Tender flank steaks are cooked in their own juice, creating a rich and super flavorful broth to create the Carne en su Jugo (aka Meat in its Juices) recipe that my family loves so much.
At the very end of the cooking time, pinto beans are stirred into the pot and then this delicacy is scooped into small bowls and topped with bacon, onion, coriander and plenty of lime.
We’re almost on Valentine’s Day, aka my 22nd wedding anniversary, and there’s literally no better way to say I love you to my houseful of boys than to hand them a fragrant bowl of carne en su jugo.
A bowl literally full of “meat in the juice”? That’s a guaranteed win here.
Our friends Mel and Jon invited us over to their house for dinner a few weeks ago and Mel was awesome enough to make it for us. My kids went crazy for it.
After dinner there wasn’t a drop in the pot and on the way home ALL my boys asked when we could make it again.
Carne en su Jugo
Mel and Jon worked as missionaries in Guadalajara for several years and Carne en su Jugo is a local favorite in this region of Mexico.
Mel was kind enough to share her recipe with me and I made it right away.
I just tweaked it a bit to suit my family’s tastes: we like a bit of spiciness in our recipes, so I increased the Serranos to 3. Feel free to use just 1 pepper if you want to avoid the heat.
However, with three peppers, there may be little or no heat. It really depends on how hot the available peppers are.
Since this is a HUGE favorite with my boys, I usually double the recipe when I make it.
Meat cooking tips
Most steak recipes warn you not to overfill the pan and not to leave any space between the cuts of meat. However, this recipe throws all caution to the wind and says, “Fill the pot!”
Since this recipe gets so much flavor from the meat juices, go ahead and fill that pot.
Add all of the meat at once, stirring just a little while cooking, until the pieces have mostly browned and plenty of the juice has been released.
How to cook tomatillos
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole tomatillos (pods removed and rinsed) and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender.
Drain and chop or puree as directed in your recipe.
Alternatively, you can roast tomatoes over a grill, under the grill, or over an open flame.
However, for this recipe we will be using the easy cooking method as we will be using all the liquids.
Carne en su Jugo recipe
- Combine the tomatillos, serrano peppers, garlic, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and let cool. Place the contents in a blender and blend until smooth. Put aside.
- Fry the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for about 10 minutes until crispy. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Crumble bacon and set aside.
- Drain the bacon grease, leaving about a tablespoon in the saucepan. Add the flank steak to the hot pot and cook until fully browned. Pour the tomatillo mixture over the beef and bring to a boil.
- Stir the chicken broth into the mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer until tender, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Stir the pinto beans into the flank steak mixture and simmer for a few minutes until warm; Divide the mixture into 6 bowls. Garnish with bacon, onion, cilantro, black pepper and a lime wedge.
For more recipes inspired by Mexican flavors, I recommend checking out these Enchilada Recipes, the NM Green Chile Stew, Carne Asada, and our beloved Pork Carnitas.
And for a breakfast bite you won’t soon forget, try this unique twist on Huevos Rancheros. And those chilaquiles with eggs are sure to be a big win, too.
Cooking tip: I use this pot for this recipe. (And I use this giant pot when doubling the recipe.)
