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Mojo Rising — Oven-roasted mojo pork for Cuban sandwiches

Oven-roasted mojo pork for Cuban sandwiches. Read the full method and preparation notes before starting.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 boneless pork shoulder, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
  • 12 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, optional
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • Additional kosher salt, for seasoning the pork exterior if needed

Method
 

  1. Make the mojo: blend the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional orange zest until the garlic is finely broken down. Before the mojo touches raw pork, transfer 1/4 cup to a clean covered container and refrigerate it for finishing the cooked pork.
  2. Pat the pork dry. Cut several 1-inch-deep slits across all sides, then place the pork and sliced onion in a large zip-top bag or nonreactive covered container. Pour the remaining mojo over it, working the marinade into the slits. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours, turning once if convenient.
  3. Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 300°F. Arrange the onions in the bottom of a Dutch oven or covered roasting pan. Set the pork on top, fat side up, and pour the marinade around it. Lightly season any unseasoned exterior areas with additional kosher salt.
  4. Cover tightly and roast until the pork is tender but still holds together, approximately 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Begin checking early; the internal temperature should be approximately 180°F to 185°F before the final browning stage. Use temperature and tenderness rather than the clock as the final authority.
  5. Uncover the pan. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F and continue roasting for 30 to 50 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until the exterior is deeply browned and the center reaches approximately 190°F. If the pan begins drying out, add a small splash of water rather than more citrus juice.
  6. Transfer the pork to a board and rest for 30 minutes. Strain or spoon the pan juices into a container, keeping the softened onions if desired. Cool everything promptly, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
  7. The next day, lift the hardened fat from the chilled pan juices and discard it. Slice the cold pork thinly across the grain. Toss or brush the slices lightly with the defatted roasting juices and a small amount of the reserved clean mojo. Keep the pork moist, not dripping wet.
  8. For Cuban sandwiches, layer the cold or gently warmed sliced pork with ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard on Cuban bread or a soft Italian loaf. Butter the outside and press until crisp, flattened, hot throughout, and melted.

Notes

Bottled sour-orange juice may replace the orange and lime juices. Use 1 cup total. Do not deliberately shred the pork. Chilling it whole is what makes tender shoulder easy to slice for sandwiches. The finishing mojo is uncooked and sharp, so use it sparingly. The defatted roasting juices provide most of the moisture without making the bread soggy. For a George Foreman grill, avoid overfilling the sandwich and place the thicker edge toward the hinge. Lower the lid gently at first, then press more firmly after the bread warms. Freeze leftover sliced pork in sandwich-size portions with a spoonful of defatted roasting juice.
No reliable overall time is supplied here. Include any marinating, resting or overnight preparation described in the method.
Where shown, times and yields are saved source estimates, not measured kitchen-test results.