Carne en su Jugo | Mexican Recipes

Carne en su Jugo (literally: meat in its juice) is a traditional Mexican dish that combines meat, beans, olives, tomatoes, and sometimes spices in a blender. It is traditionally made with beef, but can be made with chicken and pork as well. In each case, the dish is thickened with cornmeal before it is blended, which makes it a great dish to use as a base for a taco.

Carne en su Jugo | Mexican Recipes

Carne en su Jugo | Mexican Recipes

Meat in its fluids, or carne en su jugo, is a popular dish in Guadalajara, Mexico. The end product is a simple yet delicious meat and broth dish. 

Carne en su jugo in a white bowl topped with cilantro and a bowl of beans on the side.

Carne en su jugo is a stew that is a combination of soup and stew. It’s served with whole beans and makes for a satisfying supper. My mother-in-law prepares this meal often, and after seeing how simple it is, I was eager to attempt it myself.

Ingredients - Beef, bacon, tomatillos, green onion, cilantro.

The Components

All of the items were available at my local grocery shop. The tomatillos are the sole unusual ingredient, although they can be found at most grocery shops. I used a beef round roast and cut it into tiny dices, which took the most time. After that, chop the bacon into pieces that are comparable in size to the meat. Once peeled, tomatillos leave a waxy residue, so take careful to thoroughly wash them.

Dutch oven pot with cooked bacon on one side and whole green onions on the other side.

Carne en Su Jugo: A Step-by-Step Guide

With the exception of the beans, everything is cooked in one pot. For serving, you may use canned beans or my Instant Pot Beans recipe. I attempted to take a few process pictures to show you how to prepare carne en su jugo. In a big saucepan or dutch oven, fry the bacon, then add the green onions whole and sauté in the bacon fat. I know it seems strange, but the onions are simply for taste; you won’t eat them.

Dutch oven pot with beef, bacon, green onions and cilantro.

After that, combine the diced meat, bacon, and green onions in the same saucepan. Cook the meat in that wonderful bacon grease. Because the bacon contains a lot of salt, I just used a little of salt and pepper on the meat. After the meat has finished cooking, add the cilantro stems intact. We’re not going to eat this cilantro; it’s simply for decoration.

Tomatillo sauce being poured into the carne en su jugo pot.

To make the tomatillo sauce, purée the tomatillos with the water in a blender until smooth. Then add the sauce and a little more water to the cooked meat. The soup is now ready to be simmered. Because the meat has already been cooked, the simmering serves just to enhance the taste of the broth. It just takes 15-20 minutes to bring to a low boil.

Carne en su jugo in a white bowl topped with cilantro and a bowl of beans on the side.

Carne en Su Jugo (Juiced Meat)

Remove and discard the cilantro and green onion stalks from the soup. Season the broth to taste, then season with salt and pepper if necessary. Place a few spoonfuls of beans in a bowl and top with the carne en su jugo to serve. Warm tortillas and chopped cilantro on top.

Sliced Radishes, Diced White Onion, Crispy Bacon, Salsa Verde, or Sliced Avocado are some of the other options.

I’m delighted to share this family recipe with you, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

Carne en su jugo in a white bowl topped with cilantro.

Other classic Mexican soups to try:

Rojo Posole

Soup of Faith

Albondigas

White bowl with broth, diced beef, whole beans, and cilantro garnish in the middle.

Recipe for Carne en Su Jugo

Renee Fuentes is a model and actress.

The phrase “meat in its juices” means “meat in its juices.” The end product is a simple yet delicious meat and broth dish. 

Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

Time to cook: 20 minutes

45 minutes total

Instructions 

  • Prepare the bacon by slicing it into tiny pieces. Beef should be diced into such tiny pieces. To remove the husks from tomatillos, wash them well to eliminate any waxy residue. Cilantro and green onions should be washed.

  • Cook bacon until crisp in a big saucepan or dutch oven. Remove it from the saucepan and replace it with entire green onions. In the bacon fat, cook onions for approximately 2 minutes. The onions will be removed shortly before serving to allow the flavors to emerge. 

  • In a large saucepan, combine the cubed meat, bacon, bacon grease, and green onions. Cook the meat until it is tender. Season the meat with salt. In a blender, combine washed tomatillos, a pinch of salt, and 14 cup water while the beef is cooking. Blend until completely smooth.

  • When the meat is done, add the cilantro (whole) and the tomatillo sauce. Bring enough water to cover the meat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes. Remove the cilantro and green onions from the soup and set aside. Taste the broth to determine if it needs more salt or pepper.

  • To serve, pour the carne en su jugo into a dish with a few spoonfuls of beans. Serve with warm tortillas and chopped cilantro on top. Sliced Radishes, Diced White Onion, Crispy Bacon, Salsa Verde, or Sliced Avocado are some of the other options.

Notes

You may use canned whole beans or this Instant Pot Beans recipe. When the soup rests for a while, it will separate. This is okay. Just give it a good swirl before dishing into dishes. 

 

Late one night in the winter of 2014, my wife and I were looking for a recipe for carne en su jugo. The notion of “jugo”, was something we’d seen in various Mexican cooking shows and had always been intrigued by, as it’s a popular term for Mexican soup. It isn’t really a soup, more a thick drink made by blending meats, chopped vegetables, and sometimes spices.. Read more about carne en su jugo tomatillo and let us know what you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is carne su Jugo?

Carne su Jugo is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of meat and vegetables cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.

What is carne en su jugo made of?

Carne en su jugo is a traditional Spanish dish made of beef, tomatoes, and garlic.

Where did carne en su jugo originate from?

Carne en su jugo is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of meat, vegetables, and spices.

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Una is a food website blogger motivated by her love of cooking and her passion for exploring the connection between food and culture. With an enthusiasm for creating recipes that are simple, seasonal, and international, she has been able to connect with people around the world through her website. Una's recipes are inspired by her travels across Mexico, Portugal, India, Thailand, Australia and China. In each of these countries she has experienced local dishes while learning about the culture as well as gaining insight into how food can be used as a bridge between different cultures. Her recipes are often creative combinations of traditional ingredients from various different cuisines blended together to create something new.