Carne en su Jugo is a flavorful broth of tomatillos and spices with bits of steak, pinto beans and smoky bacon served with a variety of toppings such as radish and cilantro.
I’m re-naming this soup the ‘feel good’ soup because after just one slurp, you can’t help but feel good. There’s something about the concentration of flavors in the broth that soothe your soul. I came across this soup from my good friend Dani who had been talking it up about this steak soup that was just amazing. She finally made it for our Easter dinner and man, I could have eaten the entire pot. No joke.
It’s really a very simple soup to make, but there are a few very important steps that make this soup spectacular. The steak must be cut in very small pieces, whether you are using leftover steak, which is totally doable, or fresh steak, the more uniform the better. This helps the overall texture of the soup because it cooks evenly and you don’t end up with any chewy pieces. Also, you really want a lean piece of steak, otherwise you end up with fatty pieces and that, my friends is no bueno! This goes for the bacon too. Render all that fat out of the bacon. You want crispy bacon.
Finally, you may end up with extra tomatillo mixture. This is a good thing! Use it as a topping or salsa on the side. It’s pretty much my salsa verde recipe anyways! Here’s the link to my Salsa Verde, because trust me, you’ll want more! https://outwestlifestyle.com/2019/04/25/salsa-verde/
Ingredients in Carne en su Jugo
- Tomatillos – The Mexican husk tomato. If you can’t find fresh, usually you can find canned in Mexican aisle at grocery.
- Steak – A lean steak such as flank or skirt steak. Can also used leftover steak with fat removed.
- Bacon – Good smoked bacon.
- Beans – Pinto beans work well in this recipe, either canned or dry and soaked.
- Jalapeno – Use either a jalapeno or serrano pepper.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is a must for fresh flavor.
- Onion – Yellow onion.
- Garlic – Either fresh or pre-minced works too.
- Cumin – An earthy spice that is used a lot in Mexican cooking.
Related Recipes
If you love bold flavors of Mexico try these favorites. Poblano Corn Tortilla Soup is a flavorful broth based soup inspired by a traditional tortilla soup. It’s one of my favorite soups and is a great vegetarian option. Frijoles Charros also known as cowboy beans is a very filling, budget friendly soup reminiscent of bean dip, only so much better! Serve with crispy fried tortilla strips.
Carne en su Jugo
Ingredients
- 4-5 tomatillos, husks removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 1 jalapeno
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup cilantro, fresh
- 5 strips thick cut bacon fine chopped
- 1 lb lean steak, such as loin, skirt or flank fine chopped
- 8 cup good chicken broth
- 1 can pinto beans, drained (or 1.5 cup soaked pinto beans)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Place tomatillos, onion and jalapeno on a sheet pan under broil until charred on all sides.
- Remove from broiler and place in blender with garlic and 1/4 cup of cilantro. Blend until smooth.
- In a large soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pot and set aside, leaving grease in pot.
- Increase heat to medium high, add diced steak and cook until browned.
- Pour 2 cup of the tomatillo mixture into the pot with the grease and browned steak. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients, including remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and simmer until steak is tender about an hour. Right before serving add bacon back to soup or use as a topping.
- Serve with a variety of toppings such as diced radish, fresh cilantro, cotija cheese and tortilla chips.
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