SOPAS BABY

WELL... I opened my big mouth at Bible Study, telling them of the wonderful Sopas (pronounced  "soh-push") my Vovo used to make. Now, for the next Bible Study, we are having a pot-providence with the theme of heritage. I will be bringing Portuguese food, hoping to do justice to Vovo's Sopas. This is a tall task. You see, Sopas was my favorite food that Vovo made.

•  4 pounds chuck roast
• · 2 soup bones
• · 1 onion, chopped
• · 4 cloves garlic
• · 1 TBS whole cumin
• · 1 tsp whole allspice
• · 1 tsp whole cloves
• · 4 bay leaves
• · 1/2 cup white wine
• · 2 sprigs of mint· 1 head kale cut into four wedges· 12 cups water
• · salt and pepper to taste
• · 1 loaf French bread (plain — not sweet or sourdough)

How to make it

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• **It is important that the French bread is day old (hard), as this helps to prevent it falling apart and becoming mush once the sopa is poured over it).**
• Cut meat into 3-by-3 inch pieces.
• Place whole spices — cumin, allspice and cloves — in a cloth bag. (Brand-new, white baby socks can be used as the cloth bag. Just put the spices in and tie the sock in a knot.)
• Boil meat with soup bones, onion, garlic, spices in cloth bag,and wine.
• Add kale to pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Skim fat from top of liquid.
• In bowl, place thick sliced day old French bread with mint on top. Over this, pour hot juice from pot.
• In a bowl, pour sopa over thick sliced bread.
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