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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.
This is soooooo delicious! Made it for dinner last night and am making it again tonight per my family request. I used the extra peppers in mine as well and it was perfect!! This is my new favorite dish.
Here we are almost to Valentine’s Day, also known as my 22nd wedding anniversary, and there is 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 filled with “meat in its juices?” That’s a guaranteed win around here.
Carne en su Jugo
Our friends Mel and Jon invited us over to their house for dinner shortly after we met them, 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. 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.
Lucky for all of us, she was kind enough to share her recipe with me, and I made it immediately. And as soon as I had made it once, I made a note to double the recipe every time in the future when I make this, because it is a HUGE favorite with my guys.
Oh, how we love this recipe!
When I say that my family loves this, what I really mean is we LOVE LOVE LOVE this meal. So much so that my oldest son has requested Carne en su Jugo for his birthday dinner for the past five years now.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made this. It’s officially a family favorite. Thanks again, Mel!
Meat Cooking Tips
With most steak recipes, you’re cautioned against crowding the pan and not allowing space between the pieces of meat. However, Carne en su Jugo 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 the cooked tomatillos as directed in your recipe.
You can also roast tomatillos over a grill, under the broiler, or over an open flame. For Carne en su Jugo, though, we’re following the simple boiling method, as we will be using all of the liquids and boiling the garlic and peppers along with the tomatillos.
Recipe Tip
I’ve tweaked Mel’s recipe just a bit to match my family’s tastes: we like a little heat in our dishes, so I upped the serranos to 3. Feel free to only use 1 chile 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.
Carne en su Jugo Recipe
After the tomatillos are cooked and pureed, pour that mixture over the steak in the pot and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken bouillon, cover the pot, and simmer until the meat is tender. This should take at least 30 minutes and may take up to 1 hour.
Stir the pinto beans into the pot and simmer a few more minutes until everything is warm; divide the mixture between 6 bowls. Top each serving with bacon, onion, cilantro, black pepper, and a squeeze of lime.
For more recipes inspired by Mexican flavors, I recommend that you check out these Enchilada Recipes, the NM Green Chile Stew, Pork and Tomato Chile Verde, 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.)
Carne en su Jugo
Ingredients
- 4 fresh tomatillos husks removed
- 3 serrano chile peppers seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 cups water
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 pounds flank steak cut into 1/2-inch squares
- 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
- 2 15.5 ounce cans pinto beans
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lime cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 2/12/20 – recipe notes and photos updated 9/15/25}
Hi Mary – this looks amazing. Are you blending the 3 cups of water as well as tomatillos, etc?
Yes, the water is part of the recipe. You’ll blend it all together as pictured in the photos, Julie.
Mary,
This sounds absolutely scrumptious! Can I make this all in one pot? Why does the bacon have to be cooked separately? Couldn’t I brown the flank steak in a little bit of the bacon fat?
Hi Nancy! I am so glad you asked, because the last time I made this I streamlined the whole process in a single pot. (And I forgot to update my notes on the recipe!) So, YES absolutely use the same pot for the bacon. Enjoy!
This is soooooo delicious! Made it for dinner last night and am making it again tonight per my family request. I used the extra peppers in mine as well and it was perfect!! This is my new favorite dish..
oh!! I’m thrilled to hear that you love it as much as we do, Kelly!
Thanks for this recipe! Although it is not as cold here in Cali, this recipe is perfect for the chilly days we’ve been having. Looking forward to making this real soon!
I hope that you love it, Joyce!
I made this last night and it is delicious! I’m surprised I’ve never seen this on the menu in the many Mexican restaurants we have here in California. Thanks for sharing it with us.
This had amazing flavor. I made it exactly as written.
I’m so happy that you love it too, Melody!
Mary, I love good beef recipes and this looks fantastic!
Can this be prepared ahead of time and frozen until ready to serve?
Yes, this should freeze nicely.
I made it, it was so delicious! My entire family is addicted. Thank you for sharing! ❤
YAY! I’m so glad you love it too, Liz.
I made this recipe tonight because I knew my husband would like it. And he absolutely loved it! I made it exactly as written and it was delicious. I can’t wait to make it again when my sons are home because I know they will love it too. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you so much, Lisa. I hope your crew of boys loves it like mine does!
I have a couple of questions. Do you drain and rinse the beans first or do you need the canned liquid for thickening? Second, has anyone tried it with the beans mashed a little bit? I had this dish in a restaurant and I think they did that. Thanks! It looks great!
I haven’t intentionally mashed the beans for this recipe, but it should work fine, Kara. Personally, I wouldn’t want to mash all of them. Yes, you need the liquid from the beans in order to create the desired result.
Hi Mary. I’m not crazy about pinto beans. Any other bean you could recommend?
Hi, Cindy. Black beans would be the best substitute. If you’re not crazy about those either, white/great northern beans, chickpeas, or lentils should work. Happy cooking!
Made this and I was worried if three serranos would make it spicy, but it was not. Instead of chicken bullion I used 1tsp of garlic salt 1tsp of celery salt, 1 TBSP of oregano. I usually substitute those in my recipes. I also added green beans for a veggie ! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m thrilled you like it, Vanessa!