Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (2024)

A traditional roasted Cuban Mojo Marinated pork recipe that is very simple, yet packed with tons of flavor! There is nothing to this pork except an amazing marinade, but it is honestly some of the best meat I’ve ever put in my mouth. Just look at that crust!Originally published April 9, 2015.

Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (1)

Table of Contents

Mojo Pork Recipe Ingredients
How to make Cuban Mojo Pork
Tips for Mojo Pork
How to serve roasted Mojo Pork
Storing Cuban Pork
Cuban Pork Recipe FAQs
More great meat recipes to try!
Cuban Mojo Pork Recipe

Today I was craving a snack, so naturally I grabbed a banana and the jar of Biscoff sitting in our cupboard. The banana-Biscoff dip is a habit I’ve been nursing for a while now, and I don’t think it’s heading out anytime soon.

Then I opened the jar and IT WAS EMPTY. Not even last-tiny-bit-scrape-able. This was no crap job, that jar was CLEAN. I’m the only one in the house with a Biscoff habit, so there is no question about culpability here. Past-Karen scraped that jar clean, and then she put it back in my cupboard. It’s like she’s trying to torture me. Oh, hi Future-Karen, you wanted a snack? TOO BAD.

Have you guys seen the movie Chef? It’s about a guy who opens a food truck and drives across the country selling Cuban sandwiches and it helps him win at life. Whatever, all I know is that by the end of the movie I NEEDED a Cubano, more than anything ever.

But first things first: the pork. This pork, you guys. I would climb mountains and cross rivers for this pork. The crust alone is enough to make a man weep.

Mojo Pork Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a quick list of the ingredients so you can see whether or not you’ll need to go shopping for them. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions!

Extra virgin olive oil
Orange zest
Orange juice
Lime juice
Cilantro

Mint leaves
Minced oregano (fresh or dried)
Ground cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
Pork shoulder (boneless or bone-in will work)

How to make Cuban Mojo Pork

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this Cuban Mojo Pork (just a summary – full instructions in the recipe card below!).

Marinate the pork in olive oil, orange zest, orange and lime juice, chopped cilantro and mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Allow it to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
Season pork with salt and pepper. Roast it at 425ºF until browned, then turn the temperature down and cook at 375ºF for another 90minutes or so.
Remove pork from the oven, cover with foil, and let the pork rest for 20 minutes.

Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (2)

Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (3)

Check out the meat before and after cooking. It’s so beautiful!

Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (4)

In Cuba they have sour oranges. I’d never heard of them or tried one, but using sour oranges is how to make a true Mojo sauce. The best substitute is a combination of orange and lime, which is what I’ve done here. I’m not complaining. The result is incredible.

Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (5)

Tips for Mojo Pork

Here are a few of my best tips and tricks for the best Roasted Cuban Mojo Pork!

Bone-in or boneless: Feel free to use either! The recipe calls for boneless, but I’ve grabbed bone-in before and it has turned out great (really, even juicier).
Make time for the marinade. Marinating the pork for enough time is the key to a tender texture and great flavor. Don’t ruin the party! Give those amazing flavors at least a few hours to get acquainted, but ideally let them marinate overnight.
Cook at high heat, then low heat. Starting the pork at 425ºF gets the exterior nice and crispy. Finishing the roast at a lower temperature gives the pork time to cook all the way through without drying out. Check the temp. Use a meat thermometer to verify that the internal temperature of your pork is 160ºF before you take it out of the oven.
Let it rest. Give the pork 20 minutes to rest before you slice into it. Cut into it too soon, and all the moisture and flavor will seep out. Nooooooo
Slice against the grain. Cutting it against the grain makes fortender meat in every bite.

How to serve roasted Mojo Pork

I used this pork to fill Cuban sandwiches, coming to the blog next week. (UPDATED: Cubanos in the house.) The recipe for the pork and the sandwiches are both from the chef they hired for the movie. Cool right?

Cuban Mojo Pork from The Food Charlatan (6)

Storing Cuban Pork

Leftover Mojo pork will last in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Keep it whole as slices tend to dry out more.

To reheat, thaw the pork overnight in the fridge if frozen. Wrap your pork (whole or sliced) in foil and warm for 10-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. If you’re in a hurry, you can microwave slices on a plate, covered by a paper towel, in 30-second intervals until it’s warm.

Cuban Pork Recipe FAQs

What does Mojo Pork taste like?

Mojo pork has a unique fresh, citrusy, garlicky flavor. It’s made using a combination of fresh herbs, seasonings, orange juice and zest, and lime juice. It’s so tender, incredibly juicy, and SO GOOD!

Where does Mojo Pork come from?

Mojo pork is a type of pork roast that originated in Cuba, inspired by mojo sauces of the Canary Islands. It’s tender and juicy thanks to a flavorful marinade and roasting to perfection.

What is mojo sauce made of?

Mojo sauce is made with citrus juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, mint, and cumin. Everyone’s recipe is a little different, but those are the essential components. It’s simple but packs a serious flavor punch!

More great meat recipes to try!

Asian Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Glaze (Slow Cooker):
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peanut-Lime Sauce:
Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin:
Cuban Shredded Beef from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja from Cooking in Stilettos
Slow Cooker Puerto Rican Pork from The Noshery
Crispy Roast Pork from Nutmeg Nanny

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Cuban Mojo Pork

4.73 from 214 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs

Resting Time: 20 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

▢ 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest
▢ 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
▢ 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
▢ 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
▢ 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
▢ 8 garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1 tablespoon minced oregano, 2 teaspoons dried oregano
▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
▢ Kosher salt and pepper
▢ 3 & 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, in one piece*

Instructions

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.

Notes

*I accidentally grabbed a bone-in pork shoulder. Worked great!

Source: People.com, who published the recipe from the chef who cooked for the movie “Chef.”

Nutrition

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cuban

Calories: 607

Keyword: Mojo marinated, pork

Did you make this? I’d love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!

Categorized as Christmas Recipes, Dinner, Easter Recipes, Father's Day Recipes, , Healthy Dinner, International Flavors, , Pork, Thanksgiving

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