Mojo pork is a traditional Cuban recipe packed with flavor. It uses fresh herbs, garlic, seasonings, orange zest and juice, and lime zest and juice. The marinade is so fragrant you will drool before you even start cooking anything. After marinating your pork overnight, and slowly roasting it in the oven, you are left with the most tender and delicious meal.
I love to get inspired by our travels and incorporate the local culture into our home-cooked meals. We are currently in the Florida Keys, which has a very strong connection to Cuban food. After all, Key West is the southernmost city in the continental United States and is only 90 miles from Cuba.
During our last five years RV’ing we have visited Florida several times, and I have recreated a few other Cuban dishes as a result. Beef Picadillo is an excellent ground beef dish that is a flavorful one-pot meal. Chicken Ropa Viejo is a classic Cuban dish with shredded meat and bell peppers. Moros Y Christianos is a black bean and white rice dish with plenty of history to it. The Moros Y Christianos would make an excellent side dish to this braised mojo pork recipe! Mojo Pork Chops, which is an easier and faster version of this recipe (although not nearly as good, in my opinion).
So there you have it, beef, chicken, pork, and vegetarian options!
Braised Mojo Pork
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups fresh squeezed orange juice + the zest of 3 oranges
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice + the zest of 3 limes
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 15 cloves fresh garlic, finely grated
- 1 ½ tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for searing meat)
- 4 ½ – 5 pound Pork Shoulder
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients EXCEPT the pork and the water into a Ziplock bag. Add in the pork and seal the bag up. Place the bag in a bowl in case any leaks happen. Ideally, you will marinate this the night before cooking. If you can't marinate a full night, try to get at least 4-6 hours.
- When you are ready to start cooking, remove the bowl from the fridge and let sit at room temp for 30 minutes to take the chill off.
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Remove the pork from the bag and be careful to save all of the marinade (we will use this liquid for braising).
- Heat a large, heavy, Dutch oven over high heat using the stovetop or induction cooktop. Drizzle some olive oil in the Dutch oven and sear all sides of the pork. This will take about 2-3 minutes per side, 10-15 minutes in total.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Next, carefully add the marinade + 1 cup of water into the Dutch oven.
- Place lid on the Dutch oven and roast in the oven for about 4 hours, or until very fork-tender.
- Serving Ideas: rice bowls, black Cuban beans, veggie bowls, tacos, mango salsa, sour cream, avocados…
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