Cuban Mojo Pork

For all you Cuban food lovers out there, I’ve got a treat for you… Mojo Pork! It’s a super simple and delicious yet iconic Cuban dish that’s full of flavor.

I make a quick Mojo Marinade with citrus juice, lots of garlic, and some select herbs. Then, I cook the pork slow and low for hours, letting it soak up all that citrusy Mojo goodness.

This recipe is perfect for the crockpot – it’s dump and go, super easy, and always turns out amazing!

I made our Mojo Marinade quite early in GypsyPlate’s journey. I love how simple, everyday ingredients can create a bomb of flavors. This marinade is very versatile, and you can make cracking delicious Cuban Food with a simple whisk of a few ingredients.

Today’s Mojo Pork is a very traditional Cuban recipe, and can be found on many restaurant menus.

What is Mojo Pork

Mojo Pork is a flavorful and iconic dish from Cuban cuisine. At its heart, it involves pork, often a shoulder or butt, that’s marinated in mojo, a traditional Cuban marinade.

The meat is cooked slow and low, resulting it fork tender meat. It’s often shredded and served along with the juices it creates during cooking. Some recipes are cooked in a crockpot, and some are roasted in the oven.

I personally love to cook it in a crockpot, as it gets juicy and tender, and then crisp it just a little by either broiling or baking it for a few minutes. The end result is extremely delicious.

What is Cuban Mojo

Mojo is a signature marinade in Cuba, pronounced “MO HO”. It’s a mix of citrus juices, fresh onion, garlic, herbs, and olive oil.

Every Cuban household has their own version. Some use olive oil, some don’t. I personally think olive oil helps keep the meat moist, especially with lean cuts.

Traditionally, Mojo uses sour oranges, similar to Seville oranges. Many Cubans in Florida have their own sour orange tree. If you can’t find them, don’t worry! You can still make delicious Mojo by mixing different citrus fruits.

Today I just used a mix of orange, lime and lemon juice in our marinade to make Mojo Pork, and it still gives lip-smacking results. Use whatever citruses are available to you.

What Cut of Pork to Use

For Mojo Pork, I always go for a cut of pork with plenty of marbling and connective tissue. It becomes really tender and flavorful during slow cooking.

The best cuts come from the shoulder, like picnic roast or Boston butt. They’re nicely marbled and full of flavor, making them perfect for Mojo Pork.

Pork loin is a leaner option compared to the shoulder, but it can still work well if cooked properly. It’s a good choice if you prefer leaner meat, but keep in mind that cooking times may vary, especially in a crockpot.

Ingredients Needed

• Pork – I used a large chunk of pork shoulder today.
• For Mojo Marinade – Olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, chopped onion, chopped cilantro.

Mojo Pork Recipe:

1. Make a quick Mojo Marinade: I simply mix all of the ingredients for Mojo marinade.

2. Prep the meat: I like to make a few slits all over the surface of the pork. If I have the time, I’ll let the pork marinate for 4-6 hours for maximum flavor.

3. Cook Mojo Pork in a crockpot: I place the pork shoulder in the crockpot and pour the prepared Mojo marinade over it, making sure the pork gets well coated. Then, I cover it and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 8 hours, until the pork is tender. It’s as simple as that!

4. Crisp up the pork (optional but very highly recommended step): To crisp up the pork, I gently transfer it to a lightly greased baking sheet. Then, I bake it in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes, or until it starts to brown and crisps up a bit.

5. Shed the Pork: After baking, I shred the pork using forks and serve it with the cooking juices for extra flavor. Sometimes I make a quick sauce with leftover juices.

For quick Mojo Sauce: After taking the pork roast out of the slow cooker, I skim off any fat from the top of the liquid. Then, I pour all the liquid into a saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat.

In a separate bowl, I dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry. I stir this cornstarch mixture into the cooking liquids, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens slightly. If I want it thicker, I can add more cornstarch slurry until it reaches my desired consistency.

Finally, I serve this delicious sauce over the Mojo Pork.

Tips and Tricks

1. Marinade Time: I like to marinate the pork for a longer period of time, preferably overnight. This allows the flavors from the marinade to really penetrate the meat, making it more flavorful.
2. Homemade Mojo: I always make my mojo marinade from scratch – no store-bought stuff for me! Using fresh ingredients like garlic, citrus juices, and herbs makes a big difference in the flavor.
3. Quality Meat: For the best results, I choose a well-marbled cut of pork shoulder with a nice layer of fat. This keeps the meat juicy and flavorful as it cooks.
4. Slow Cook: I prefer to slow-cook the pork at a low temperature to ensure it becomes tender and succulent. Low and slow is definitely the way to go!
5. Crispy Edges: And of course, I never skip crisping up the pork in the oven for those crispy edges – we all love those, right? It adds texture and extra flavor to the dish.
6. Don’t Discard the Cooking Liquid: Lastly, I never discard the cooking liquid, it’s full of flavor! I either use it to moisten the shredded pork or to make a delicious sauce.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve Mojo Pork along with Cuban Black Beans, rice and fresh orange slices. You can also throw in some Tostones or Maduros for a very special Cuban night.

Though it’s not traditional to have mojo pork in tacos, I highly vouch for Mojo Pork Tacos with some avocado… delicious!!

You can make pulled pork sandwiches, quesadillas, or our Pulled Pork Nachos with it.

Can I Roast Mojo Pork in the Oven?

Certainly!

When I’m ready to roast the marinated pork, I take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Then, I preheat the oven to 275°F. I remove the pork from the marinade and place it in a baking pan. I pour some marinade on top of the pork, then cover it with foil.

I put the foil-covered pork in the oven and roast it for 3 hours. After that, I turn the oven temperature up to 325°F and remove the foil. I use a large spoon or ladle to baste the pork with the pan drippings.

I continue roasting and occasionally basting for another 2-3 hours. The pork is done when it’s fork-tender, meaning the meat can be easily pierced with a fork without resistance and falls apart easily with a little pressure.

Once the pork is done, I take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before shredding.

The next time you’re having a get together, or just looking for something super easy to cook with your favorite pork butt, try my easy Cuban pork recipe.

Introduce these easy, delicious flavors to your friends and family. Load the pork up with those irresistible garlicky, citrusy flavors and enjoy it as a center piece for your next Cuban night.

I betcha, you will cook up best tasting Mojo pork, maybe a tad bit better than your local neighborhood Cuban restaurant.

Mojo Pork, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great pork recipes!
Italian Braised Pork
Kalua Pork
Barbacoa Pork
Pozole Rojo
Jägerschnitzel
Pork Vindaloo
Pork Stir Fry
Chile Verde
Tonkatsu
Pernil

Cuban Mojo Pork

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes

My Cuban Mojo Pork recipe is so tasty thanks to the amazing marinade, and is super tender after it cooks low and slow in your crockpot!

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Ingredients

• 4.5 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt (bone-in or boneless)

Mojo Marinade

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1.5 cup orange juice
• ⅓ cup lime and lemon juice (you can use either, or mix)
• 8 cloves of garlic, finely minced or chopped
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp cilantro chopped

Instructions

1. Mix all of the ingredients for Mojo marinade.
2. Make a few slits all over the surface of the pork.
3. Place the pork shoulder in the crockpot and add prepared mojo marinade. Make sure the pork gets well coated with the marinade. (see note 1)
4. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 8 or until tender.
5. Optional: To crisp up the pork, gently place it on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until its starts getting brown and crisps up a little.
6. Shred the pork with forks, then serve with the remaining juices from the slow cooker or sauce. (see note 2)

Notes

1. If you have time, you can marinate the pork for 4-6 hours, or even overnight, in the refrigerator.
2. For quick Mojo Sauce: After removing the pork roast from the slow cooker, skim the fat off the top of the liquid. Place all the liquid in sauce pan and heat on medium high heat. Dissolve 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp cold water. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cooking liquids, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly. You can use more cornstarch slurry to thicken it to your liking. Serve the sauce over Mojo Pork.
3. Leftovers: Mojo pork is great as leftovers. Refrigerate leftovers, along with any remaining liquids, in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 696Total Fat 51gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 29gCholesterol 191mgSodium 402mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 50g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.