Recipe Blog - Feature - Mojo Pork

Cuban-Style Mojo Pork Recipe

By: Andrea Alden

Pack your taste buds you are going on a flavor-filled vacation when you make this Cuban-Style Mojo Pork Recipe for dinner. Influenced by the Canary Islands’ cuisine as well as some Spanish roots, Cuban-Style Mojo Pork can be sliceable or shredded depending on the cook time. However you serve it, this dish is steeped in fragrant herbs, garlic and citrus flavors and features succulent meat under a dense and flavorful crust. Served with rice, beans, fried plantains and other favorites, this is a dish that will feed a crowd and leave them wanting more.

Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
240 min
Yield
6+
Difficulty
Medium

Cuban-Style Mojo Pork Recipe

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Ingredients

Method

Photos

Ingredients

Mojo Marinade:

  • 8 cloves (up to 1 head) garlic, minced

  • 2 tsp. (8g) ground cumin

  • 2 tsp. (8g) pepper, ground fresh

  • ¼ cup (14g) fresh oregano, minced

  • ¾ cup (177 ml) Seville orange juice
    (bitter or sour oranges)*

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt to taste (kosher)

For the Pork and to Finish:

  • 1 boneless pork shoulder roast, skin removed

  • 3 tbsp. (14g) fresh mint, chopped

  • 3 tbsp. (12 g) fresh oregano, chopped

  • Lime wedges, for serving

  • Steamed rice, black or red beans to serve

*If you cannot find Seville oranges to juice, you can combine ½ cup (118 ml) of orange juice with ¼ cup (59 ml) of lime juice.

Method
  1. Start by making the Mojo marinade. In a blender, combine the garlic, cumin, pepper, oregano, sour orange juice, olive oil and blend until smooth. Season to taste with the salt. Reserve about half of the marinade to be used later. 
  2. Remove any skin and score the fat in a crosshatch pattern. Toss the pork in the Mojo marinade, ensuring that everything is well covered. Marinate for a few hours to overnight, until you are ready to cook. 
  3. When you’re ready, preheat the barbecue to 275°F (135°C) using the rear burner or the bottom burners. (See our article on how to set up a barbecue for indirect grilling for more information)
  4. Remove the pork from the marinade and tie it up so that it is a uniform shape and size. Thread it onto the spit rod and ensure that the load is balanced. 
  5. Load the pork onto the barbecue and place a drip pan below. Roast for an hour to an hour and a half, basting a couple of times. Check the temperature and continue to cook for up to another 3½ hours, basting every once in a while, until an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C). 
  6. Once at temperature, remove the pork from the barbecue, remove the rotisserie spit, forks and the butcher’s twine. Allow the pork to rest for at least 10 minutes. 
  7. While the pork is resting, combine 1 cup (250 ml) of pork drippings, chopped mint and oregano,  seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. 
  8. Serve the Mojo pork sliced or shredded along with rice and beans. Squeeze a lime wedge over and dip it in the Mojo sauce you made. Enjoy.

This Cuban-Style Mojo Pork Recipe is just the thing to perk you up when it comes to being in a barbecue rut. The bright and citrusy flavors, garlic, everything is designed to be a wake-up call for your tastebuds. Take a flavorful vacation without even leaving the backyard. What foods do you barbecue that take you places? Tell us about your taste-vacations with recipes, stories and photos by sharing them on our social pages like Facebook and Instagram using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.

Happy Grilling!

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - ingredients

Gather the marinade ingredients

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - score

Trim and score the fat

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - marinate

Marinate the pork shoulder for up to 8 hours

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - Tie

Tie the marinated meat into a uniform shape

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - baste

Baste every 30 to 45 minutes

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - rotisserie

Rotisserie roast for up to 6 hours

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - carve

Carve the roast after resting

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - serve1

Serve with rice and Cuban-style beans

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - serve2

A squeeze of lime and fresh oregano and mint go perfectly

AndreaAlden
Andrea Alden

I used to be the Sultana of Sizzle, but you can call me Andrea. I have always been passionate about food. Even though I was majoring in Art and Graphic Design, I would frequently be found cooking for my friends and family.

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Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - ingredients

Gather the marinade ingredients

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - score

Trim and score the fat

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - marinate

Marinate the pork shoulder for up to 8 hours

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - Tie

Tie the marinated meat into a uniform shape

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - baste

Baste every 30 to 45 minutes

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - rotisserie

Rotisserie roast for up to 6 hours

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - carve

Carve the roast after resting

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - serve1

Serve with rice and Cuban-style beans

Recipe Blog - Mojo Pork - serve2

A squeeze of lime and fresh oregano and mint go perfectly