Cuban Mojo Pork

The really lovely thing about this recipe for Cuban Mojo Pork is that the meat is marinating in all of that juice as it freezes and as it thaws, so the result is a dish that is bursting with incredible flavor. This is not just your run-of-the-mill pork shoulder recipe.

There are just some things that the pressure cooker is really good at. Pork shoulder is one of those things. In 45-60 minutes, your pork will be falling apart, easily shreddable, and delicious. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, or don’t want to mess with anything like that, just throw the pork in a slow cooker for five or six hours and you get the same result.

Just like the pressure cooker, freezer meal cooking is the perfect method for certain recipes. Any time you are marinating meat, making up extra batches to freeze is the way to go. The extra time freezing and thawing in the marinade gives you perfect results every time.

Freezer meal cooking is such a lifesaver in our home. I cannot imagine life without a fully stocked supply of frozen meals. On any given weeknight, you’ll find me whipping up a delicious meal from my freezer in under thirty minutes (sometimes in less than ten minutes!) while simultaneously choosing a meal from my stash to thaw for the next night. It takes all the pressure off and makes decision-making easy.

If you want to try out freezer-meal cooking (and which mom doesn’t need easy choices sometimes?), be sure to check out our Freezer Meal 101 Club. It’s handy, easy, and chock full of fabulous meals you can make on the weekends in bulk and serve all month long. You’ll also love our recipe for Bahn Mi Meatball Sandwiches if you want to give something else a try first.

Cuban Mojo Pork Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 lb. pork shoulder or butt boneless
• 4 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 large orange
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice from 2-3 limes
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 large (gallon) freezer bag or reusable silicone bag

Ingredients for the Day of Cooking

• sub buns
• swiss cheese
• pickles

How to Make Cuban Mojo Pork

Assembly Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a large freezer bag.
2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Or in the instant pot, cut your roast into four similar sized chunks. Cook on manual high pressure for 60 min. Natural release for 10 min. then quick release. Shred pork.
4. Optional: Spread shredded pork on baking sheet. Pour sauce over. Broil for 5 minutes. 
5. Serve on its own or in Cuban sandwiches. To make into a Cubano (Cuban sandwich), serve on Cuban bread or substitute hoagie rolls. Top the pork with Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard.

What should I look for in a pork butt?

Ideally, I like to buy a boneless cut, so that I don’t have to find my way around the awkward bone with a knife. You want nice marbling, but not too much. Most pork butts or pork shoulders will include a fat cap, which you will want to mostly trim away for cooking in the slow cooker or the pressure cooker. The meat should be pleasantly pink, not dull or yellowing. If you have a seven-quart crockpot, you can pick up to a seven-pound pork shoulder. You’ll need about 1/3 to 1/2 pound of meat per person, so plan accordingly.

How Will I Know When the Pork Is Done?

If you are using a slow cooker or Instant Pot, the meat is done when you can easily shred it with a fork. Since the pressure cooker is a pain to restart, we recommend going at least forty-five minutes on high pressure. The recipe calls for sixty minutes to be safe. If you are smoking the meat, you want to cook the meat low and slow at 200ºF until it reaches about 190ºF which is when all of the fat has broken down and rendered out so that your pork shoulder is fall-off-the-bone perfection.

Cuban Mojo Pork Recipe Ideas

Bring the heat. A dash of red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce will bump up the heat without compromising the flavor. You could also add a diced chili of your choice to the crockpot.

Don’t forget to juice up the bun a little bit.

Plan ahead. Pork shoulder regularly goes on sale. When it does, you can buy multiple roasts, and make two bags per roast, especially if you are feeding a smaller family. It’s a great way to save on meat! Sometimes our local grocery store has 2 for 1 pork roasts so I stock up then.

If you’re making this for one or two, the easiest way is to cook it up immediately and then portion it into the portion size you want and then freeze.

I highly recommend the use of Slow Cooker Liners to make clean-up a breeze.

How do I store Cuban Mojo Pork?

Leftover meat should be kept in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than two or three days. It can be reheated in a skillet or microwave to make fresh sandwiches. You can also freeze the shredded meat in a freezer bag or in Souper Cubes.

What to Serve with Cuban Mojo Pork

Besides sandwich-style, you can also serve the Mojo pork over rice or on its own with sides. Whether you enjoy a classic Cuban sandwich or pork on a plate, it can be served with potato chips or potato salad. Corn on the cob or creamed corn. Southern-style green beans or steamed green beans. The possibilities here are endless. A simple coleslaw would be classic.

Print

Cuban Mojo Pork

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

6 hrs

Total Time

6 hrs 10 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Servings: 6

Calories: 601 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 lb. pork shoulder or butt boneless
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice one large orange
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 2-3 limes
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano

Ingredients for the Day of Cooking

• sub buns
• Swiss cheese
• pickles

Instructions

Assembly Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a large freezer bag.
2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

2. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.

3. Alternate Instructions for the Instant Pot. Cut your roast into four similar-sized chunks. Cook on manual high pressure for 60 min. Natural release for 10 min. Then quick release. Shred pork.
4. Optional: Spread shredded pork on a baking sheet. Pour sauce over. Broil for 5 minutes.
5. Serve on its own or in Cuban sandwiches. To make a Cubano (Cuban sandwich), serve on Cuban bread or substitute hoagie rolls. Top with Swiss cheese, pork, pickles, and mustard.

Recipe Notes

It is very seldom that you’ll see one of our recipes say “freshly squeezed” juice of any kind. In this case, to get the full flavour profile, we really recommend it. It’s worth the extra effort in our opinion. Enjoy!