In this blog we try to keep it easy going. For the most part we stay away from politics and other topics that raise folks’ blood pressure.
So of course today I’m going to talk about food and religion. Specifically the Portuguese kind and the Christian kind. “Holy Smokes”, you say. “She knows a bit about food, but nothing about religion.”
The Recipe
So there is my version of Holy Ghost Wine and Spiced Beef. It’s not quite a soup, not quite a stew. And like so many traditional recipes, this one may vary from the historical original, but it honors the traditions of the past.
Holy Ghost Wine and Spice Braised Beef
Ingredients
The Day Before
- 4 pounds beef chuck roast, bone-in (1818 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups red wine (355 ml)
- 4 ea garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1 ea bay leaf
- ½ tsp crushed dried chile pepper
The Next Day
- 1 cup water (235 ml)
- 1 ea large Vidalia or yellow Spanish onion thickly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes very ripe, peeled, finely chopped (270g)
- 1/4 cup ketchup (60 g)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (30 g)
- 1 ea cinnamon stick – 2 inches long (5 cm)
- 7 ea whole cloves
- 7 ea Jamaican allspice berries we substituted 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ea bay leaf
- 1/2 tbsp coarse kosher salt – or to taste (9 g)
- 6 ea thick slices day-old Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Greek, or crusty artisan bread
- 6 to 12 ea mint leaves
Instructions
The Day Before
- Place the roast in a non-reactive 5-quart / 4.5-L pot with a tight-fitting lid such as a Dutch oven. Pour the wine over and toss in the garlic, bay leaf, and crushed dried chile pepper. Cover and marinate for several hours or overnight, turning the meat over occasionally.
The Next Day
- Add the water to the pot containing the roast and marinade. Toss in the onion slices. Mix the tomatoes and ketchup with the tomato paste and stir into the pot.
- Place the cinnamon stick, cloves, Jamaican allspice, cumin, and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth. Tie it up with a piece of kitchen string and place in the pot. Sprinkle the salt over the roast.
- Make sure the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the roast. If not, add more wine and water in equal amounts.
- Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and turn the meat occasionally. Simmer slowly until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 3 hours.
- To serve, remove the meat and pull it off the bone in pieces. Place a thick slice of crusty Portuguese orartisan bread in each soup plate, topped with a mint leaf or two. Ladle a generous amount of broth over the bread to soften. Serve the meat over or beside the moistened bread.
Notes
Wrapping Up
At a recent dinner party, we started with some appetizers and then enjoyed the Holy Ghost Wine and Spice Braised Beef. That was followed by a simple green salad, then a cheese course, and dessert of pastries from a local padaria. All in all, it was a very satisfying meal.
Too hard to make.
Sorry. Go to McDonald’s then.
Really tasty!
Thanks, Mike! Glad you enjoyed it.