Deep Fried Honey

Preheat your oven to 450°F and place the tomatillos, chopped onion, garlic, and peppers in a roasting dish. Sprinkle over a pinch of kosher salt and roast in the oven until the onions are browned and the skin on the peppers and tomatillos are shriveling. Should be about 1/2 an hour. 

Season the flank steak with your desired amount of salt, half of the other listed spices, and all of the soy sauce. Stir well to make sure each piece gets seasoned, then set aside at room temperature. 

Place a large saute pan with high sides over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and fry until it’s crispy. Transfer the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate. If you don’t want to use the bacon grease go ahead and discard it now and add a small drizzle of oil. 

Add the steak to the pan – this is one of the rare occasions I’ll tell you it’s OK to crowd the pan just a bit – and let it sear for 1-2 minutes before tossing around. We’re not cooking anything, just trying to give it some color. 

Pull the veggies from the oven and transfer everything to your blender. Add the cilantro (save a few sprigs for topping), the beef broth, and about half a cup of the seared steak. Blend everything on high until completely smooth. Be careful! Make sure the blender lid is closed but vented, or whatever your manufacturer’s instructions say about blending hot liquids! 

Add the water to the pot, along with everything from the blender. Stir in about 2/3 of the cooked bacon along with the bay leaf, and the remaining seasoning. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer the soup until the meat is tender and falling apart, about 20 minutes or so. Remove the bay leaf and add the beans, if you’re going to stir them in. You’re done! Check the post above the recipe for serving suggestions. Dassit!