Mojo Turkey Food

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 TURKEY

Steps:

• Rinse turkey well in cold water and pat very dry with paper towels.
• Make the marinade: Combine garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mash the mixture together with the back of a kitchen spoon to make a kind of paste. Stir sour orange juice (or orange and lime juices) and oil into the paste and whisk to combine. Add oregano leaves and mix again. Reserve 1/2 cup of marinade and put aside.
• Put turkey in a roasting pan that can fit in the refrigerator and cover with remaining marinade, making sure to get a lot of it into the turkey's open cavity. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least a few hours. Baste a few times with marinade.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove turkey from marinade and place on a clean cutting board. Discard marinade and clean roasting pan well. Return turkey to roasting pan, tuck the tips of the wings under the bird and shower it with salt and pepper. Place orange, lime and onion quarters in the turkey's cavity, then truss its legs together with cotton string. Roast turkey, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Baste turkey with pan juices, and add remaining marinade to the pan. Continue roasting turkey, basting every 30 minutes and tenting it with foil if the skin is turning too dark, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees, approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours more. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

STUFFED TURKEY WITH MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Crumble sausage over mixture and mix well., With skin side down, pound turkey breast with a meat mallet to 1/2-in. thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread sausage mixture over turkey to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; tie at 1-1/2-in. to 2-in. intervals with kitchen string. Place in a 5-qt. oval slow cooker., In a blender, combine the first 9 sauce ingredients; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Pour over turkey., Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°. Remove from slow cooker; cover and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Discard string., Meanwhile, skim fat from cooking juices; transfer juices to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Serve with turkey.

MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Slice the oranges down the middle and squeeze the juice. Mash a head of garlic in a morteros (a thick bowl with a mashing paddle used in Latino cooking). Add a little salt to the garlic (more than a pinch, less than a teaspoon). Add the sour orange juice to the mixture. Add oregano and pepper, to taste. Brush the Mojo Sauce on the food as it is cooking.

CHEF JOHN'S GRILLED MOJO BEEF

Steps:

• Cut skirt steaks into about 3 or 4 smaller pieces so it's easier to fit them into marinade dish.
• Whisk orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Place skirt steak pieces, 1 at a time, into the marinade to thoroughly coat them. Add sliced onions and toss with the meat.
• Transfer mixture and marinade to a resealable plastic bag. Squeeze out air, seal bag, and place on a dish. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer pieces of meat onto paper towel-lined rimmed sheet pan to drain for a couple of minutes.
• Cook over hot coals. Grill first side 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and grill second side until internal temperature is about 125 degrees F (53 degrees C). Look for a shiny glossy surface indicating the meat juice is coming to the surface; this indicates the meat is just about done. Transfer to a plate and allow meat to rest a few minutes.
• Slice into 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a serving plate. Spoon accumulated juices over the meat. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and chopped cilantro. Serve with 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 CUBANO BRINE

Steps:

• Thaw turkey in refrigerator for 3 days.
• Remove neck and giblets from cavity.
• Place the bird in a x-large cooking bag.
• Using your hands, thoroughly rub the marinade into the bird and fill the cavity.
• Secure cooking bag with twist tie.
• Allow bird to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one day in advance of cooking.
• Reserve the remaining half of the marinade.
• Preheat the oven to 500°F.
• Remove the bird from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
• Place the bird on a rack on a roasting pan.
• Fill the cavity with the limes, oranges, onion and cilantro& thyme sprigs.
• Put it in the hot oven.
• Caramelize the exterior of the bird, leaving the interior undone.
• Pour the used marinade over the bird and reduce the oven heat to 300, Roast real slowly for up to 3 hours or until interior reaches 160 degrees.
• Remove from oven and cover with foil until ready to carve.
• Don't let the meat get cold.
• Slice in 1/4 inch medallions, drizzled with reserved marinade.

CUBAN MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend the garlic, zest, juice, cumin and salt in a blender until the garlic is finely chopped.
• With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until emulsified.
• Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with pepper.
• Stir in the cilantro.
• The mojo can be made up to four days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.