If you follow my soup posts, you probably know I am a fan of "big" flavors... Complex, layered, spicy soups, in particular, tend to intrigue me more than things like, for example, a simple potato chowder or chicken soup. Enter this recipe for Carne En Su Jugo...
My friend and frequent soup buddy, Lisa, sent me this recipe and suggested we try it. I was immediately sold! "Carne en su jugo" can be translated from Spanish as "meat in its [own] juice" and is, according to many websites, a relatively new dish originating in the Mexican State of Jalisco (specifically, Guadalajara) in the late-50s or early-60s. This soup combines various savory ingredients in a single bowl (the core of which includes beef, beans, bacon, and tomatillos) to produce a Mexican comfort food touted (by some) as a hangover cure. I didn't plan on putting its purported curative properties to the test this weekend, but I was interested in how this soup would taste!
This recipe came from: https://inmamamaggieskitchen.com/carne-en-su-jugo/
Variations from the Recipe as Written: I made two major changes (additions?) to this recipe that I think made a big difference... First, I made pinto beans from scratch using my wife Becky's simple (but delicious) recipe: 1) Soak the dried pinto beans overnight; 2) Add the beans to the slow cooker with ham hocks and smoked salt; 3) Add water to just cover the beans in the cooker; 4) Cook the beans on Low for 6+ hours (or until the beans are the desired texture). Second, I pre-marinated the meat overnight (to increase flavor and tenderness) using a marinade I developed for my pozole recipe: 1/2 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp liquid smoke, 1 tbsp lime juice, and 7 tbsp water. Other than those significant changes, I followed the recipe pretty closely.
Pic 2 - Picture of my homemade pinto beans
General Thoughts: This soup took a bit of prep, but that was primarily due to my marinating the beef and making homemade pinto beans. If you choose to forego the marinade, use canned (i.e., heat and serve) pinto beans, and ask your butcher to cube the beef for you when you buy it, all that is required is a bit of chopping on the bacon and just enough cutting on the veggies to make them fit in the blender. Everything else (e.g., cooking the bacon, heating the beef to release its juices, puréeing the tomatillo/veggie mixture, etc.) is pretty low intensity.
*Pics 3, 4, & 5 - Pictures from when I made it (*Photo credit for pic #5 to family friend Andrew)
Wow, where to start? The mouthfeel and texture of this soup were excellent! The beans helped make the soup hearty and filling, while its various ingredients (and garnishes) provided terrific variety in each bite: brothiness (water, bouillon, tomatillo/veggie purée), tenderness (pinto beans), chewiness (bacon, beef), and crunchiness (radishes, scallions) were all present. But, before I move on to the taste, it is worth mentioning that the chuck roast was a bit too chewy, despite the tenderizing provided by pre-marinating. The beef is actually only cooked for about 30 minutes total in this recipe, which was clearly not enough to adequately breakdown a tougher cut like chuck roast. This was a small quibble, however, as simply choosing a different cut of meat (such as stew meat or a leaner cut of beef, like hanger, flank, or sirloin steak) would have made this a non-issue.
The taste was, likewise, very good as the soup provided a symphony of different flavors. The broth was very rich, thanks to the bacon and beef "juice," and the tomatillo/veggie purée provided a good depth of flavor, which included a "freshness" and decent spice. I took a chance by using two serrano chiles, as BFF Jayson is sometimes very sensitive to spice, but he opined that the soup had the perfect level of heat for him. Immediately, when I tasted the soup out of the pot, I thought it lacked a little "bite," which I felt it needed to cut the richness of the beef and bacon. However, adding a tbsp of apple cider vinegar to my bowl was perfect, opened up the other flavors nicely, and gave me exactly the taste I was looking for! This sentiment was echoed by the rest of my diners, who all thought the soup was very tasty but that it was taken to "the next level" by a bit of vinegar.
Potential Improvements? This is one of those rare soups that is terrific just the way it is but that I also think could be even better with some simple changes... First, I'd definitely use a more tender cut of beef than chuck roast (such as stew meat or a leaner cut, like hanger, flank, or sirloin steak). Second, I'd lessen the amount of water added to the pot by 1 cup (i.e., I'd use 3 cups instead of 4) in hopes of helping the tomatillo flavor shine through a bit more. Third, I'd add some apple cider vinegar to the pot (about 4 tbsp for a single batch) to give the soup a bit more contrast, as well as ensuring I had vinegar (and/or a high-quality, vinegary tomatillo salsa) available for my diners, so they can doctor each bowl to their personal taste. Finally, I'd make additional garnishes available for guests, including (but not limited to) chopped cilantro, lime wedges, radishes, bacon, angel hair cabbage, chopped fresh or dried chiles, chicharrones, tortillas, and grated cotija cheese.
Polling the Fam: I loved this one and can't wait to make it again with the above changes. Becky really liked it, repeating the comments regarding the cut of meat, and said she thought marinating the beef was important to the soup's overall flavor. Jayson loved it, thought the vinegar strengthened the overall flavor, and suggested decreasing the amount of water. Lisa said she really enjoyed it and echoed comments about the vinegar and cut of meat, but said she (personally) thought the bacon might have been too much. Andrew loved it and used hot sauce to up the level of heat in his bowl. And, Fox thought it was tasty, even though he is not a huge fan of beans, in general.
Verdict: Loved it! (5 stars)
