We have been following the straight and narrow in our more recent posts after indulging in our Tamal debauchery. Methinks we are all entitled to this Mojo Pork with Creamy Cilantro Sauce which is all sorts of tasty, great for tacos, super easy to make and kind of sort of healthy!
Mojo (pronounced “Moho”), for those of you who don’t know, is a blanket term for a variety of sauces and marinades mostly based on garlic and olive oil.
This recipe is not that complicated, really. You only need to marinate the pork overnight and then slow-roast it in the exquisite citrusy, garlicky Mojo. The end-result will be fork-tender meat and marinating it overnight will take its flavor to the next level.
The Creamy Cilantro Sauce, on the other hand, is hot (as much as you want to make it) and rich enough to add another layer of flavor to those tacos. The sauce is so good that you will want to put it on everything. And you can! Make a batch and store it properly.
Mojo Pork with Creamy Cilantro Sauce is quite a mouthful. It will surprise you, though, when you realize how easy it is to make and how pleasing the end results are! Enjoy as taco filling or on tostadas.
Ingredients
- 1 5-pound Boston butt (pork shoulder, butt end)
- For the Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt to taste
- For the Creamy Cilantro-Chile Sauce:
- 2 large jalapeños, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped white onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the Mojo de Ajo: Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the lemon and orange juices and simmer for 2 minutes. Add vinegar and let it cool down.
- Make the Dry Rub: In a container, shake the garlic and onion powders with the spices. Add 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to the cooled down mojo and reserve the rest of this dry rub mix.
- Transfer half of the citrus-garlic Mojo to the blender. Add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of salt and blend the marinade until smooth. Refrigerate and reserve the remaining mojo without blending it.
- Place the pork in a resealable plastic bag, add the blended marinade and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Take the pork out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you roast it.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen towels. Rub the meat all over with the remaining dry rub and place in a roasting pan. Roast for 3 hours (if pork is browning too much loosely tent the roasting pan with some foil, although some people like an almost charred crust on the meat), until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150 F. Reduce the oven temperature to 275° and roast the meat for about 3 more hours, until very tender and a thermometer registers 180°. Remove the roast from the oven and cover with foil, if you didn’t during roasting and let rest for 30 minutes before shredding. Proceed to shred using two forks.
- Make the Creamy Cilantro-Chile Sauce: In a blender puree jalapeños, garlic cloves, onion, lime juice, water, mayo and cilantro together until smooth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and serve. Shred the pork, serve with the reserved Mojo de Ajo marinade and Creamy Cilantro-Chile Sauce and/or Guacamole and enjoy in tacos.
[…] the mood for Tacos? We’ve got you covered with Homemade Tacos al Pastor and Mojo Pork with Creamy Cilantro Sauce Tacos. And for the vegetarians in your life, Tacos de Nopalitos Salad and Poblano Rajas with Cream […]