Carne en su Jugo
The flagship dish of Guadalajara, Jalisco: thinly sliced beef steak gently simmered in an intensely flavorful and aromatic green broth made of fresh tomatillos and cilantro, topped with crispy bacon bits, whole pinto beans, and grilled cambray onions.
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45 min
Easy
Mexicana (Tapatía)
4 servings
The story behind
You seriously have absolutely no idea what an incredible, deeply comforting masterpiece this dish is—it is the ultimate culinary hug and a legendary cure for any rough morning! The very first time I experienced an authentic carne en su jugo was at a wildly famous spot in Guadalajara, where they serve you in miniature clay bowls at an astonishing speed. Watching that steaming bowl arrive, with the deep green savory broth coating the meltingly tender beef while the scent of fried bacon fills the air, completely blew my mind. The chef proudly shared with me that the golden secret lies in cooking the steak directly in the rendered bacon fat, and using the cooking liquid from freshly made pinto beans to add rich body and spectacular texture. Personally, I absolutely love cooking this on weekends when the family gathers over. It looks phenomenal when you place bowls of chopped onions, fresh cilantro, radishes, and plenty of limes at the center so everyone can customize their bowl to taste, exactly like the stunning presentation in Carne en su jugo.jpg. To drink, an ice-cold hibiscus water or a crisp Mexican beer makes the ultimate companion. You will fall in love with it completely!
Instructions
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1In a deep pot or heavy skillet (ideally rustic clay), fry the chopped bacon over medium heat until perfectly crisp and golden; remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, leaving the rich oil behind.
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2In the same pot with the hot rendered bacon fat, toss in the cambray onions, grilling them until they are beautifully blistered, browned, and tender; remove and set aside.
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3Add the thinly sliced beef strips into the remaining hot fat, seasoning generously with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper over medium-high heat. The meat will release its natural juices; let it simmer in them for about 10 minutes without letting it dry out.
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4For the green sauce, blend the raw tomatillos, cilantro, white onion, garlic cloves, serrano chili, and one cup of water or bean broth until completely smooth and fluid.
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5Pour this vibrant green sauce directly over the simmering beef in the pot just as the meat begins to brown around the edges, stirring well to deglaze the rich pan flavors.
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6Lower the heat to medium, cover tightly, and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes until the beef is meltingly tender and the green broth infuses thoroughly.
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7To plate up flawlessly just like the layout in Carne en su jugo.jpg, ladle the savory steak and green broth into deep bowls, nestle a scoop of hot whole pinto beans with their broth at the base, arrange the grilled cambray onions on the side, and scatter a mountain of crispy bacon bits over the top right before serving with fresh lime wedges.
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