Cream Chipped Beef

Separate the slices of beef and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter, and when it foams, sprinkle on the flour and stir until well blended. Add the milk and cook over low heat, stirring. Add the cream slowly, continuing to stir constantly until the cream sauce is thickened. Add the pepper and the dried beef and mix well until heated through. ***It is best to use a good dried beef from a deli or meat market- not the ground, rolled and pressed products found in jars and plastic bags today. The salty taste is soothed by a rich cream sauce and the small amount of beef goes far; serve on a base of buttered toast or mealy baked potatoes, split open.