Carne en su jugo translates to 'Meat in it's juices', and is a popular dish in Jalisco, MX. It consists of a simple beef soup with bacon and a broth made with blended tomatillos.
Carne en su jugo can be described as a cross between a soup and a stew. It's served with whole beans and ends up being a pretty filling meal. The ingredients are pretty minimal, and it makes a great one pot meal.
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What Kind of Beef to Use
Use either a Top or Eye Round Beef Roast for Carne en su Jugo. While this is typically a tougher cut of meat, since we are slicing the beef small it won't be as tough.
It also helps to have the beef really cold and use a sharp knife. This way you can make small slices without tearing the beef.
Once all the beef is diced, set it aside and slice the bacon into small pieces. I cut all the bacon at once to make it easier. Again, cold bacon and a sharp knife make this easier.
Making the Tomatillo Sauce
I'm using a high power blender, and blending the tomatillos raw. If you do not have a high power blender, then boil to tomatillos for 3 minutes to soften them, then blend for the sauce.
You can also add a serrano or jalapeno with the tomatillos for some spice.
Another option is to add the cilantro and blend it with the tomatillos. I add the cilantro in the soup and remove it after. But adding it to the tomatillo sauce works too!
How to Make Carne en su Jugo
Start by cooking the bacon in a large pot or dutch oven until crispy. Once done remove bacon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Remove the bacon grease from the pot and reserve about 1 tablespoon. Add cooked bacon back to pot and reserve some bacon to garnish soup (optional).
Then add the green onions whole and sauté for about a minute with the bacon. Don't worry about trimming the onions, we will remove them before serving the soup.
Next, add the diced beef into the same pot with the bacon and the green onions. I also added a tablespoon of Beef Bouillon and a dash of salt.
Once the beef is no longer pink, add cilantro stems whole. Unless you added them to the blended tomatillo sauce.
Now pour in the tomatillo sauce, and add enough water to cover the beef. I ended up adding 5 cups of water. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or longer if the beef is still tough. Taste the broth and see if additional salt is needed.
Serving Carne en su Jugo
Remove the stems of cilantro, (if added) and green onion from the soup and discard.
To serve, place a few spoonful of beans in a bowl and add the carne en su jugo. You can either use canned beans or my recipe for Instant Pot Beans.
Other toppings include: Sliced Radishes, Diced White Onion, Chopped Cilantro, Crispy Bacon, Salsa Verde, or Sliced Avocado.
The broth will have some separation when it sits, that's normal. Just stir well before serving into bowls. Leftovers can be stored up to 4 days. Just re-heat on the stove or microwave.
Watch the YouTube Video
Try these other traditional Mexican Soups:
Posole Rojo, Sopa de Fideo, Albondigas, Caldo de Pollo
Carne en su Jugo Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz Bacon sliced into small pieces
- 4 Stalks Green onions washed and left whole
- ½ Bunch Cilantro washed left whole and a few pieces chopped for garnish
- 5 Tomatillos peeled and washed well
- Jalapeno or Serrano for spice
- 2.5 lbs Top Round Roast or Eye Round Beef sliced into small cubes. Place the beef in the freezer for a few minutes to help it to firm up and slice easier.
- 1 Tablespoon Beef Bouillon
- 4-6 cups Water enough to cover all the meat.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Whole Beans cooked and added when serving the soup.
Optional Toppings:
- Sliced Radishes, Diced White Onion, Crispy Bacon, Salsa Verde, or Sliced Avocado and Corn Tortillas to eat with the soup.
Instructions
- Slice Beef into small dices, it helps if the beef is really cold and use a sharp knife. Set beef aside once all diced.
- Slice bacon into small slices. Heat a large pot or dutch oven, medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve just 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease and remove the rest of the grease from the pot.Add cooked bacon back to pot and reserve some bacon to garnish soup (optional). Add whole green onion stalks and saute with bacon for about a minute.
- Add diced beef into pot with bacon and green onions. Season with beef bouillon and salt.While beef is cooking, place washed tomatillos, (serrano or jalapeno for spice) a teaspoon of salt, and ¼ cup of water into a blender. You can also add the cilantro in the blender or place it whole in the soup.If you do not have a high powered blender, then boil tomatillos for 3 minutes to soften them.
- Once beef is no longer pink, add cilantro (whole), and pour in tomatillo sauce. Add water to cover beef and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or longer if the beef is still tough.
- Remove cilantro and green onions from soup. Taste broth and see if additional salt is needed.To serve, place a few spoonfuls of beans into a bowl and ladle in the carne en su jugo. Top with chopped cilantro, extra bacon, and serve with warm tortillas. Other toppings include: Sliced Radishes, Diced White Onion, Salsa Verde, or Sliced Avocado.
Notes
Nutrition
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Yvette says
What kind of beans did you use? Peruvian beans or pinto?
Renee says
I used Peruvian Beans 🙂