Cuban Mojo Pork is Boston butt marinated  in mojo sauce made from fresh orange and lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Delicious in sandwiches or as a main dish. 

The place we’ve made our home for the past 31 years, Tampa, FL, has a definite Latin influence. Cuban, Spanish and Sicilian immigrants settled in a section of town that came to be known as Ybor (pronounced ee-bore) City, mostly to work in the cigar factories.

A big part of any culture is the food and the Latin immigrants didn’t leave their favorite recipes behind. To this day, Tampa has many eating establishments specializing in Latin cuisine.

A recipe common to Cuban food is mojo. It’s made into a sauce and used as marinade or dip.  It’s heavily seasoned with garlic and has the addition of sour oranges or equal parts sweet orange and lime juice.

Sour oranges are available at Latin markets and some of the large grocery store chains.  Cumin and oregano are present and accounted for in the sauce, also.  Mojo is found in other regions of the world but it’s a variation on authentic Cuban mojo.

I took liberties with the marinade because….well….it’s my kitchen.  To add in even more flavor to this wonderfully flavored marinade, I tossed in onions, cilantro and fresh sliced orange and lime.

A Boston butt marinated in the refrigerator overnight to soak up as much of the flavor as possible.  The pork roast cooks on high for a short while to sear the outside and then cooks for a longer time at reduced heat until done.

The result is flavorful, tender and juicy Cuban Mojo Pork. Interested in a slow-cooker version? Try Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork. Or is it Cuban Mojo Marinated Roast Pork? Or Cuban Mojo Pork Roast? Or Cuban Mojo Roast Pork?

A Google search turned up all the above plus other variations. In order to get the name right, I went straight to my favorite first generation Cuban-American, Jessica Adams. Jessica polled her family and came back with Cuban Mojo Pork. I respect their authority and this dish shall be called Cuban Mojo Pork. At least it shall be called that on my blog.  I have the satisfaction of knowing that I’m right. Jessica said so.

These fried plantains will make an excellent side dish for Cuban Mojo Pork.  For another version, try these plantain chips .Also, think about Instant Pot Black Beans for another great Cuban inspired side dish. 

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Cuban Mojo Pork

preheat oven to 425 degrees

yield: 8 to 10 servings

Boston butt marinated  in mojo sauce made from fresh orange and lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Delicious in sandwiches or as a main dish. 

3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

3/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 orange, sliced with peel on

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 lime sliced,with peel on

1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced in half-moons

6 to 8 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

fresh cilantro,  a handful of leaves

3 to 4 pound boneless Boston butt (pork shoulder), tied

Kosher salt

ground black pepper

1 cup water

Add first 11 ingredients to a large plastic ziplock bag. Close bag and gently shake it to mix ingredients.

Add Boston butt.  Close bag and turn over several times to evenly distribute marinade ingredients.

Marinate for at least 4 hours up to overnight. Turn bag over several times while marinating.  Remove marinated pork from refrigerator and keep at room temperature at least one hour before cooking.  Tip: place marinade bag on a rimmed baking sheet in case it leaks.

When ready to cook, preheat oven  to 425 degrees.

Remove meat from marinade bag and place on a baking rack inside  large baking pan.  Season all sides with salt and pepper.

Pour marinade in the bottom of the pan along with 1 cup water.

Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees.  Baste with marinade several times while cooking.  Add more water to marinade if necessary. Note: if you want to pull the pork instead of slicing, cook to an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

Remove to cutting board.  Tent with aluminum foil and let rest 30 minutes before slicing.

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4 from 7 votes

Cuban Mojo Pork

Boston butt marinated in mojo sauce made from fresh orange and lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Delicious in sandwiches or as a main dish.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

marinate time8 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cuban American

Keyword: citrus marinade, cuban mojo pork, mojo pork

Author: Jackie Garvin

Ingredients

• preheat oven to 425 degrees
• yield: 8 to 10 servings
• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 orange sliced with peel on
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lime sliced with peel on
• 1 sweet onion peeled and sliced in half-moons
• 6 to 8 large garlic cloves peeled and smashed
• fresh cilantro a handful of leaves
• 3 to 4 pound boneless Boston butt pork shoulder, tied
• Kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 cup water

Instructions

• Add first 11 ingredients to a large plastic ziplock bag. Close bag and gently shake it to mix ingredients.
• Add Boston butt. Close bag and turn over several times to evenly distribute marinade ingredients.
• Marinate for at least 4 hours up to overnight. Turn bag over several times while marinating. Remove marinated pork from refrigerator and keep at room temperature at least one hour before cooking. Tip: place marinade bag on a rimmed baking sheet in case it leaks.
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove meat from marinade bag and place on a baking rack inside large baking pan. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
• Pour marinade in the bottom of the pan along with 1 cup water.
• Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Baste with marinade several times while cooking. Add more water to marinade if necessary. Note: if you want to pull the pork instead of slicing, cook to an internal temperature of 190 degrees.
• Remove to cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest 30 minutes before slicing.

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