Carne En Su Jugo (Meat in its Juices)
Carne en su jugo is a cozy Jalisco-style stew with tender beef, bacon, pinto beans, and salsa verde simmered in their juices.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef flap meat or flank steak, cubed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup dried pinto beans or one 15 oz can pinto beans
- 10 oz bacon chopped
- 1 bunch cebollitas Mexican green onion bulbs, cut in half
Salsa Verde
- 4 tomatillos
- 2 serrano peppers or jalapeno
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ small onion
- 1 tbsp Knorr chicken bouillon
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp mexican oregano
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 to 3 cups water
Toppings
- cilantro
- onion
- red radish
- crispy bacon
Instructions
Cook the beans (skip if using canned beans)
- Soak ½ cup dried pinto beans 4+ hours.
- Simmer in 2 cups fresh water with ½ tsp salt until tender, about 1 hour covered. Reserve ½–1 cup cooking liquid.
Make the salsa verde
- Char the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, and garlic in a skillet for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle over 1 tbsp Knorr chicken bouillon, ½ tsp cumin, and ¼ tsp Mexican oregano. Mix to toast the seasonings briefly, then add 2 cups of water and simmer for 5 minutes, covered.
- Add everything to a blender along with ¼ cup cilantro. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Cook the bacon and beef
- In a separate pot, brown the bacon over medium-low heat until crispy. Set it aside on paper towels.
- Saute the cebollitas (Mexican green onions) in the bacon fat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Set aside with the bacon.
- Remove some of the bacon fat if there is a lot. Add the cubed beef and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Continue cooking the beef in its juices for about 5 minutes.
- Pour salsa verde into the pot, scraping browned bits.
- Cover and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Stir in beans, ½–1 cup reserved bean liquid, half of the bacon, and cebollitas. *If using canned beans, rinse and drain before adding.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning/consistency to your liking. I usually add a little salt and water if it's too thick. Simmer 5 more minutes covered.
Assemble the soup
- Ladle into bowls. Top with raw onion, radish, cilantro, crispy bacon. Serve with warm corn tortillas and enjoy :)
Notes
- Canned beans substitution: You can use canned pinto beans instead of cooking them from scratch—just rinse and drain before adding. You will also need to add a bit more water.
- Adjusting spice: Reduce or remove the seeds from jalapeños/serranos in the salsa verde to make the soup milder.
- Simmer gently, not aggressively. A low simmer keeps the beef tender and prevents the broth from reducing/thickening too quickly.
- Servings: This recipe serves between 2-3 hungry people. You can double all the ingredients to make it for 4-6 people.
Nutrition
Serving: 1person | Calories: 1383kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 103g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 45g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 255mg | Sodium: 1709mg | Potassium: 1845mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 8mg
