Cuban Roast Pork with Mojo
By Cecelia JenkinsPublished on December 4, 2019
Time
4 to 5½ hours, plus 12 hours salting
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Pork
⅓ cup kosher salt ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon lime zest (2 limes)1 tablespoon orange zest 3 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons dried oregano ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (5-pound) boneless pork butt with fat capMojo
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 garlic cloves, minced⅓ cup pineapple juice ⅓ cup orange juice ⅓ cup lime juice (3 limes)1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¾ teaspoon pepper ¾ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Thinly sliced onion roundsBefore You Begin
Avoid buying a boneless pork butt wrapped in netting; it will contain smaller, separate lobes of meat rather than one whole roast. The pork will take longer to cook in a stainless-steel pot than in an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, the pot we used while developing the recipe. If you're using a stainless-steel pot, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pot before affixing the lid. If you plan to make Cuban sandwiches with the leftovers, it is best to slice only what you want to serve and then slice the chilled, leftover pork for the sandwiches. You will need about 10 ounces, or 2 cups, of pork and ¼ cup of mojo for the sandwiches. If using table salt, cut the amounts of salt in half.
Instructions
- Combine salt, sugar, lime zest, orange zest, garlic, cumin, oregano, and pepper flakes in bowl. Using sharp knife, trim fat cap on pork to ¼ inch. Cut 1-inch crosshatch pattern in fat cap.
- Place pork on large double layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle pork all over with salt mixture. Wrap pork tightly in plastic, place on plate, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap pork; transfer to Dutch oven, fat side up; and pour 2 cups water around pork. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat registers 175 degrees in center, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Uncover pork and continue to cook until meat registers 195 degrees in center and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 45 minutes to 1¾ hours longer. Transfer pork to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 45 minutes.
- While pork is resting, heat oil and garlic in small saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until tiny bubbles appear and garlic is fragrant and straw-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Whisk pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, mustard, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and pepper flakes into cooled garlic oil.
- Slice pork as thin as possible (some meat may shred; this is OK) and transfer to serving platter. Serve with onion and mojo.
for the pork
for the mojo
Time
4 to 5½ hours, plus 12 hours saltingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Pork
Mojo
Ingredients
Pork
Mojo
Ingredients
Pork
Mojo
Why This Recipe Works
For moist, tender Cuban roast pork that was great as a main course or in our recipe for Cuban Sandwiches, we found that a heavily acidic mojo marinade of sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, and cumin left the roasted meat dry and chewy. Instead, we incorporated the traditional mojo flavors in other ways. An overnight dry rub with salt and brown sugar seasoned the meat more deeply and kept it moist during cooking, and adding lime and orange zest provided the mojo-like citrus punch you expect from Cuban roast pork. To keep the sugar from burning at the bottom of the Dutch oven while the pork roasted, we added a little water to the pot and first braised the pork (covered until nearly done) and then uncovered it to roast until caramelized on the exterior and fork-tender. Finally, we served the pork with a mojo sauce made with garlic, orange juice, and lime juice (to mimic the tart orange flavor of sour oranges) along with sweeter, fruitier pineapple juice to round out the sauce's acidic sharpness.
Before You Begin
Avoid buying a boneless pork butt wrapped in netting; it will contain smaller, separate lobes of meat rather than one whole roast. The pork will take longer to cook in a stainless-steel pot than in an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, the pot we used while developing the recipe. If you're using a stainless-steel pot, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pot before affixing the lid. If you plan to make Cuban sandwiches with the leftovers, it is best to slice only what you want to serve and then slice the chilled, leftover pork for the sandwiches. You will need about 10 ounces, or 2 cups, of pork and ¼ cup of mojo for the sandwiches. If using table salt, cut the amounts of salt in half.
Instructions
- Combine salt, sugar, lime zest, orange zest, garlic, cumin, oregano, and pepper flakes in bowl. Using sharp knife, trim fat cap on pork to ¼ inch. Cut 1-inch crosshatch pattern in fat cap.
- Place pork on large double layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle pork all over with salt mixture. Wrap pork tightly in plastic, place on plate, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap pork; transfer to Dutch oven, fat side up; and pour 2 cups water around pork. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat registers 175 degrees in center, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Uncover pork and continue to cook until meat registers 195 degrees in center and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 45 minutes to 1¾ hours longer. Transfer pork to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 45 minutes.
- While pork is resting, heat oil and garlic in small saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until tiny bubbles appear and garlic is fragrant and straw-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Whisk pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, mustard, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and pepper flakes into cooled garlic oil.
- Slice pork as thin as possible (some meat may shred; this is OK) and transfer to serving platter. Serve with onion and mojo.
for the pork
for the mojo
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