Mojo Pork Food

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.

CUBAN PORK CHOPS WITH MOJO

Steps:

• In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, combine 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup lime juice, and vinegar. Add pork and let it sit and marinate for about 1 hour in refrigerator.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine all dried spices. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and rub with the dry spice mixture.
• Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Place the pork chops in the pan and sear on 1 side until brown. Flip over and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue to cook until garlic begins to brown. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, and white wine. Simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced and begins to thicken. The chops should be cooked through.
• Remove the chops from pan and put on a warm plate. Continue to reduce juices in pan by half. Pour over the chops and serve immediately.
• Garnish with watercress, tomatoes and avocado.

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.

INSTANT POT CUBAN MOJO PORK

Steps:

• For the mojo: Combine the orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, olive oil, oregano, cumin, 3 teaspoons kosher salt and a few grinds pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and the mojo is emulsified. Set aside.
• For the pork: Pierce some small slashes in the pork with a sharp paring knife to allow the mojo marinade to penetrate. Place the pork in a large bowl. Add the mojo, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours.
• When ready to cook, remove the pork from the bowl and dab off the excess marinade. Reserve the marinade in the bowl for cooking.
• Set a 6- to 8-quart Instant Pot® to saute and add the canola oil (see Cook's Note). Cook each piece of pork until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Depending on the size of your pork and Instant Pot, you may need to do this in batches. Combine all the pork with the reserved marinade in the pot. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 1 hour. (It will take 8 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure.)
• After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release. After 20 minutes, being careful to release any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid.
• Remove the pork to a medium bowl. Strain the liquid from the Instant Pot through a fine-mesh sieve, then remove and discard the grease and solids. Return the liquid to the pot, set to saute and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shred the pork with 2 forks. Once the sauce is reduced, toss with the shredded pork and serve.

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.

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 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 SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl.

SLOW COOKER CUBAN MOJO PORK

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients except for the pork shoulder and pulse until everything is finely chopped. If you do not have a food processor or blender, just finely chop the herbs and mince the garlic, then combine everything in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside about 1/3 cup of the mojo sauce for later and keep it in the fridge while the pork cooks.
• Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and pour the mojo sauce over it. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours or on LOW for 8-10 hours.
• When the pork is fully cooked and tender, carefully transfer it to a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes until browned on top. While doing this, you can thicken the cooking juices remaining in the slow cooked using a slurry made from 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water, if desired. Just stir it in, cover, and cook on HIGH for 20-30 minutes while browning the pork and shredded it.
• Pull the Cuban mojo pork apart using two fork or just by chopping with a large knife a few times to break it up into tender chunks. Drizzle with reserved mojo sauce, if desired, and serve with the remaining juices from the slow cooker.

SLOW COOKER MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Score fat side of the pork in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 1/8 inch deep. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Combine orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, orange zest, lime zest, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin in a large resealable bag. Add pork butt and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Flip the bag over occasionally and rub over roast to evenly distribute marinade.
• Place roast and marinade in the slow cooker. Cook on Low until meat is fork-tender, 7 to 8 hours.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Transfer pork into a roasting pan, fat-side up. Broil until lightly browned and the skin has crisped, 4 to 5 minutes.

SLOW COOKER CUBAN MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, make a few slits all over the surface of the pork. (See Note 1)
• Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients. Make sure the pork gets coated with the marinade.
• Cover and cook on high for 5 - 6 hours or on low for 8 or until tender.
• At this point, the pork is fully cooked and can be served with the cooking juices or you can make a quick sauce (see Note 2)
• To crisp up the top, carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake on a preheated 400 degrees F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. You will be able to shred the meat with a couple of forks. Yes, it will be that tender!
• Serve with the remaining juices from the slow cooker or sauce. (See Note 2)

MOJO PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Mix together the orange juice, lime juice, chopped parsley, chopped oregano, thyme leaves, minced garlic, salt and olive oil in a large glass bowl. (This makes approximately 3 cups.).
• Place the pork tenderloins in a zipper bag and add two cups of the marinade. Seal the bag and marinate at least overnight. Place the remaining marinade in the refrigerator.
• When you are ready to cook the pork, place a large non-stick skillet in an oven and preheat to 450°F.
• While the pan is preheating, remove the marinating pork tenderloin and the extra marinade. Strain the cup of extra marinade in a small sauce pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently to reduce by half.
• Remove the pork tenderloins and place them on a plate. Strain the remaining marinade and discard the strained herbs and garlic, reserving the liquid.
• Place the pork tenderloins in the preheated pan and return the pan to the oven. Cook for about 4 minutes and turn the pork every 3 minutes after that, until all the sides are seared. After the second turn, baste with 1/2 cup of the strained marinade, coating the tenderloins well.
• As the pork cooks and the marinade is reduced, continue to baste with 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time to create a caramelized glaze on the pork. It should take 20 - 25 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 160°F As the pork is finishing, add the remaining marinade to create a syrupy sauce.
• Remove the pork from the oven and let rest on the counter for about 3 minutes before carving. Serve with the reduced sauce from the pan.

SLOW COOKER CUBAN MOJO PORK

Steps:

• In a large skillet or in slow cooker if it has the saute feature, add the oil over medium high heat.
• Salt and pepper all sides of the pork and sear on all sides.
• In the slow coooker add orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and bay leaves and mix.
• Add the pork to the slow cooker and spoon marinade over all the sides of the pork roast.
• Cook on low for 8 hours or 6 hours on high.
• For a thicker sauce remove some of the drippings and add in cornstarch and mix well with a fork or whisk.

MOJO PORK SKEWERS WITH CUBAN COOLERS

Steps:

• To make the skewers, pour the oil into a large heavy-based pan, add the garlic and cook over a low heat until cooked and starting to toast - take care not to burn. Tip in the cumin, stir briefly, then add the citrus juices, thyme and some seasoning. Allow to boil for several mins to concentrate and make a sauce. Cool.
• Put your pork into a bowl, and stir in three-quarters of the cooled marinade. Leave to marinate for 1 hr at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
• When ready to serve, thread the pork onto 18 pre-soaked wooden skewers. Griddle for 2 mins on each side or until cooked. Arrange on a platter, pour over the remaining sauce and serve garnished with orange wedges.
• To make the coolers, put a handful of crushed ice into each of 6 tall glasses. Stir the lime juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then tip into the glasses. Divide the lager, then the ginger ale between the glasses, top with lime slices and serve with the pork skewers.

INSTANT-POT MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Heat oil in an electric pressure cooker on sauté mode. Add half the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining pork.
• Add garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, orange and lime zests, salt and pepper to the pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange and lime juice and water and scrape up any browned bits. Nestle the pork into the sauce. Drizzle with any accumulated juices from the bowl and scatter onion over the top.
• Close and lock lid. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Manually release pressure and remove lid.
• Transfer the pork to a platter and shred the meat into large pieces. Skim fat from the liquid, if desired. Return the pot to sauté mode and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork.

TRADITIONAL CUBAN RECIPE: CUBAN MOJO (CUBAN MARINADE)

Steps:

• Mash garlic, salt and peppercorns, using a mortar and pestle or use food processor.
• Stir in juice.
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
• *If making it without the oil - stop at this point and this makes a perfect marinade for seasoning, chicken, fish, pork &/or beef.
• Continue with preparing the mojo with oil - after you have stirred in juice add onion & oregano.
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
• In a saucepan heat olive oil to medium hot & then remove from heat.
• Whisk oil in garlic-juice mixture, until well blended.
• Stores for at least a week in the refrigerator.

DANNY'S MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, roasted garlic, oregano leaf, salt, pepper, bay leaves and onions, and mix in a large jar with a tight fitting lid. Marinade is best if refrigerated for up to 8 hours and will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Ladle 10 ounces of marinade on top of the Boston butt in a roasting pan and sprinkle the oregano powder on top. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 10 hours. (Danny likes to prepare his marinade in the morning, allow it to ferment throughout the day and places his Boston Butt in the oven to cook overnight.)

CUBAN-STYLE ROAST PORK SHOULDER WITH MOJO RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Mojo: Combine garlic, cumin, pepper, oregano, orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil in a large bowl and whisk. Season to taste generously with salt. Transfer half of mojo to a sealed container and reserve in refrigerator. Add pork to remaining mojo and turn to coat. If desired, transfer pork and marinade to a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag and refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight before continuing.
• For the Pork and to Finish: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place pork and juices on top and fold up foil, crimping to seal loosely but making sure that there is room for air to circulate inside. Place in oven and roast for 3 hours. Fold back foil, increase oven temperature to 325°F, and continue roasting, basting pork with pan juices occasionally, until pork shows almost no resistance when a metal skewer or knife is inserted into it and the surface is crackly and brown, 2 to 3 hours longer. Remove pork from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
• Pour accumulated pork juices into a bowl and discard all except 1 cup. Add reserved mojo to pork drippings, along with fresh chopped mint and oregano. Whisk together and season to taste with salt.
• Serve shredded pork, passing mint mojo and lime wedges on the side. Serve rice, beans, and plantains on the side. Reserve any leftovers for sandwiches.

MOJO PORK CHILI

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, saute the pulled pork and chopped onion in the canola oil 2-3 minutes until onions are soft.
• Stir in the broth, marinade, beans, and potatoes.
• Cover and simmer on low for at least 20 minutes.
• While the stew is simmering, chop the cilantro, olives and avocado and set aside.
• Cut the tops off the bread bowls and hollow out insides, taking care to leave a thick shell, then set aside.
• Stir rice into the chili and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
• To serve, ladle chili into bread bowls, then top with chopped olives, avocados, and cilantro.

MOJO PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Juice two of the oranges and all of the limes into a bowl. Add the garlic to the bowl along with a quarter cup of freshly chopped cilantro. Whisk in your cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
• Pour the marinade into a plastic bag and add your tenderloin. Set aside in the fridge for six hours, (overnight if you can, but 6 hours will get you 90% of the way there).
• Once the meat is done marinating, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and grab a cast iron pan, add a few ounces of vegetable oil and proceed to bring it up to medium-high heat on your stovetop.
• Take your tenderloin and place it in your hot pan allowing it 60 seconds or so on a side before giving it a quarter turn. After the third turn remove from heat and slide in your probe thermometer.
• Set the thermometer to 145 degrees F and move the whole pan to the oven. It should take about 30 - 45 minutes to reach the desired temperature Once done remove from the pan and allow to rest 15 minutes before cutting.

GRILLED MOJO PORK CHOPS AND AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• For the mojo and pork chops: Combine the orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, olive oil, oregano, cumin, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a few grinds pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and emulsified. Place the pork chops in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Pour the mojo overtop. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• For the avocado salad: Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, or preheat a griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat until very hot, about 10 minutes. Brush the pineapple spears with the vegetable oil. Grill each side until dark char marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool, then dice.
• Mix the orange zest, lime zest and juice, vinegar, olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and several cracks of freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Using a sharp knife (chef's or paring), slice both ends off the zested orange. Stand the orange on one end and cut away the peel and white pith, following the contour of the fruit. Carefully cut between the membranes to release the orange segments, letting them drop onto the cutting board. Dice the segments and squeeze remaining juice out of the core of the orange into the bowl with the dressing. Add the diced orange segments, diced grilled pineapple, avocado and red onion to a medium bowl. Pour in the dressing and mix to combine. Set aside.
• When ready to grill the pork chops, remove them from marinade and pat completely dry with a paper towel. Pour the mojo remaining in the bag into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mojo reduces by half and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Brush the pork chops with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and season each side with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Place the chops on the grill or grill pan the pineapple cooked on (preheat it again if necessary) and grill over medium-high heat until the pork releases from the pan, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the chops near but not touching bone registers 140 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes. Let the chops rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
• Spoon one quarter of the mojo reduction onto a dinner plate. Top with a pork chop and then spoon avocado salad over the chop. Repeat with remaining pork chops.