Carne en su Jugo – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Tender pieces of flank steak are simmered in their own juices creating a rich and super flavorful broth to create the Carne en su Jugo recipe (a.k.a. Meat in its Juices) that my family loves so much.

Right at the end of the cooking time, pinto beans are stirred into the pot and then this deliciousness is scooped into bowls and topped with bacon, onion, cilantro and plenty of lime.

Here we are almost to Valentine’s Day, also known as my 22nd wedding anniversary, and there is quite literally no better way to say “I love you” to my house full of boys than to hand them a fragrant bowl of Carne en su Jugo.

A bowl literally full of “meat in its juices?” That’s a guaranteed win around 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 this for us. My kids went crazy over it.

There wasn’t a drop left in the pot after dinner and on the way home, ALL of my guys 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 that region of Mexico.

Mel was kind enough to share her recipe with me and I made it immediately.

I’ve tweaked it just a bit to match my family’s tastes: we like a little heat with our recipes, so I upped the serranos to 3. Feel free to only use 1 pepper if you’d like to avoid the heat.

That said, there might be little or no heat with three peppers. It really depends on how hot the available peppers are.

Also, because this is a HUGE favorite with my guys, I typically double the recipe when I make this.

Meat Cooking Tips

With most steak recipes, you’re cautioned against crowding the pan and not allowing space between the pieces of meat. However, this recipe throws caution to the wind and says “fill up that pot!”

Because this recipe gets so much flavor from the meat’s juices, go ahead and crowd that pot.

Add all the meat at the same time and just stir a bit as it cooks until the pieces have turned mostly brown and plenty of juices have been released.

How To Cook Tomatillos

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole tomatillos (husks removed and rinsed) and boil for approximately 5 minutes or until soft.

Drain and crush or puree as directed in your recipe.

Alternatively, you can also roast tomatoes over a grill, under the broiler, or over an open flame.

For this recipe though, we’re going with the simple boiling method, as we will be using all of the liquids.

Carne en su Jugo Recipe

1. 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 heat and allow to cool. Transfer the contents to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
3. Drain the bacon grease, leaving a tablespoon or so in the pot. Add the flank steak to the hot pot and cook until completely browned. Pour the tomatillo mixture over the beef and bring to a boil.
4. Stir the chicken bouillon into the mixture, and reduce heat to medium. Cover the pot and simmer until tender, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
5. Stir the pinto beans into the flank steak mixture and simmer a few minutes until warm; divide the mixture between 6 bowls. Garnish each with bacon, onion, cilantro, black pepper, and a lime wedge.

For more recipes inspired by Mexican flavors, I recommend that you check out these Enchilada Recipes, the NM Green Chile Stew, Carne Asada, and our beloved Pork Carnitas.

And for a breakfast bite that you won’t soon forget, try this unique twist on Huevos Rancheros. And these Chilaquiles with Eggs are sure to be a huge win too.

Kitchen Tip: I use this pot to make this recipe. (And I use this giant pot when I’m doubling the recipe.)