roast mojo pork butt
Pork and mojo are as intertwined with Cuban culture as are congas and rum. From the moment we are old enough to eat solid foods, pork, or as we call it lechon, becomes an integral part of our culinary identity. Be it as a whole roasted suckling pig, chicharrones (crispy cracklin’), chorizos, or fried chunks called masitas–the pig is the noble animal that has fed generations with its delicious versatility and unambiguous delectability.
It is to Spain, however, that the Americas and the Caribbean owe the introduction of the magnanimous pig. Cuba was the first country in the Caribbean to be colonized by the Spaniards and due to this, Cuban food has deep-rooted ties to Spanish cuisine. Having been domesticated and used as a source of sustenance for millennia in Europe, pigs were brought by these Spanish explorers on their long journeys. De Soto, it is said, brought about 200 pigs with him on his expedition and it is believed that these were the ancestors of most now in the Americas.
But what really makes pork quintessentially Cuban is the elemental addition of mojo, another crucial contribution from Spain. A marriage made in the heavens, this sacred dyad is the foundation of so many of our beloved noshes. Our journey here begins with the mojo. Made from the juice of sour oranges and lime, copious amounts of garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs and spices, mojo brings life to any protein with which it is paired. Since sour oranges can be difficult, if not downright impossible to get outside the tropics, I’ve taken the tried and true method of combining orange juice with lime juice to obtain a close approximation of the flavor of sour oranges.
In my family we make two mojos for our pork: a marinating mojo and one for drizzling. Their difference is that the marinade has additional seasonings that imbue the meat with maximum flavor as it roasts and table mojo is meant to enhance the flavors of the finished product. Since the pork roasts in the marinating mojo, its rendering fat makes the mixture quite oily. While this produces amazing flavor and succulent moisture during the cooking process, it can make for an overly greasy dish if poured on top when serving. Thus, the necessity of two types.
One of the most desired results when making this mojo roasted pork is the crispy cracklin’ that the fat cap becomes during the roasting process. The fat cap is the subcutaneous layer of hard white fat that sits on top of the pork shoulder. While many people choose to trim or remove this layer, I highly recommend you leave it right where it is. Not only does the fat baste the meat underneath it as it renders during roasting, it transforms into a delightfully crispy treat that adds texture and flavor to the pulled meat. To achieve a crispy and flavorful cracklin,’ or chicharron, you need salt. Patting the fat layer dry, then rubbing it down with salt will give you the desired effect. When the pork is done roasting, you can remove the chicharron and chop it up finely to add to the pulled meat before serving. You can also give it a rough chop and serve it alongside with the table mojo for dipping. Delicious!
This authentic Cuban roast pork recipe is simple to make and jammed-packed with flavor. Serve it with white rice, black beans and maduros (sweet fried plantains); on polenta…or just stand over the serving platter and gorge. It also makes the best Cuban Sandwich the likes of which you’ve never seen. Tender, juicy and filled with true Caribbean flair, it will be some of the best food you’ll ever put in your mouth!
Now, go make some magic and get your mojojination on!
roast mojo pork butt
pork (and marinating mojo)
4-6 lbs. pork butt, bone-in (aka, “Boston butt”)
3 cups orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
1 cup water
15 garlic cloves, peeled + finely minced
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 tbsp. abobo seasoning
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
1 tsp. fresh cracked white pepper
With the exception of the pork butt and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, place all ingredients for the pork into a mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Place pork butt, fat side up, into a 5-quart dutch oven with lid, or a 6” deep roasting pan. Pour the mojo over the pork and massage all over to marinate the meat well. Wrap + cover tightly and place in the refrigerator to marinate at least 6 hours, preferably 24.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Take the marinated pork out of the refrigerator and uncover. Leaving the mojo marinade in the pan, wipe off and pat dry the fat cap using paper towel. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of kosher salt onto it and rub it in. This is how you get the coveted “chicharron!” Cover the roasting pan well with foil, using 2 layers if need be. The idea is to keep all the steam locked inside while the pork is roasting. This not only intensifies the heat inside but yields tender, fall-off-the-bone goodness in the meat.
Allow pork to sit, covered, at room temperature while the oven heats up well–20-30 minutes.
Place the pork into the oven and roast, covered, for 4 – 4 ½ hours, or until the pork is fall-off-the-bone tender (about 205 degrees F internal temperature with an insta-read thermometer). Remove pork from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Make sure you’re extra careful here as the steam that will escape as you pull off the foil can burn the sun!
Now crank the oven up to 425 degrees F.
Place the uncovered pork in the roasting pan back into the oven. Roast for another 15-20 minutes, checking in periodically, until the chicharron (fat cap on top) is crisp and crackly, but not burnt. Remove pork from the oven and allow to rest (in the pan with all the delectable juices) for 10-20 minutes.
Using a pair of tongs, lightly pull the meat apart, leaving some nice whole chunks along with the finer pulled meat.
1 ¾ cups freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ tsp. oregano
sea salt + cracked white pepper, to taste
Place the garlic cloves into a mortar + pestle. Mash the cloves to break them up. Add a pinch of coarse kosher salt and continue to crush the garlic into a paste. Set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan set over low heat. Once the oil is warm, add the garlic paste. Stir well to combine and steep in the oil for 4-5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and the oregano. Stir well. Remove from heat and cool slightly to room temperature. Whisk in the fresh citrus juices, sea salt and white pepper. When ready to serve, whisk in the minced parsley. Serve immediately.
Place pork into a serving dish or platter. Serve hot with the table mojo.
brujo notes:
- Plan ahead for the marinating portion of this recipe. The longer it sits in the marinade, the more flavor will be imparted to the meat and especially the fat cap that will become the chicharron, or cracklin.’ It also works as a bit of a tenderizing agent, giving you a head start on achieving that juicy fall-off-the-bone quality you’ll be looking for.
- To reheat the pork: store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, bring pork to room temperature. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Cover pork with foil and reheat gently until warmed through- about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.
- If your garlic turns green or blue, don’t lose sleep over it. It’s still safe to eat and this natural occurrence doesn’t affect it’s flavor in any way. This reaction is caused by naturally occurring sulfur and enzymes in the garlic cloves interacting with each other. Sometimes the color change happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Shifts in temperature, pH or the age of your garlic can come into play here. The best way to avoid any discoloration is to use the freshest garlic possible, so try to make this recipe in as short a time after buying it as possible. Another fix is to blanche the peeled garlic cloves first. Try putting them in hot water for a short time, which can slow the interactions between the enzymes. (Make sure you cool the cloves completely before mashing and making the garlic paste).
wine pairing: Dry varietals work best with this dish. For highlighting the flavor of the pork, nothing compares to Argentinian Malbec, Australian Shiraz or Spanish Crianza. And while a dry German Riesling or a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio will spotlight the vibrant citrus notes in the mojo, it also pairs beautifully with the pork.
beer pairing: Saison Dupont
A farmhouse ale is an inspired choice here, and the benchmark of the farmhouse style is Saison Dupont by Brasserie Dupont. Mild sweetness, slight hints of lemon, and a dry, spicy finish are a perfect companion for mojo roast pork!
musical pairing: Pigs – Pink Floyd
roast mojo pork butt
- Total Time: approx. 5 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This authentic roast pork recipe is tender, juicy and simple to make. Filled with Caribbean flavor it also makes the best Cuban Sandwich you’ve ever tasted!
free from: gluten + soy + dairy + peanuts + tree nuts + shellfish + fish
Ingredients
pork (and marinating mojo):
4-6 lbs. pork butt, bone-in (aka, “Boston butt”)
3 cups orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
1 cup water
15 garlic cloves, peeled + finely minced
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 tbsp. abobo seasoning
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
1 tsp. fresh cracked white pepper
table mojo:
1 ¾ cups freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ tsp. oregano
sea salt + cracked white pepper, to taste
Instructions
for the pork (and marinating mojo):
With the exception of the pork butt + 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, place all ingredients for the pork into a mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Place pork butt, fat side up, into a 5-quart dutch oven with lid, or a 6” deep roasting pan. Pour the mojo over the pork and massage all over to marinate the meat well. Wrap + cover tightly and place in the refrigerator to marinate at least 6 hours, preferably 24.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Take the marinated pork out of the refrigerator and uncover. Leaving the mojo marinade in the pan, wipe off and pat dry the fat cap using paper towel. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of kosher salt onto it and rub it in. This is how you get the coveted “chicharron!” Cover the roasting pan well with foil, using 2 layers if need be. The idea is to keep all the steam locked inside while the pork is roasting. This not only intensifies the heat inside but yields tender, fall-off-the-bone goodness in the meat.
Allow pork to sit, covered, at room temperature while the oven heats up well–20-30 minutes.
Place the pork into the oven and roast, covered, for 4 – 4 ½ hours, or until the pork is fall-off-the-bone tender (about 205 degrees F internal temperature with an insta-read thermometer). Remove pork from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Make sure you’re extra careful here as the steam that will escape as you pull off the foil can burn the sun!
Now crank the oven up to 425 degrees F.
Place the uncovered pork in the roasting pan back into the oven. Roast for another 15-20 minutes, checking in periodically, until the chicharron (fat cap on top) is crisp and crackly, but not burnt. Remove pork from the oven and allow to rest (in the pan with all the delectable juices) for 10-20 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, lightly pull the meat apart, leaving some nice whole chunks along with the finer pulled meat.
for the table mojo:
1 ¾ cups freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ tsp. oregano
sea salt + cracked white pepper, to taste
Place the garlic cloves into a mortar + pestle. Mash the cloves to break them up. Add a pinch of coarse kosher salt and continue to crush the garlic into a paste. Set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan set over low heat. Once the oil is warm, add the garlic paste. Stir well to combine and steep in the oil for 4-5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and the oregano. Stir well. Remove from heat and cool slightly to room temperature. Whisk in the fresh citrus juices, sea salt and white pepper. When ready to serve, whisk in the minced parsley. Serve immediately.
Place pork into a serving dish or platter. Serve hot with the table mojo.
Notes
pairings:
wine: Dry varietals work best with this dish. For highlighting the flavor of the pork, nothing compares to Argentinian Malbec, Australian Shiraz or Spanish Crianza. And while a dry German Riesling or a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio will spotlight the vibrant citrus notes in the mojo, it also pairs beautifully with the pork.
beer: Saison Dupont
A farmhouse ale is an inspired choice here, and the benchmark of the farmhouse style is Saison Dupont by Brasserie Dupont. Mild sweetness, slight hints of lemon, and a dry, spicy finish are a perfect companion for mojo roast pork!
musical: Pigs – Pink Floyd
brujo notes:
- Plan ahead for the marinating portion of this recipe. The longer it sits in the marinade, the more flavor will be imparted to the meat and especially the fat cap that will become the chicharron, or cracklin.’ It also works as a bit of a tenderizing agent, giving you a head start on achieving that juicy fall-off-the-bone quality you’ll be looking for.
- To reheat the pork: store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, bring pork to room temperature. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Cover pork with foil and reheat gently until warmed through- about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.
- If your garlic turns green or blue, don’t lose sleep over it. It’s still safe to eat and this natural occurrence doesn’t affect it’s flavor in any way. This reaction is caused by naturally occurring sulfur and enzymes in the garlic cloves interacting with each other. Sometimes the color change happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Shifts in temperature, pH or the age of your garlic can come into play here. The best way to avoid any discoloration is to use the freshest garlic possible, so try to make this recipe in as short a time after buying it as possible. Another fix is to blanche the peeled garlic cloves first. Try putting them in hot water for a short time, which can slow the interactions between the enzymes. (Make sure you cool the cloves completely before mashing and making the garlic paste).
- Prep Time: 20 mins. + 24 hours (marinating)
- Cook Time: 4 – 4.5 hrs. (roasting)
- Category: main dish magic
- Cuisine: Cuban
Keywords: citrus, cuban, cuban pork, cuban sandwich, garlic, juicy, main dish, mojo, pork, pork butt, Boston butt, pork shoulder, roasted pork
