This recipe is from the State of Jalisco, where it is very popular and one of the most famous dishes from that State. Jalisco’s main city is Guadalajara, the State Capital, also known as the “Pearl of the West” in addition to being one of the largest cities in Latin American due to its dense population of more than 5 million people living in the city and metropolitan area.
Maybe you have heard of Jalisco before because it is the birthplace of our world-famous Tequila. But Jalisco is more than just Tequila, moreover, it has extensive gastronomy.
Carne en su jugo Recipe | Meat cooked in its own juice
The Jalisco’s gastronomy is celebrated for dishes like Birria, Pozole, Tortas Ahogadas, tamales, Coachella, pacholas, tostadas tapatías, frijoles puercos, besides an endless number of salsas, just to mention a few. The city of Guadalajara is notorious for its bakeries which make some exquisite pieces of bread and a large number of them mostly made there like the sweet bread “picones”, or the cuajada breads , and a particular bread called “birote”, a bread very similar to the French baguette, that we use to make the “Torta Ahogada” sandwich; or as a table bread, according to the local bakers the subtropical weather plus the high altitude above sea level of the city is the reason why the birote can only be made in Guadalajara.
Carne en su Jugo is a concentrated flavorful broth of beef meat finely diced and served with beans plus a wide array of toppings served alongside. I had been to Jalisco three times in my life, and in my last visit, I had a personal agenda of visiting as many typical restaurants, markets and street food stands as humanly possible.
Of course, Carne en su Jugo was included in my agenda. Now, that meat broth didn’t include tomatillos, it was just the meat broth and the beans. There are many versions of this recipe that include tomatillos vs. others without the tomatillos. Personally, I prefer the kind that includes tomatillos.
So here is my own adaptation of this popular dish with the option of adding the tomatillos, and that will be up to you to decide to add. The standard garnishes are the cooked bacon, lime wedges, chopped onion, and cilantro.
How to make Carne en su jugo
DIRECTIONS:
- Finely cut the meat into thin slices and then into small cubes. Place the meat in a glass bowl. Mix soy sauce, lime juice, and pepper and add to the meat. Let the meat marinate for a few minutes while you cook the bacon. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Fry bacon in a medium-size Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
- Add the meat to the pot and cook at medium heat for about 8 minutes, during this time the meat will release some of its juices.
- While the meat is cooking, place chopped garlic, onion, cilantro, and Serrano pepper into a blender with a cup of the broth and process until well blended.
- Pour this mixture to the meat, add the rest of the broth, and taste to season with salt as well as ground pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, place lid to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or more until meat is tender. This last cooking time will depend on the cut of meat you are using.
To serve to divide the warm beans into serving bowls afterward add the meat to its broth. Let everyone garnish with chopped onions, cilantro, and radishes along with some drops of lime juice.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More recipes:
Beef Tongue in Salsa Verde
Shredded beef for tacos and more…
Carne en su Jugo
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon finely diced
- 1 ½ pound top round sirloin or any other cut of meat without fat
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- Fresh ground pepper to season the meat
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 spring onions chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 serrano peppers chopped
- 4 cups of chicken broth or 4 cups of water mixed with 4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon*
- 4 to matillos cooked (Optional)
- 2 cups of cooked pinto beans warm
GARNISHES:
- 6 tablespoon Crispy bacon pieces
- 3 tablespoon Chopped white onion
- 3 tablespoon Chopped cilantro
- 1-½c up Tortilla chips
- ⅓ cup Chopped radishes
- 6 onions Grilled spring onions
- ⅔ Avocado slices or guacamole
- 1 Lime wedges
Instructions
- Finely cut the meat into thin slices and then into small cubes. Place the meat in a glass bowl. Mix soy sauce, lime juice, and pepper and add to the meat. Let the meat marinate for a few minutes while you cook the bacon.
- Fry bacon in a medium-size Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
- Add the meat to the pot and cook at medium heat for about 8 minutes, during this time the meat will release some of its juices.
- While the meat is cooking, place chopped garlic, onion, cilantro and Serrano pepper into a blender with a cup of the broth and process until well blended. (If you are adding the tomatillos, add them in this step)
- Pour this mixture over the meat, add the rest of the broth, and taste to season with salt as well as ground pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, place lid to pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or more until meat is tender. This last cooking time will depend on the cut of meat you are using.
Gabriela, clavo y canela
Mely, se ve estupendo y delicioso :)..hermosas fotos
besos
Rebecca Subbiah
this looks wonderful and full of flavor
Victoria M.
I have made this several times now& every time I say it is AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing 😋
Nora Ceccopieri
Mely, muy interesante este plato de Jalisco, bastante elaborado, tiene qué estar muy sabroso! Excelente paso a paso como siempre!
Besos
Prieta
Wow, sé ve delicioso! Quiero un poco pero ya!!
Tifferella
I made this today and my hubby said it was a home run! Thanks Mely. 🙂 Now we don't have to drive all the way on the west side of Chicago to get our fix. Lol.
Mely Martinez
Hello Tifferella,
I am so glad to know you like it. This meal taste even better the next day!
Sandra
another favorite of mine! so excited that you are sharing these great recipes. my mom was a great cook, but I never learned to cook. so thanks for sharing them.
Mely Martinez
Hello Sandra,
I am glad to know these recipes remind you of your mom's cooking!
Saludos!
Kerenlgap
Hola Mely!!!
I love your recipes!!! I take a lot of pride when it comes to my cooking, specially when it comes to Mexican food. I can totally tell you have a teaching backround by the way you explain the recipes. Thank you for sharing!!!!
mmartinez
Hello Kerenlgap,
Thank you for your kind comment. I hope you try the recipe it is mouthwatering!
Happy Cooking!
Gena
Delicioso
💞💖💞
Daniel Hugo Armas Ramos
Hi Mely, I'm from Guadalajara the capital of the carne en su jugo. I read the recipe,is really close to the original one, thanks for sharing to other borders!! Congrats!
mmartinez
Hello Daniel,
Thank you, it means a lot to me that someone from Guadalajara approves of the recipe. Saludos!
Unknown
Hola Mely !
Omg, this is so right on. I lived near Tequila Jalisco for 11 years so I am very spoiled with good authentic mexican food. I always thought about making this but always thought how to without making with beef broth. Now I see the trick, of course, it all makes sense, consommé de pollo. I am in complete heaven everytime I make this along with my frijoles de olla. MUCHAS GRACIAS !! I make it every week : )
Unknown
Thank you so much for this recipe! It taste just like my moms and I didn't have to bug her for directions. This is my new favorite website! Thank you again.
mmartinez
Thanks a lot for trying the recipe.
MERCEDES G RAMOS
Querida, Meli, I am so very excited to try your recipes. They are almost like thinking about what my mom and family cooked. We also used a lot of fresh tomatoes in our rice, fideo and guisado recipes.
Thank you so much!
MERCEDES G RAMOS
Meli, just a comment: The recipes show each step of the process, of creating the dish, via photos. This is so very helpful; however, not all the recipes have the recipe, in a box, at the end. This is a great feature as I just print out 1 or 2 pages of the recipe.
Might you do that for all recipes?
Thanks!
mmartinez
Hello Mercedes,
We are working on adding the print option to the recipes, it's something that has to be done one by one. we hope to finish soon. Thank you fro visiting.
Sophia Corona
This was delicious! I got some really spicy serranos so it came out a little spicier than I'm used to, but it was still great! Now that I know how easy it is to make, I don't have to make special trips to my favorite taqueria when I have a craving.
mmartinez
Hello Sophia,
I'm so glad you like it and enjoyed the spiciness of those serranos. Provecho!
Linda
Gracias! I have been wanting the recipe for this since a friend mentioned she made it a couple months back. Then, I went to Guadalajara a few weeks ago and WOW - increible. I am so happy and excited to make it at home using your recipe!
mmartinez
Hello Linda,
Enjoy the Carne en su jugo recipe.
Monica
Had this dish for the first time at 5 Rabanitos in Pilsen Chicago. Bookmarking your recipe so I can try making it at home!
Ginger Bardenhagen
You mentioned other great Jalisco dishes above. What is a Coachella? Or the tostadas tapatías ? I will be on the look out for these dishes next time I travel.
Thanks!
Lauren
How do you suggest reheating the next day?
Mely Martínez
Hello Lauren,
the best way to reheat it is by placing it in a saucepan over the stove at medium heat.
Mayra Rivera
Yummy.. Thanks for the Recipe it was easy to make
Mayra Rivera
Yummy.. it came out so deeelishious
Alma M.
Hi Mely,
4 years I've been making your Carne en Su Jugo Recipe. My husband and I love to make it on cold days here in Colorado.
We always have left overs, too!
Thank you : )
Mely Martínez
Hello Alma,
Thank you for coming back, I love when you enjoy a recipe and make it over and over again. Happy cooking!
Nora Cossyleon
This recipe is very flavorful and simple to make. My family enjoys the tanginess of tomatillos and full flavor with all the toppings. I make this several times. Highly recommend
Debbie
Mely, is the bacon just used as a topping?
Mely Martínez
Hello Debbie,
Yes, the cooked bacon is added as a topping. Enjoy the Carne en su Jugo recipe.
Jennifer
I loved it. My husband is from Guerrero, Mexico and he loved it. I will definitely being making this again.