tint. But who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/3 "2024-05-17T01:32:01Z")
When I put “meat sauce” into Google, I get all sorts of recipes for food which can be put on top of pasta. ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/4 "2024-05-17T01:33:42Z")
Just a wild guess, but maybe steak sauce? It would have the same vibe as the Worcester sauce in the recipe, so maybe they work together for the flavor profile? ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecccb3/32.png) [@Old\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Wench)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/5 "2024-05-17T01:34:28Z")
Could it have been A.1. sauce? It looks like it might work. A1 Steak Sauce If steak sauce is a staple in your household, grab a bottle to use as a 1-to-1 sub for Worcestershire sauce. Made from tomato paste, vinegar, and raisin paste, A1 has the same consistency as Worcestershire. It’s a bit sweeter but works well as an easy swap. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/6 "2024-05-17T01:37:00Z")
> [@Deanna\_D](#): > > Just a wild guess, but maybe steak sauce? I think it must be this. The tiny amount precludes it being something like a gravy or au jus, and those don’t make sense in a back-of-the-box recipe that’s meant to be super fast to throw together. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/7 "2024-05-17T01:39:07Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > When I put “meat sauce” into Google, I get all sorts of recipes for food which can be put on top of pasta. Right. If someone were to say “meat sauce” to me without any further explanation, I would think Italian meat sauce, I.e. ragu bolognese. This obviously isn’t what this recipe is looking for, since if the average American housewife at this time ever served spaghetti at home it was probably Chef Boyardee. ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/8 "2024-05-17T01:39:16Z")
I got curious after I posted that, and Googled the history of A1 Sauce. Up until the 1960s, it was marketed as a sauce for meat, fish, and poultry. It didn’t get the name “steak sauce” until later. I don’t think it would be a bad addition to this recipe, even if that’s not what they meant. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/9 "2024-05-17T01:40:23Z")
The color of the pictured sauce would seem to rule out steak sauce. Unless the colors are off, there’s nothing in the ingredients to turn it that blue-green-y color. No idea. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/10 "2024-05-17T01:41:11Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Unless the colors are off, there’s nothing in the ingredients to turn it that blue-green-y color. My assumption is that the dip is white and the off-coloration is due to the lighting, the quality of the cameras they would have been using at the time, and degradation over time of whatever medium (probably paper or cardstock) this recipe was originally printed on. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/11 "2024-05-17T01:41:20Z")
If not for the color, I’d have guessed Kitchen Bouquet or the Maggi analog. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/12 "2024-05-17T01:43:57Z")
This recipe is actually pretty close to a clam dip my parents used to make. Instead of the cream they used a can of condensed clam chowder. I don’t think they used steak sauce but they definitely used Worchestershire. A hit of A1 would have been pretty good in it, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/13 "2024-05-17T01:45:40Z")
The recipe already calls for Worcestershire sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecccb3/32.png) [@Old\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Wench)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/14 "2024-05-17T01:48:46Z")
I know, but it’s not the same thing. A.1. is similar but sweeter so it should complement the Worcestershire. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/15 "2024-05-17T02:09:15Z")
Maybe demi glace or something like that? Although that wouldn’t be a common ingredient in 1950s American kitchens. This lady’s video uses A1, for what that’s worth. ht tps://youtu.be/YOj3-p8chQ8 (remove the space) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/16 "2024-05-17T02:10:21Z")
Took a while, but I finally found something. > **[World Trade in Commodities](https://books.google.com/books?id=cicoAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=RA91-PA3&dq=%22meat%2Bsauce%22&hl=en)** This report from 1947 refers extensively to “Worcestershire and similar meat sauces.” One example it gives is Maggi, which is an umami bomb type of sauce. A1 would definitely be in the same category. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/17 "2024-05-17T02:12:37Z")
> [@bump](#): > > This lady’s video uses A1, for what that’s worth. The cookbook that lady is waving around definitely looks like the source of this recipe - the art and fonts are pretty much identical. Slightly over an hour from posting a picture of unknown origin to finding its source - the Dope’s still got it. > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > This report from 1947 refers extensively to “Worcestershire and similar meat sauces.” I mean, technically, Worcestershire is a fish sauce, but the postwar years were a lawless time in the kitchens of America. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/18 "2024-05-17T02:15:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I mean, technically, Worcestershire is a fish sauce, but the postwar years were a lawless time in the kitchens of America. I think they’re using it to mean “a sauce which goes on prepared meat or is used in the preparation of meat,” not “a sauce which is made from meat.” ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/19 "2024-05-17T02:16:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > This recipe is actually pretty close to a clam dip my parents used to make. Yeah, mine, too. Except they used a can of clams and mixed in some sour cream, too. I have no idea what they meant by “meat sauce.” But I do think the A1 style sauces are an excellent guess. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667/20 "2024-05-17T02:32:29Z")
> [@Old\_Wench](#): > > A1 has the same consistency as Worcestershire Then there’s something wrong with either your A1 or your Worcestershire! Worcestershire has the consistency of water. A1 has the consistency of ketchup. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-timers-what-is-meat-sauce-in-this-recipe/1001667.md?page=2)