Carne En Su Jugo translated means “meat cooked in its own juices.” This traditional Mexican recipe comes from the State of Jalisco. It’s a flavorful and delicious beef soup cooked in a savory tomatillo broth. Usually served with beans.
It was drizzling the other day in San Diego. For us, it was cold. 59 degrees… Brrr! I even had the heater on. Laugh, if you will, East Coasters. That meant soup. In this case, it meant Carne En Su Jugo. This soup is Mmm Mmm good!
Carne En Su Jugo starts with bacon. Some people will leave their bacon in large, long pieces. Since it’s a soup, I like tiny, chopped up pieces. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Then cook it in the bacon fat. You can choose whatever cut of beef you like, but you need to chop it up into tiny pieces. Again, it’s a soup. You want to make it easy to eat.
While this happening, blend the tomatillos, garlic, onion, serrano peppers, and cilantro until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
You do not want to brown the meat. What you’re looking for is for the meat juices to come out. Then add half the bacon.
Next add the tomatillo sauce from the blender. The sauce will be bright green, but it will change colors once it’s cooked.
Add the water and beef bouillon to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Bouillon is a very popular ingredient in the Mexican cuisine. You can swap it out for salt.
Carne En Su Jugo is served in a big bowl with beans and topped with cilantro. Some people will add radishes, or lime, or both. Tortillas are a must when eating this dish. You want savor all that flavor. Enjoy!
Watch How to Make Carne En Su Jugo
- 6 slices of bacon, chopped
- 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Salt and Pepper
- ½ onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 6 tomatillos
- 1-2 serrano peppers (if you like it spicy, add 2 serrano peppers)
- ½ bunch of cilantro
- 2 cups + 4 cups of water (divided)
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon
- 2 cups pinto beans, cooked
- Cilantro (for garnish)
- Lime wedges (optional)
- Radishes (optional)
- In a large pot, cook the bacon.
- Remove the cooked bacon from the pot and set aside.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat.
- Add the beef to the pot.
- (You do not want to brown the beef. You simply want the beef juices to release).
- In the meantime, add onion, garlic, tomatillos, serrano peppers, cilantro and 2 cups of water in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Once the beef has released its juices, add the tomatillo sauce.
- Return half of the bacon to the pot.
- (Leave half of the bacon for garnish).
- Add 4 cups of water and the beef bouillon.
- Stir.
- Taste for good measure.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- To serve, add 3-4 tablespoons of pinto beans to a large bowl.
- Add a ladle full of the Carne En Su Jugo and top with cilantro (if using), radishes (if using) and serve with lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
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