Mojo Criollo Roasted Pig Recipes

CUBAN ROAST PORK WITH MOJO CRIOLLO

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 of the grated garlic, all of the dried oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper into a paste.
• Score the trimmed roast with a knife point and rub the paste into the roast, then place roast in a gallon freezer bag or other dish/container that will fit in the refrigerator.
• Pour juice of 3 oranges, juice of 3 limes, the red wine, and 2 teaspoons of the lite olive oil over the roast, seal bag and turn the bag several times to combine the ingredients.
• Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or the day before you plan to serve.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Place roast and marinade in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and roast until the meat falls apart when pulled with a fork, 3 to 4 hours, up to 6 depending on the cut- it must become fork tender.
• Remove roast from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes, then pull roast into shreds with a fork, leaving the meat in the pan juices- it's ready to serve.
• Prepare Mojo Criollo: put onion slices in a bowl deep enough for the onions to be covered with the juice (I use a 2-cup glass measuring cup).
• Put the rest of the fresh grated garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, juice of 3 limes and juice of 5 oranges and the optional juice of 2 blood oranges over the onions, press down to make sure onions are submerged in the juice.
• Allow the onions to marinate in this mixture for at least 20 minutes (important step).
• Heat 1/4 cup of the lite olive oil in a skillet.
• Quickly and carefully, pour the onions and all the juices into the hot oil and"stir fry" for about 2 to 3 minutes, just to soften the onions.
• Pour the Mojo into a serving dish and serve with the roast on the side.

MOJO CRIOLLO RECIPE

Steps:

• 1 Crush the already-peeled garlic along with the salt with a mortar and pestle until it is completely ground-up.
• 2 Add the pepper and crush again. Next, add the oregano and mix everything together.
• 3 Add the chopped onion, the oil, and the bitter orange juice. Stir with a spoon.
• 4 Let it sit for approximately half an hour to an hour before using it to get a better mixture and to strengthen the flavor of the ingredients.
• 5 Use this delicious mojo to season all kind of meats and to prepare the famous recipe made with yucca, potatoes or eddoes. Video de Preparación del Mojo Criollo Cubano Paso a paso en Video de como hacer un Mojo Criollo Cubano

CUBAN-STYLE ROAST PIG

Steps:

• Place pig skin side down on a large work surface. Strain one recipe of the mojo into a bowl, reserving solids. Transfer liquid to a large syringe and inject the mojo into the meat of the pig every 3 to 4 inches, taking care not to push syringe down so far that it punctures the skin on the underside of the meat. Sprinkle the interior and exterior of the pig with adobo criollo and rub all over; rub reserved solids from mojo over rib cage. Cover and let marinate, chilled, overnight.
• Bring pig to room temperature. Lock the pig into the wire rack of the Caja China by using the S-hooks. Place locked pig in the Caja China on top of the drip pan, skin side down. Insert a meat thermometer with a cable attachment into the thickest rear section of the pig.
• Place ash pan and grid tray on top of the Caja China. Fill the bottoms of two large chimney starters with crumpled newspaper. Starting with16 pounds of charcoal briquettes (not instant), fill the tops of the chimney starters with some of the 16 pounds of charcoal. Place a chimney starter on each end of the grid tray; light the newspaper in each chimney starter. Flames will sweep up through the chimney, igniting charcoal. When charcoal is red-hot, after 15 to 20 minutes, dump out charcoal from starters and add remaining charcoal to total 16 pounds; spread evenly across grid tray. After 1 hour of cooking, evenly add 8 pounds charcoal. Repeat process every hour until pig reaches 185 to 187 degrees, about 3 1/2 hours.
• When pig has reached 185 to 187 degrees, two people wearing protective gloves should raise the grid tray and carefully shake ashes off the coals and into ash pan. Carefully place the grid tray on the long handles. Two people should then lift the ash pan with ashes and safely dispose of them, adding water to ensure they do not cause a fire.
• Using protective gloves, carefully turn pig skin side up and return to the Caja China. With a knife, carefully make cross cuts into skin between each grid of the rack, taking care not to cut into the meat. Return ash pan and grid tray with hot coals to the Caja China and cook, until skin is crisp, 30 to 45 minutes more.
• Heat remaining recipe mojo and transfer to a serving bowl. Remove ash pan and grid tray from Caja China. Lift wire rack containing pig out of the Caja China. Detach S-hooks and remove top rack. Serve meat on rolls topped with warm mojo and chopped onions, if desired.

CUBAN STYLE PORK ROAST WITH MOJO CRIOLLO AKA LECHON ASADO CON MOJO

Steps:

• 1. THE NIGHT BEFORE: 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.
• 2. Mix the mojo ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes.
• 3. Prepare pork leg by piercing pork with a sharp knife. Place pork leg, fat side up in large pan. Pour Mojo over and around pork, cover in aluminum foil, and let sit in refrigerator overnight. Reserve some of the mojo for basting.
• 4. DAY OF ROASTING: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• 5. Place the pork in a large open roasting pan with all the Mojo juices. With a large spoon, pour the juices all over the pork.
• 6. Place the pan in the oven and reduce the temperature to 225 degrees F.
• 7. Check pork occasionally and pour Mojo on sides over the roast pork with spoon.
• 8. Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature, when it reaches about 195 degrees F, remove the pork from the oven.The outer skin should be a golden brown and crunchy. Place pork in a large serving pan and cover with aluminum foil. Wait a few minutes to let cool down, then either slice or fork shred and serve. Enjoy!