Dannys Mojo Pork Recipes

MOJO PORK TACOS

Steps:

• For the pork: Combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, oregano and black pepper in a blender and purée. Pour the marinade over the pork butt in a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 24 hours.
• To cook the pork, place it in a preheated smoker, using an oak and apple wood blend. Smoke until the internal temperature has reached 185 to 190 degrees F, 8 to 12 hours (see Cook's Note). When finished, the pork should be tender enough to yield fully to the touch. Cover and let cool, 1 hour. Using your weight, press down on the pork to break up. Uncover and pull apart/shred any remaining chunks of meat.
• For the apple-jicama slaw: Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Peel the jicama and slice into thin sheets using a mandoline. Stack the sheets and julienne into thin sticks. Apply the same process to the apples, leaving the skin on. Combine half the marinade with the jicama and apple in a bowl, then finish with the cilantro leaves. Reserve the remaining marinade to use directly on the pork.
• For the pico de gallo: Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeños and lime juice in a bowl, then toss to mix and season to your preference.
• Heat the tortillas in your preferred method (a dry sauté pan over medium heat works well). Pile the mojo pork into a folded tortilla, then top with the juicy apple-jicama slaw and finish with picked cilantro and pico de gallo.

SLOW COOKER MOJO PORK

Steps:

• Score fat side of the pork in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 1/8 inch deep. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Combine orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, orange zest, lime zest, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin in a large resealable bag. Add pork butt and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Flip the bag over occasionally and rub over roast to evenly distribute marinade.
• Place roast and marinade in the slow cooker. Cook on Low until meat is fork-tender, 7 to 8 hours.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Transfer pork into a roasting pan, fat-side up. Broil until lightly browned and the skin has crisped, 4 to 5 minutes.

MOJO MARINATED PORK

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups of the orange juice and 1 cup of the lime juice and zest in a large saucepan over high heat and reduce to 2 cups. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining orange juice and lime juice add a few cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup of the oregano. Let cool to room temperature.
• Using a paring knife, make small slits over the entire surface of the pork and rub the garlic into the slashes. Whisk together the oil and remaining 1/4 cup of the oregano in a large roasting pan, add the pork and turn to coat, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the marinade during the last 30 minutes of roasting until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 150 degrees F. Remove from the oven, baste with any remaining glaze, tent loosely and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
• Serve the pork with the Mojo Dipping Sauce and the Plantains with Rum and Brown Sugar.
• Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, serrano, cilantro and a few pinches of salt until it becomes a paste. Add the orange juice, lime juice and oil and stir to combine.
• Heat butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the sugar and cook until melted. Add the plantains and cook until soft and heated through. Remove pan from the heat, add the rum, return to the heat and cook until the alcohol has reduced.

MOJO PORK WITH SWEET PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Puree the cilantro, mint, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a blender. Transfer 1/4 cup of the mojo sauce to a large bowl. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and add to the bowl; toss to coat and set aside.
• Bring 3/4 cup water, the rice, beans and 1/2 cup of the remaining mojo sauce to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat (reserve the remaining mojo sauce for topping). Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
• Remove the pork chops from the marinade and arrange on a broiler pan (or a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet). Add the plantain halves cut-side up to the pan. Broil until the pork and plantains are golden and the pork is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
• Top the pork with the remaining mojo sauce and cilantro. Serve with the rice, plantains and lime wedges.