Traditional Cuban Recipe Cuban Mojo Cuban Marinade

Steps:

• Mash garlic, salt and peppercorns, using a mortar and pestle or use food processor.
• Stir in juice.
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
• *If making it without the oil - stop at this point and this makes a perfect marinade for seasoning, chicken, fish, pork &/or beef.
• Continue with preparing the mojo with oil - after you have stirred in juice add onion & oregano.
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
• In a saucepan heat olive oil to medium hot & then remove from heat.
• Whisk oil in garlic-juice mixture, until well blended.
• Stores for at least a week in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• To make the skewers, pour the oil into a large heavy-based pan, add the garlic and cook over a low heat until cooked and starting to toast - take care not to burn. Tip in the cumin, stir briefly, then add the citrus juices, thyme and some seasoning. Allow to boil for several mins to concentrate and make a sauce. Cool.
• Put your pork into a bowl, and stir in three-quarters of the cooled marinade. Leave to marinate for 1 hr at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
• When ready to serve, thread the pork onto 18 pre-soaked wooden skewers. Griddle for 2 mins on each side or until cooked. Arrange on a platter, pour over the remaining sauce and serve garnished with orange wedges.
• To make the coolers, put a handful of crushed ice into each of 6 tall glasses. Stir the lime juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then tip into the glasses. Divide the lager, then the ginger ale between the glasses, top with lime slices and serve with the pork skewers.

Steps:

• If you have a food processor: Add the orange juice, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and smashed (not minced) garlic cloves, and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add this mixture to a ziplock bag, along with the rest of the oil, zest, lime juice, oregano, and cumin.
• If you don't have a food processor: In a large ziplock bag, combine olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Shake it around a bit to mix it up, then add the pork shoulder.
• Place the zipped up bag in a baking dish, and put it in the fridge overnight, or several hours at least.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack (I used a cooking rack) over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place the pork on the rack and discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well.
• Roast the pork for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned.
• Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160.
• Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 20 minutes.
• Carve against the grain and serve.

Steps:

• For the mojo marinade: Trim the pork shoulder, removing any excess fat, and tie. Make the mojo marinade by combining the citrus juices and zest, oregano, cilantro, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the garlic and the cumin in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Place the tied roast into a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature. Once marinated, remove from the bag and wipe away any excess liquid. Reserve the marinade.
• For the pork roast: Preheat a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil to the pressure cooker pot and turn to high heat. Sear the roast on all sides. Then add the chicken stock, bay leaves, onions and the reserved marinade. Replace the lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the roast is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the roast, transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Slice thinly.
• For the Cuban sandwiches: Using a serrated knife, halve the Cuban loaves. Begin building the sandwiches. First, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto the bread. Add 5 pickle slices, about 3 ounces of ham and a few slices of roasted pork. Top with 2 slices of the cheese. Finish with the top half of the Cuban loaf. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
• To serve: Heat a flat-top griddle pan to medium heat with the olive oil. Place the sandwiches on to the griddle pan and place a weighted cast-iron pan on top to press. Press the sandwiches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and cut in half. Secure with bamboo skewers and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Pour lime, orange, grapefruit, and lemon juices into a blender or food processor. Add vinegar, oil, garlic, Mexican oregano, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Pulse several times, then blend until the garlic pieces disappear, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and pulse one more time.
• Pour marinade into a 1-gallon resealable bag and add shrimp. Squeeze most of the air out of the bag and seal. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, with the shrimp inside the bag in a single layer. Drain and reserve marinade.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook shrimp in a single layer, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Shrimp are done when they are opaque, pink and white, and curled into a "C" shape. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
• Pour reserved marinade into the same skillet and bring to a boil. Boil until marinade is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 6 minutes. Pour into a small serving pitcher or sauce boat.
• Serve shrimp with sauce on the side as a dipping sauce, or toss shrimp in the sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Steps:

• For the mojo: Combine the orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, olive oil, oregano, cumin, 3 teaspoons kosher salt and a few grinds pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and the mojo is emulsified. Set aside.
• For the pork: Pierce some small slashes in the pork with a sharp paring knife to allow the mojo marinade to penetrate. Place the pork in a large bowl. Add the mojo, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours.
• When ready to cook, remove the pork from the bowl and dab off the excess marinade. Reserve the marinade in the bowl for cooking.
• Set a 6- to 8-quart Instant Pot® to saute and add the canola oil (see Cook's Note). Cook each piece of pork until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Depending on the size of your pork and Instant Pot, you may need to do this in batches. Combine all the pork with the reserved marinade in the pot. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 1 hour. (It will take 8 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure.)
• After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release. After 20 minutes, being careful to release any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid.
• Remove the pork to a medium bowl. Strain the liquid from the Instant Pot through a fine-mesh sieve, then remove and discard the grease and solids. Return the liquid to the pot, set to saute and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shred the pork with 2 forks. Once the sauce is reduced, toss with the shredded pork and serve.