Dannys Mojo Pork Food

JUICY CUBAN MOJO PORK ROAST (CHEF MOVIE RECIPE)

Steps:

• Combine Marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. Alternatively, you can finely chop/mince the garlic and herbs then mix all ingredients in a bowl.
• Place in a large ziplock bag with the pork. Place in the fridge overnight (in a bowl, just to be safe).
• Remove the pork from the Marinade and leave on counter for 1 hour (bring to room temp). Reserve the Marinade.
• Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan).
• Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Base with pan juices.
• Reduce heat to 190°C/375°F (170°C). Roast for another 1 1/2 - 2 hours, basting every half hour, until the internal temperature reaches 70°/160°F. At this temperature, the pork is cooked, still juicy, and carvable, as it is intended to be (Note 1)
• Fall-apart tender alternative (not slicable, meat falls apart): Roast at 160°C/320°F (all oven types) for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat can be easily shredded using 2 forks (check on side).
• Remove from the oven and place on a plate, loosely covered with foil. Rest for 20 minutes before serving with the Mojo Sauce on the side. I decorated mine with pan fried slices of oranges and extra cilantro/coriander leaves.

MOJO CUBAN ROAST PORK (LECHON ASADO)

Steps:

• Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, mint, jalapenos and fresh oregano (if using) to your food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, scraping the sides down as needed. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in all remaining mojo marinade ingredients.
• Remove 1 1/2 cups of the marinade and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (to serve with roasted pork).
• Transfer the rest of the marinade to a freezer bag and add the pork; turn to coat, squeeze out excess air and seal. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (no longer!), turning the bag occasionally.
• When ready to cook, remove the pork from the refrigerator and let rest on the counter for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet. Wipe excess marinade off pork, then sear on all sides until browned.
• Place the pork on a rack in a roasting dish (or use halved onions to prop up if you don't have one) with 1 cup of water in the bottom. Spoon some of the marinade from the bag over the top of the pork. Cover the pork with foil, slightly tenting in the middle so it is not touching the pork.
• Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 325 F and continue to roast for an additional 3 hours, adding additional water as needed so the water doesn't dry up. Only check the water once an hour but don't stress it, it's not the end of the world if you need to leave and it dries up.
• After 3 hours, remove the foil and baste the pork with the water/drippings in the bottom of the pan. Roast for an additional 30 minutes. The meat should very tender; about 180-190 F on an instant read thermometer, without touching the bone. (Although this pork does not require a meat thermometer because it will be cooked beyond overdone until tender.) If it's not tender, cook for an additional 30 minutes as needed.
• At this point, you can turn your oven to broil (without moving the pork) for a more caramelized exterior if desired; broil for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil. Rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, transfer the 1 1/2 cups reserved UNUSED mojo sauce to a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally, or until reduced by half. Stir in a couple tablespoons of drippings if desired for more succulent flavor. Slice the pork and brush with some of the mojo. Serve remaining mojo on the side.

CUBAN MOJO MARINATED PORK

Steps:

• If you have a food processor: Add the orange juice, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and smashed (not minced) garlic cloves, and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add this mixture to a ziplock bag, along with the rest of the oil, zest, lime juice, oregano, and cumin.
• If you don't have a food processor: In a large ziplock bag, combine olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Shake it around a bit to mix it up, then add the pork shoulder.
• Place the zipped up bag in a baking dish, and put it in the fridge overnight, or several hours at least.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack (I used a cooling rack) over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place the pork on the rack and discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well.
• Roast the pork for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned.
• Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160.
• Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 20 minutes.
• Carve against the grain and serve.

MOJO PORK WITH SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Puree the cilantro, mint, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a blender. Transfer 1/4 cup of the mojo sauce to a large bowl. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and add to the bowl; toss to coat and set aside.
• Bring 3/4 cup water, the rice, beans and 1/2 cup of the remaining mojo sauce to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat (reserve the remaining mojo sauce for topping). Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
• Remove the pork chops from the marinade and arrange on a broiler pan (or a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet). Add the plantain halves cut-side up to the pan. Broil until the pork and plantains are golden and the pork is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
• Top the pork with the remaining mojo sauce and cilantro. Serve with the rice, plantains and lime wedges.

MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Combine pork, chicken broth, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, oregano, black pepper, cumin, paprika, and bay leaves in a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on Low until pork shreds easily with a fork, 8 to 10 hours.

MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Puree the first 9 mojo marinade ingredients in a blender while slowly adding the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer 1/2 cup of the mojo marinade into a container to keep in the fridge for later as a dipping sauce.
• Place the pork tenderloins in a ziplock bag and pour the remaining mojo marinade into the bag with it. Squeeze out the air, seal and place in the fridge overnight.
• Preheat grill to 350°F.
• Remove pork from marinade and remove excess marinade from it, then season with salt and pepper.
• Place the pork on the grill over direct heat and grill for 15-18 minutes, turning every 4 minutes for even gold browning.
• Remove pork from the grill and cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Warm reserved mojo marinade to use as a dipping sauce.

MOJO MARINATED PORK

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups of the orange juice and 1 cup of the lime juice and zest in a large saucepan over high heat and reduce to 2 cups. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining orange juice and lime juice add a few cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup of the oregano. Let cool to room temperature.
• Using a paring knife, make small slits over the entire surface of the pork and rub the garlic into the slashes. Whisk together the oil and remaining 1/4 cup of the oregano in a large roasting pan, add the pork and turn to coat, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the marinade during the last 30 minutes of roasting until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 150 degrees F. Remove from the oven, baste with any remaining glaze, tent loosely and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
• Serve the pork with the Mojo Dipping Sauce and the Plantains with Rum and Brown Sugar.
• Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, serrano, cilantro and a few pinches of salt until it becomes a paste. Add the orange juice, lime juice and oil and stir to combine.
• Heat butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the sugar and cook until melted. Add the plantains and cook until soft and heated through. Remove pan from the heat, add the rum, return to the heat and cook until the alcohol has reduced.

MOJO PORK TACOS

Steps:

• For the pork: Combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, oregano and black pepper in a blender and purée. Pour the marinade over the pork butt in a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 24 hours.
• To cook the pork, place it in a preheated smoker, using an oak and apple wood blend. Smoke until the internal temperature has reached 185 to 190 degrees F, 8 to 12 hours (see Cook's Note). When finished, the pork should be tender enough to yield fully to the touch. Cover and let cool, 1 hour. Using your weight, press down on the pork to break up. Uncover and pull apart/shred any remaining chunks of meat.
• For the apple-jicama slaw: Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Peel the jicama and slice into thin sheets using a mandoline. Stack the sheets and julienne into thin sticks. Apply the same process to the apples, leaving the skin on. Combine half the marinade with the jicama and apple in a bowl, then finish with the cilantro leaves. Reserve the remaining marinade to use directly on the pork.
• For the pico de gallo: Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeños and lime juice in a bowl, then toss to mix and season to your preference.
• Heat the tortillas in your preferred method (a dry sauté pan over medium heat works well). Pile the mojo pork into a folded tortilla, then top with the juicy apple-jicama slaw and finish with picked cilantro and pico de gallo.