Flavorful Cuban Mojo Pork (Printer-Friendly)

Cuban pork slowly marinated in citrus mojo, oven-roasted to juicy perfection with a caramelized crust.

# What You’ll Need to Cook:

→ Pork and Aromatics

01 - 2.5 kg bone-in pork shoulder roast
02 - 1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
03 - 20 large garlic cloves, peeled

→ Mojo Marinade

04 - 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
05 - 240 ml freshly squeezed orange juice, or sour orange juice if available
06 - 60 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
07 - 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
08 - 2 teaspoons dried oregano
09 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
10 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Steps to Prepare:

01 - In a food processor, blend the onion and 10 garlic cloves to a coarse paste.
02 - Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic-onion paste and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
03 - Stir in oregano, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat. Mix in orange juice, lime juice, and lemon juice until fully combined.
04 - Place pork shoulder in a large baking dish with fat layer facing up. Carefully detach the fat layer from the meat, leaving the last third attached. Using a sharp knife, make 10 deep incisions in the pork.
05 - Stuff a reserved garlic clove into each incision. Reserve 240 ml of marinade. Pour remaining marinade over the pork, ensuring some enters the incisions. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
06 - Preheat oven to 230°C. Uncover and roast pork for 20 minutes. Lower temperature to 110°C and continue roasting for 25 minutes per 500 g, until internal temperature reaches 63°C, about 4 to 5 hours depending on size. Two hours into roasting, tent pork loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
07 - Remove pork from oven and let it rest, covered, for 20 minutes. Slice or shred and serve with reserved cooking juices and the set-aside mojo marinade.

# Extra Cooking Tips:

01 - For best flavor, marinate the pork overnight. Using a bone-in, well-marbled shoulder results in more succulent meat.
02 - Sour orange juice (naranja agria) provides the most authentic taste, but a combination of orange, lemon, and lime juice is a good substitute.
03 - Insert a meat thermometer to ensure the pork is cooked to a safe temperature without overcooking.
04 - Allow the meat to rest before slicing to preserve juiciness.

Go Back