Cuban Mojo Inspired Carnitas

If you’re new to Cuban flavors, let me be the one to welcome you to your new addition. It’s insanely good, and once your try it, you will always crave it. I know I do. I’m so in love with the flavors, I could eat it for the rest of my life and be happy. I am also part Cuban though, so that may not be as convincing. But don’t take my word for it. Try these Cuban Mojo Inspired Carnitas and let the flavors tell you for themselves.

I enjoyed developing this beautiful fusion of Mexican and Spanish cuisine. Not only does this Cuban mojo inspired carnitas provide aromatic, citrus flavors, but the crispiness of the pork give such a wonderful texture. It can even go with an arrangement of toppings and sides. If you want to do a family taco night, this goes amazing with homemade tortillas, queso fresco, and salsa. If you want to do a Cuban night, serve this with congri, fried plantains, or papa rellenas. Or if you would like to combine the two, then do a mixture. If you have leftovers, these Cuban mojo inspired carnitas are perfect for making empanadas, enchiladas, or taquitos.

Cuban foods shares spices from Taino, African and Caribbean cooking. It holds multiple cultures within one dish, and when Mexican cuisine techniques are added in, it creates this beautiful harmony. The flavor combinations are amazing, and in my opinion, mind blowing. So if you haven’t tried any of the foods before, I strongly encourage it.

Thanks to a dear friend for giving me the idea of attempting to make my own version of carnitas, this inspiration may have never crossed my mind. For a while, I was intimidated of making carnitas myself. Mainly because I wasn’t exactly sure how. But after a couple of tries and putting my own spin on it, I created these Cuban mojo inspired carnitas. It uses the same cooking method of slow braising the pork, but it includes the addition of citrus and garlic flavors. And they are very easy to make.

These Cuban mojo inspired carnitas are perfect to make for the next family dinner. They are so much fun to create and it makes enough to feed a large party, or to freeze for another quick dinner. To freeze, simply flash freeze the pork after the braising process (and before the broiling step) before transferring to a freezer bag. Then when you are ready to prepare, unfreeze and follow the remaining steps of broiling.

Cuban Mojo Inspired Carnitas

thedishnextdoor

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Total Time 4 hours hrs

Course entrees

Equipment

• blender or food processor
• dutch oven or deep skillet
• 1 Baking sheet
• nonstick foil

Ingredients

  

Mojo Sauce:

• 8-10 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 Tbl. oregano
• 2 tsp. cumin
• ¾ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 cup cilantro
• ¼ cup fresh mint
• 1 large onion, quartered

Carnitas:

• 3 ½-4 lbs. pork butt, excess fat trimmed and cut into 3-4 inch chunks
• ½ tsp. whole cloves
• ¼-½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium orange, zested + sliced in half
• ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

 

• Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Transfer cut pork butt onto the baking sheet in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• In a blender, bullet, or food processor, combine the garlic, oregano, cumin, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, and mint. Blend until combined. If there are chunks of garlic, that's alright. Set aside.
• In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon or two of the oil. Brown the piece of pork on 2 sides a few at a time, about 3 minutes each side. You may need to cook in batches. Set aside, leaving any oils in the pan. Repeat until all the pork is browned, but not completely cooked.
• Add in the remaining oil and onion. Cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute.
• Stir in the mojo sauce and pieces of pork.
• Squeeze the juices out of the orange halves. Throw the peeling in the pan as well.
• Add in the cloves, pepper flakes bay leaf, and orange zest.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the dutch oven and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• After 2 hours, uncover and reduce heat to low. Cook for another 45 minutes- 1 hour, stirring often, or until most of the liquid is evaporate.
• Remove from the heat. Discard the orange peeling and bay leaf
• Line a baking sheet with foil. Transfer the pork to the baking sheet and shred. Add a tablespoon or two of the oils from the pot and coat the pork. Broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the edges of the meat becomes brown and crispy.
• Serve with other sides of your choice.

Keyword citrus, dinner ideas, pork