Carne con Hígado (Beef Stew Thickened with Chicken Liver)

A slow-simmered Mexican beef stew, naturally thickened and enriched with chicken liver.

I recently re-read Born to Run, and there was this throwaway line where Christopher McDougall describes being served “a fragrant beef stew thickened with chicken liver.” I stopped and thought — liver?

As someone who eats keto, that line stuck with me. Using liver to thicken a sauce instead of flour made perfect sense — it’s nutrient-dense, low-carb, and a smart way to use every part of the animal. I went looking for what that dish might have been, and it turns out it’s a traditional northern Mexican beef stew known as Carne con Hígado. It’s simple food: slow-cooked beef, onions, spices, and a sauce blended with lightly seared chicken liver. The result is rich, thick, and deeply satisfying — and it’s a perfect way to use some of the more affordable cuts from Tyner Pond Farm.

Ingredients

• 2–2½ lbs Tyner Pond beef chuck roast or stew meat, cut into 1½-inch pieces

• 3 Tbsp tallow or lard

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 dried guajillo or ancho chiles (optional, for color and depth)

• 1 tomato or 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1½ cups chicken broth or water

• 4–6 chicken livers (about 6–8 oz total), lightly seared but still pink inside

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

• ½ tsp black pepper

• Optional: 1 bay leaf, 1 jalapeño, or a squeeze of lime at the end

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce (optional but authentic):
   Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, remove stems and seeds, and soak in hot water 10 minutes.
   Blend the soaked chiles with tomato, chicken broth, garlic, and the lightly seared livers until smooth.
   Note: The livers should be browned on the outside but still pink in the center. They’ll finish cooking during the long simmer.

2. Brown the beef:
   Heat tallow or lard in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown the beef in batches until nicely colored. Remove and set aside.

3. Sauté aromatics:
   In the same pot, cook onions until soft. Stir in cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Combine and bake:
   Return the beef to the pot. Pour in the liver-chile mixture (or liver-tomato blend if skipping chiles). Add the bay leaf if using.
   The liquid should come about halfway up the beef — enough to stew, not submerge.
   Cover tightly with the lid and place in a 300°F oven for 2½ to 3 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens naturally.

5. Optional reduction:
   For a thicker finish, move the pot back to the stovetop uncovered for the last 10–15 minutes. Stir gently as it reduces — the sauce should cling to a spoon.

6. Finish and serve:
   Taste and adjust salt. Add lime juice or cilantro if you like.

Serving Suggestions

Traditional Mexican:
Serve with fresh corn tortillas, Mexican rice, and frijoles de la olla (simple stewed beans). A side of grilled onions, avocado slices, or pickled jalapeños fits how it’s eaten in northern Mexico.

Keto-friendly:
Serve with cauliflower rice, sautéed greens, or roasted vegetables.

Notes

The key is in the liver — lightly seared, blended smooth, and slow-simmered into the stew. It thickens the sauce naturally and gives the dish a depth that flour or cornstarch can’t match. Keeping the lid fully sealed during the oven cook prevents the sauce from evaporating too quickly. The result should be thick and concentrated — rich enough to coat a spoon, with tender beef that falls apart easily.