Carne en su Jugo (Braised Beef in a Tomatillo Broth)

By garciamoss

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, sliced into 2-inch chunks
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Cumin
• Mexican oregano
• 1 1/2 pounds poached tomatillos
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup onion, plus more for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 serrano peppers (or jalapeño)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups water or chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1/3 cup sliced radishes, for garnish
• Avocado slices for garnish
• Warm corn tortillas

Details

Adapted from hispanickitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat 3 tablespoons of olive oil to medium/high heat for a few minutes. Season the beef chunks with 1 teaspoon each of the spices listed. Sear the beef until browned on all sides.

2. While beef is searing, in the blender, combine the tomatillos, cilantro, onion, garlic, serranos, bay leaves, 2 cups of water or broth, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth.

3. Add the sauce to the beef along with remaining 2 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. At this time I like to re-season to taste with the spices listed. Cover and continue cooking for 1 hour or until beef is tender. I add in the beans about 20 minutes before serving or you can add some beans into the bottom of bowl, then ladle the beef and sauce over the top. Garnish as you like, with onions, cilantro, radishes and avocado. Serve with warm corn tortillas.



Notes: I wanted to note that I added a few strips of thick cut bacon(chopped) to this recipe. I cooked it until crisp, then added in the beef as directed.

Tips: For a lighter broth, you can add fewer tomatillos when you blend the sauce or you can eliminate them altogether.