Favorite thing you've made or ate this past week. (2,007 views)

Beth, I'm glad you posted this---in the whirl that was this fall/winter, I'd totally forgotten I had that mojo pork tucked away in the freezer.  Will have to wait a bit though--we're expecting snow (again!) on Sunday, so not feeling the Miami cuisine right now!  I wish I remembered where I found this recipe, but I don't.

CHEF'S PORK MOJO FOR CUBANOS

• 1 large bone-in pork shoulder
• 4 cups orange juice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup spiced rum
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• Whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
• 2 stems oregano, roughly chopped
• 2 stems rosemary, roughly chopped
• 2 stems thyme, roughly chopped
• 2 stems sage, roughly chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 oranges, juiced and zested
• 6 limes, juiced and zested
• 2 stems oregano, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
• Whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons toasted and freshly ground cumin
• 1 loaf pan cubano
• 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces thick deli ham
• 12 slices swiss cheese
• Dill pickles, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons mustard

Remove excess fat from pork roast, and score fat cap on the top. Combine orange juice, water, rice wine vinegar, rum, salt, brown sugar, garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay leaves in a large bowl - whisk to combine. Place the pork shoulder in a large stainless steel bowl, and pour marinade over top, making sure it’s completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

To make mojo marinade: combine olive oil, orange juice & zest, lime juice & peels, oregano, cilantro, mint, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin, whisking to combine.

Remove pork shoulder from brine and discard brine. Place pork shoulder back into stainless steel bowl, and cover with mojo marinade. Massage marinade into the pork for one minute before covering and refrigerating for 2 hours.

Remove pork from the marinade, brushing off any large pieces of herbs. Place on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, brush with marinade, and roast at 350F for 2 1/2 hours, until pork registers 165F at its thickest point. Tent the roast with foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Butter the inside of the pan cubano, cut into 4 pieces, and toast butter-side-down in a hot plancha. Slice pork about 1/4” thick. In a lightly oiled nonstick pan, sear pork and ham. Fill sandwiches with pork, ham, cheese, and pickles - smear with mustard, smear top exterior of the pan cubano with butter, and press in the plancha for 2-3 minutes, until bread is deeply browned and cheese is melted. Cut diagonally and serve.