Cuban Garlic Sauce Mojo Cubano Recipes

MOJO DE AJO (CUBAN CITRUS-GARLIC BARBECUE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in deep saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant and pale golden brown. Do not let brown too much, or else garlic will become bitter.
• Stir in sour orange juice (or lime juice and grapefruit juice), water, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Stand back, because the sauce may spatter. Bring to rolling boil. Correct the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if needed. Let cool to room temperature, and then stir in cilantro or parsley. Store in bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid; shake well before serving. Serve with grilled pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables.

YUCCA WITH GARLIC SAUCE: YUCCA CON MOJO

Steps:

• Place the yucca in a large 6-quart pot. Cover with 5 quarts cold water. Add the salt and bring to boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and cook covered until it feels tender when pierced with a fork but still keeps its shape, about 30 minutes. Be careful not to overcook because yucca can turn into a gooey paste. Turn the heat to low and leave the yucca in the hot water until ready to serve.
• For The Mojo Sauce: While the yucca cooks, prepare the mojo sauce. Heat the olive oil until fragrant in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion rings until lightly golden. Add the garlic and the cumin and saute, stirring for a few seconds, until golden. Pour in the bitter orange juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Very quickly, drain the yucca in a large colander and transfer to a decorative serving platter. Cover with the mojo sauce and serve piping hot.
• In Cuba and the Hispanic Caribbean, yucca con mojo is served alongside rice and beans and roast pork

CUBAN MOJO MARINADE

Steps:

• Juice citrus.
• Chop onions and mince garlic.
• Mix all ingredients.

CUBAN TOSTONES WITH GARLIC MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil for deep frying.
• Peel the plantains and slice them at an angle into 1~1½" thick pieces.
• Gently slide into the hot oil and fry for 4~5 minutes, flipping once. Using a slotted spoon, remove the plantains from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain for about 2 minutes.
• When the fried slices are just cool enough to handle, about 2~3 minutes; gently but firmly flatten them to about ⅜" thick. I used my poori press to press the fried plantains, but a soup can, tortilla press or even a rolling pan will also work.
• Gently drop the flattened plantains back into the hot oil and fry for another 3~4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp along the edges.
• Return to the paper to drain, sprinkle the hot tostones with salt, and serve immediately.
• In a large saucepan, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion and bring to a gently simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 12~14 minutes or until the garlic and onion are very soft and just starting to turn golden.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and ground cumin.
• Set aside for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Gently stir in the lime juice and ground pepper. Serve with tostones.

MOJO SAUCE MARINADE

Steps:

• Start by taking apart the garlic head into cloves and remove the papery skin. Next, place the garlic cloves and white onion into a food processor or blender and blend into a finely chopped mixture.
• Then, pour the garlic and white onion mixture into a mixing bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix everything well with a whisk or spoon and let the marinade sit for 45 minutes before using or storing inside the refrigerator.

CUBAN GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• NOTE: If you can't find sour orange juice, use 1/2 cup orange juice combined with 1/2 cup lemon juice.
• Crush garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste. Combine garlic, onion, and orange juice in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a skillet, add mixture, and stir for 3 minutes.
• This sauce can be used immediately or stored in refrigerator and reheated.

CUBAN GARLIC SAUCE (MOJO CUBANO)

Steps:

• For the mojo, you will need a large bowl. In a large bowl, pour the sour orange juice or lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and sliced onion into the bowl and stir.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high for 2 minutes, then when hot, pour olive oil into bowl. Be careful not to get burned, since some of it might splatter out.
• Mix the mojo ingredients, then let sit for 30 minutes.

YUCA WITH GARLIC SAUCE (YUCA CON MOJO)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Boil yuca in salted water until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Drain yuca and place it in a serving dish. Set aside, but keep warm by covering bowl. Don't allow it to come back to room temperature while you make garlic sauce.
• Combine onions, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic in a bowl. Pour mixture over yuca.
• Heat olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in a heavy pan until hot, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn spices. Pour hot oil over yuca. Garnish with additional cilantro and orange zest, as desired.

CUBAN MOJO CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the orange zest, lime zest , orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic cloves, jalapeno (if using), oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the chicken into the marinade , cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can also do this in a large zip-top bag, but be sure to place the bag into a large bowl to safeguard against drips.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a large roasting pan. If you like, tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body to help prevent them from darkening too much.
• Roast in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 F on a meat thermometer. If the breast starts to get too dark while roasting, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
• Garnish with orange and lime slices (if using) and serve with rice and black beans.