Cuban Roast Pork With Mojo Criollo

An excellent dish to serve for New Year's, when you're tired of traditional American food after all that turkey. This is my most requested recipe. It's easy to prepare, but you need to allow for a long roasting period for the meat to fall apart. The Mojo Criollo (onion/garlic) sauce is served on the side and is a nice accompaniment. Don't skip the marinating procedure for the Mojo sauce - it's just not right without it. I like to add the juice of two blood oranges to perk up the color - it's optional as it does not really change the flavor. Use any cut of pork roast -- I've used tenderloin, extra thick cut chops, picnic cut roast and everything in between, basically whatever is on sale. Just don't use the cuts that are packaged in a salt solution. You can substitute store bought crushed garlic from the jar for the garlic used in the marinade, but for the Mojo sauce, only fresh garlic will do. Black beans and white rice, and a green salad with avocado and vinaigrette complete the meal.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 (5 lb)  pork roast, trimmed of fat
• 1  head  of grated fresh garlic
• 2  tablespoons  crushed dried oregano
• 1  tablespoon kosher salt
• 1  teaspoon  freshly grated pepper
• 8  oranges, juice of, Valencia
• 6  limes, juice of
• 1⁄2 cup  blood orange juice (juice of 2 oranges) (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup red wine
• 2  tablespoons  light tasting olive oil, plus
• 1⁄4 cup  light tasting olive oil
• 1  medium yellow onion, sliced and separated into 1/4 inch thick rings

Directions

1. Combine 1/2 of the grated garlic, all of the dried oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper into a paste.
2. Score the trimmed roast with a knife point and rub the paste into the roast, then place roast in a gallon freezer bag or other dish/container that will fit in the refrigerator.
3. Pour juice of 3 oranges, juice of 3 limes, the red wine, and 2 teaspoons of the lite olive oil over the roast, seal bag and turn the bag several times to combine the ingredients.
4. Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or the day before you plan to serve.
5. Heat oven to 350°F.
6. Place roast and marinade in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and roast until the meat falls apart when pulled with a fork, 3 to 4 hours, up to 6 depending on the cut- it must become fork tender.
7. Remove roast from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes, then pull roast into shreds with a fork, leaving the meat in the pan juices- it's ready to serve.
8. Prepare Mojo Criollo: put onion slices in a bowl deep enough for the onions to be covered with the juice (I use a 2-cup glass measuring cup).
9. Put the rest of the fresh grated garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, juice of 3 limes and juice of 5 oranges and the optional juice of 2 blood oranges over the onions, press down to make sure onions are submerged in the juice.
10. Allow the onions to marinate in this mixture for at least 20 minutes (important step).
11. Heat 1/4 cup of the lite olive oil in a skillet.
12. Quickly and carefully, pour the onions and all the juices into the hot oil and"stir fry" for about 2 to 3 minutes, just to soften the onions.
13. Pour the Mojo into a serving dish and serve with the roast on the side.