Serves 8 to 10          

I have had folks ask me for a recipe for Sopas, a dish that is prepared especially for the feast of the Holy Ghost celebrated on Pentacost Sunday. Certain regions like the island of Terceira and Graciosa of the Azores  Archipelagos, make  Holy Ghost Soup, the recipe given in my book, Portuguese Homestyle Cooking,  Other Portuguese descendants in the United States described their sought for version as a  braise of beef. The principle is almost the same, the former is truly a soup where the meat is removed from the broth and served separately.  The broth with vegetables is ladled over bread and garnished with mint.         

 The latter version of “sopas” is more of a pot roast.  The meat is separated from the pan juices.  Is it traditional from the Azoreans? Some say it is from the islandof Sao Jorge-, I honestly don’t know.  It could be an adaptation created in the states. In any case, instead of the juices served as a soup, they are ladle over the bread and the meat is pull apart,  like pulled pork and with mint, it is served with the bread. Here is my adapted version  of a recipe that a friend shared. Her mother always made it. She didn't know which island her mother's family came from.  

• 5        pounds beef chuck roast, bone-in
• 1 ½    cups red wine
• 4        cloves garlic, peeled, smashed
• 1 ½    cup water
• 2        large Vidalia or yellow Spanish onions, thickly sliced
• 2        cups finely chopped peeled very ripe tomatoes *
• ¼       cup ketchup
• 2        tablespoons tomato paste
• 1        2-inch piece of cinnamon
• 10      whole cloves
• 10      Jamaican allspice kernels
• 2        two medium bay leaves
• ¼       teaspoon cumin seeds
• Coarse salt
• 8-10 mint leaves
• Thickly sliced, day old Portuguese, Italian, Spanish or Greek or crusty artisan bread 

Note: You can substitute canned, peeled tomatoes but purée them or squish them into small pieces using your hand. 

Day before:

1.  Place the roast in a non-reactive pot with tight fitting lid such as a Dutch oven. Pour the wine over and toss in the garlic, a pinch of crushed dried red pepper and the 1 bay leaf. Cover and marinate several hours or overnight, turning the meat over occasionally.

Next Day:

1. Stir in the water and toss in the onion slices.  Mix the tomatoes and ketchup with the tomato paste into the pan.

2.  Place the cinnamon stick, cloves, Jamaican allspice, cumin and remaining bay leaves in a square of cheese cloth.  Tie it up with a piece of kitchen string.and place in the pot.  Sprinkle the salt over.

 3.  Make sure liquid comes half-way up the side of the roast. If not, add additional wine and water in equal parts. 

4.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and turning the meat occasionally, simmer until the meat is falling-off –the- bone tender, about 3 hours.

5.  To serve, remove the meat and pull it off the bone in  pieces.  Place a thick slice or two of bread in each soup plate topped with a mint leaf or two. Ladle a generous amount of broth over the bread to soften followed with topping it off with pieces of meat.