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Meat, Americas

Cuban mojo roast pork with moros y cristianos

Mojo roast pork with moros y cristianos is a Cuban dish for 4 people, ready in 3 hours 20 minutes with only 20 minutes of hands-on work, rated easy, for about €3.40 per person. The key to success is the mojo marinade of garlic, orange and lime, which needs time to soak into the pricked meat, followed by a slow then high-heat roast.

The great classic of Cuban celebrations, a pork shoulder roasted in a garlic and orange mojo, served with black bean rice.

Cuban mojo roast pork with moros y cristianos
Total time
3 h 20
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.40
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Under its golden crust, the pork shoulder turns tender, almost falling apart, soaked in the garlic and citrus juices it absorbed for hours. The mojo brings a sharp acidity that cuts through the richness of the pork, and the black bean rice, the famous moros y cristianos, soaks up all that juice until it turns creamy without going mushy. It is a generous dish that fills the whole house with its smell while it roasts.

This is the perfect recipe for a Sunday when you have time to let the oven do the work for you, or for having people over without stress since everything simmers on its own for three hours. Kids love the black bean rice and the meat that falls apart with a fork, and adults enjoy the garlic and citrus kick of the mojo, a nice change from the usual roast.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Pork shoulder 1.2 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 8 cloves
  • Oranges 3
  • Limes 2
  • Onion 1
  • Green bell pepper 1

Pantry

  • Oreganooften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Canned black beansoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Bay leafoften in the pantry 1 leaf
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Crush the garlic with the salt, add the orange and lime juice, the oregano, the cumin and 3 tablespoons of oil to make the mojo.

    Bitter orange can be hard to find, a mix of orange and lime works just as well.

  2. Poke the pork with the tip of a knife, pour the marinade over it and let it rest in the fridge. 1 h

    The longer the marinade, the better the result, overnight if you can.

  3. Roast the pork with its marinade at 160°C, covered, then at 200°C uncovered to brown it. 2 h 30

    Baste with the juices every 30 minutes.

  4. Saute the chopped onion and bell pepper in the remaining oil, add the black beans with their liquid and the bay leaf. 10 min

    Save a little of the bean liquid, it colors the rice.

  5. Add the rice, cover with water two fingers above the rice, and cook covered. 20 min

    Do not stir, let the rice absorb the liquid slowly.

  6. Slice the pork and serve it drizzled with its juices alongside the rice.

    Let the meat rest for ten minutes before slicing it.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a pork shoulder with a bit of fat on it, that is what keeps the meat moist through the three hours in the oven.
  • Keep the meat covered for the first hour and a half of cooking, that is what tenderizes it before the browning stage.
  • If you have leftover mojo after marinating the pork, save it to drizzle over the sliced meat right before serving.

The variations

  • Swap the pork shoulder for a lamb shoulder, the garlic and citrus mojo works just as well with another fatty cut.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with a whole head of cauliflower brushed with mojo and roasted while the beans and rice cook.
  • To go faster with hungry kids, use pork shoulder steaks cut into chunks, they cook in about an hour instead of two and a half.

What to serve it with

  • Fried plantains
  • Avocado and tomato salad
  • Sparkling lime water

Storage

The pork and the black bean rice keep for 3 days in the fridge in separate sealed containers. The meat freezes well with a bit of its juice, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a skillet or the oven with a splash of water so the meat does not dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace bitter orange with another citrus?

Traditional bitter orange is hard to find outside Cuba. The mix of sweet orange and lime used here recreates its balance of sweetness and acidity very well.

Can you marinate the pork ahead of time?

Yes, it is actually recommended. Let the pork marinate overnight in the fridge, well covered, for an even stronger mojo flavor.

Can you cook the rice and beans separately?

Yes, you can cook plain rice on its own and spoon the reheated black beans over it. The result will be less melded but still tasty.

Why poke holes in the meat before marinating it?

Poking the pork shoulder creates little channels so the mojo soaks in deeply instead of staying on the surface. This way the meat gets flavored all the way through.

How long does it take to make a mojo roast pork with moros y cristianos?

Count 3 h 20 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a mojo roast pork with moros y cristianos?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a mojo roast pork with moros y cristianos cost?

About €3.40 per serving, or €13.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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