Mojo Cuban Pork {Dutch Oven or Slowcooker}
Mojo Cuban pork has a tangy citrus-based sauce that tastes amazing wrapped in a taco, over a salad, or on top of a spicy rice bowl. Make a batch and freeze half for an easy dinner another night.
Pulled pork is such a versatile dinner element that you can use to make sandwiches, wraps, rice bowls, salads, and so much more.
This tangy and not-too-spicy mojo Cuban pork starts with a bone-in pork shoulder which makes the most tender pulled pork ever once it has slow cooked over a few hours.
The citrus-based mojo marinade is mixed with your favorite hot sauce and orange juice for big flavor that pairs with lots of delicious dinner ideas for your family.
Why This is the Best Recipe
I love having a stash of easy protein recipes that I can mix and match for different dinners. I think this is the best mojo Cuban pork recipe because:
- Hands-Off Cooking: Pop this in the oven or slowcooker and go spend that time with your family.
- SO Much Flavor: The tangy citrus hot sauce on this Cuban pork is divine. Even the family members who are more sensitive to spice raved about it. Don't be scared of the amount of hot sauce used, it's spicy but not overwhelmingly so.
- Freezer-Friendly: Make the huge roast, immediately freeze half for later. Then you get to enjoy a practically no-cook dinner on a busy night!
Ingredients
This delicious shredded pork recipe has a few flavorful ingredients:
- Bone-In Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder: The name of the cut of meat may be listed either way depending on your butcher. I used a very large 7.5 pound roast which gave me plenty of leftovers to freeze.
- Mojo Marinade: You can make my homemade mojo marinade if you prefer to cook completely from scratch or buy a bottle of prepared mojo marinade at the store. Badia is the brand I used in a pinch.
- Orange Juice: I used the kind that has pineapple in the blend. Use your favorite brand or plan to squeeze a lot of oranges fresh.
- Hot Sauce: I bought the BIG bottle of Texas Pete.
- Onion
- Minced Garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Salt
- Onion Powder
- Kosher Salt
Season the Pork Shoulder
Before I went any farther with preparing the pork shoulder, I measured out the dry rub seasonings and chopped the onion so they'd be easy to grab once my hands were on the raw roast.
I know that it is modern advice to avoid rinsing your raw meat but I just can't help myself. In order to avoid making a mess or contaminating my kitchen, I follow these very simple steps:
- Place a clean plate in the sink. Place the roast right on top.
- Set the seasonings you need by the sink along with a pair of kitchen scissors.
- Pile up clean paper towels next to the sink and bring the kitchen trash close by.
- Turn the faucet on to COLD water on a very low flow so that it doesn't splash as it hits the plate.
- Use the scissors to open the packaging and discard it into the trash.
- Slowly rinse all sides of the meat, drain the excess water from the plate.
- Turn off the water. Tilt the plate to drain the water. Use the paper towels to pat the entire roast dry. Discard the used paper towels.
- Season the meat and then use the plate to transfer the roast to the pot.
- Wash and sanitize your sink as soon as the pork is in the oven/slowcooker.
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Once the roast has been patted dry, sprinkle your prepared seasoning on all sides of the meat and really work it into all the folds of the roast.
Brown the Pork
To give your roast tons of flavor, you want to brown all sides of the meat before you slowcook it to make it tender.
Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven (or any large pot/skillet if you plan to use a slowcooker.)
Heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the pork on all sides, about 3 - 4 minutes per side.
Add the Cooking Liquid
Once the pork has been browned, you'll add the cooking liquid.
If you plan to cook the roast in the dutch oven, add it right to the pot. If you are cooking it in a slowcooker, transfer the meat to the Crock Pot and then pour the liquid on it right in there.
Pour the mojo marinade, hot sauce, and orange juice into the pot. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, and bay leaves. Gently stir it all together.
Dutch Oven Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 340°F.
Cook the pork for 4 - 6 hours or until the meat is so tender it is falling off the bone when you poke it with a fork.
You'll notice that the meat has browned dramatically and the liquid has reduced.
I find it helpful to baste the meat with the cooking liquid once an hour while it cooks to help coat it with the flavorful sauce.
Crock Pot Cooking Instructions
Once the pork and cooking liquid with onions, garlic, and bay leaves have been added to the slowcooker, cover it with the lid.
Cook on LOW for 7 - 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 6 hours or until the meat is so tender it is falling off the bone when you poke it with a fork.
The Cuban pork will not get the browned edges on it like it would if you cooked it in the oven. If that is important to you, you could finish shredding the meat and put it in a broiler-safe baking dish. Pop it under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up some of the edges.
Shred the Pork
Once the pork butt is finished cooking, carefully transfer the meat to a large mixing bowl so you can shred it with forks.
Transfer the cooking liquid to a large sauce pan and heat it over medium-high. Bring it to a simmer and reduce it to about half.
Drizzle the sauce over the prepared pork or add the pork right to the sauce pan so you can toss to coat more easily.
Make Ahead and Freezing Tips
I love a "cook once, eat twice" type of recipe like this one. I always cook the entire 8 pound roast when I can find one because the leftovers freeze so beautifully.
Let the pork and sauce cool and then package it in a freezer safe container or ziptop bag. You can freeze it for up to six months.
I like to thaw mine in the fridge overnight and then heat gently in a saucepan or microwave. But you could also thaw it right in the microwave if you're in a rush.
Divide the pork up into smaller containers so you can thaw just what you need for a dinner or two.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many different ways you could serve mojo pork for a delicious dinner.
The night I made it, we piled it up into toasted French bread rolls to make a delicious Cuban pulled pork sandwich. You could add a scoop of my easy Cuban slaw on top or on the side.
I used leftovers to make Cuban pork microwave nachos another night.
You could use the pork instead of ground turkey in my easy taco salad bowl or spoon it over a bed of Mexican rice for a quick rice bowl with your favorite salsa and toppings on top.
More Freezer Friendly Dinner Recipes
Looking to stash more grab and heat dinners in your freezer? Here are a few of my very favorite things to make for keeping on hand in the fridge for busy nights:
📖 Recipe
Mojo Cuban Pork
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 7 pound bone-in pork butt (shoulder)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups orange juice
- 2 cups hot sauce like Texas Pete
- 1 (20 oz) bottle of mojo marinade like Badia, or 2 cups homemade mojo marinade
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340°F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the garlic salt, onion powder, and kosher salt. Set near the sink.
- Place a clean plate in the sink and unwrap the pork onto the plate. Gently rinse the pork with cold water and drain as much water off as you can. Pat the pork roast completely dry with paper towels and discard.
- Sprinkle the prepared spices over all sides of the pork and work them into all the crevices of the meat. Let the pork rest while you prepare the olive oil.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large Dutch oven or in a large skillet if you plan to cook the pork in a slowcooker. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering.
- Add the pork roast to the pan and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Dutch Oven Instructions:
- Pour the orange juice, hot sauce, and mojo marinade into the Dutch oven and gently stir. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the Dutch oven and cook the pork in the oven for 4 - 6 hours or until it is fork tender and falling off the bone.
Slowcooker Instructions:
- Transfer the browned pork to the bowl of a slowcooker. Pour the orange juice, hot sauce, and mojo marinade into the Crock Pot and gently stir. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and bay leaves.
- Cover the slowcooker and cook the pork on LOW for 7 - 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 6 hours or until it is fork tender and falling off the bone.
Finish the Sauce:
- Transfer the cooked pork to a large mixing bowl and use two forks to shred the meat.
- Skim the fat from the cooking liquid in the pot/slowcooker and remove the bay leaves. Transfer the remaining liquid to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it has reduced to about 2 cups. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and pour over the shredded pork.
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