Best Cuban Mojo Sauce Recipes

MOJO DE AJO (CUBAN CITRUS-GARLIC BARBECUE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in deep saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant and pale golden brown. Do not let brown too much, or else garlic will become bitter.
• Stir in sour orange juice (or lime juice and grapefruit juice), water, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Stand back, because the sauce may spatter. Bring to rolling boil. Correct the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if needed. Let cool to room temperature, and then stir in cilantro or parsley. Store in bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid; shake well before serving. Serve with grilled pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables.

CUBAN MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend the garlic, zest, juice, cumin and salt in a blender until the garlic is finely chopped.
• With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until emulsified.
• Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with pepper.
• Stir in the cilantro.
• The mojo can be made up to four days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

OUTRAGEOUS CUBAN SANDWICH WITH MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare Mojo sauce and set aside until you are ready to make the sandwiches. Then preheat a griddle or frying pan on medium heat.
• 2. Cut the loaf of bread into quarters and slice each quarter in half lengthwise for the sandwiches.
• 3. Spread the mustard or mayonnaise on the bread. Then make each sandwich by layering the pickles, roasted pork, red onions, ham, and cheese. Spoon the Mojo sauce over the inside of the sandwich.
• 4. Lightly coat the cooking surface of the griddle with butter. Place one sandwich onto the hot surface.
• 5. Put a clean, heavy skillet on top of the sandwich to flatten it. Press the bread down to about 1/3 of it's original size.
• 6. Leave the skillet on top of the sandwich and grill for one or two minutes. Left the heavy skillet, turn the sandwich over and repeat this step for the other side of the sandwich.
• 7. The cheese should be melted and the bread golden brown. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve!
• 8. FOR THE MOJO SAUCE: (Prepare ahead of time because this is going to go inside the sandwich before grilling.) Heat oil in pan. Add garlic and cook over moderate heat stirring until golden. Add juices, salt, pepper, cumin and cook for a couple more minutes until fragrant.
• 9. This step is not actually on the list of "authentic" ingredients but I like to add some chopped cilantro to my sandwich because it gives it yet another burst of flavor to push it over the top! That's just my thing ... and it's a "good thing!." Using marinated red onions would not be a bad thing either! I confess ... I do!

CUBAN GARLIC SAUCE (MOJO CUBANO)

Steps:

• For the mojo, you will need a large bowl. In a large bowl, pour the sour orange juice or lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and sliced onion into the bowl and stir.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high for 2 minutes, then when hot, pour olive oil into bowl. Be careful not to get burned, since some of it might splatter out.
• Mix the mojo ingredients, then let sit for 30 minutes.

ROPA VIEJA JOSES (CUBAN SLOPPY JOES), SLICED TOMATOES, PLANTAIN CHIPS AND MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the mojo sauce: put the garlic and onion in a food processor with cumin, lemon zest and juice. Turn processor on and stream in about 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup of water. Turn off processor and reserve.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown. Add half of the mojo and crumble the meat as it cooks, about 3 minutes. Add olives and pimientos, paprika, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, tomato sauce and grill seasoning. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat 10 minutes.
• Split Cuban rolls and pile the bottoms with hefty spoonfuls of Sloppy Ropa Vieja Jose mix. Cover meat with sliced dill pickles and bun tops. Serve the plantain chips and sliced tomatoes along side to finish your plates and drizzle tiny spoonfuls of raw mojo sauce over the chips when passing out the plates. Season the tomato slices with a pinch of salt as well.

CUBAN BEEF AND ZUCCHINI KEBABS WITH MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle or flat side of a large knife, then whisk together with orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cumin and oregano in a bowl.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees F to 450 degrees F).
• Thread beef on 4 skewers, leaving a little space between each piece. Put skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Thread zucchini onto 4 skewers so slices can grill cut sides down, then transfer to baking sheet. Lightly brush beef and zucchini all over with oil.
• Lightly oil grate and grill beef, covered with lid, turning once, about 4 minutes total for medium rare. Transfer to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Lightly oil grate again and grill zucchini, covered with lid, turning once, until grill marks appear and zucchini is just tender, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer skewers to a serving platter. Drizzle beef and zucchini with about half of sauce, and serve remaining sauce on the side.

ROPA VIEJA JOSéS (CUBAN SLOPPY JOES) WITH SMASHED YUCCA, SLICED TOMATOES, PLANTAIN CHIPS, AND MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the peeled yucca in a small pot and cover with water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. The yucca will not become as soft as a potato, just tender to the fork tines.
• While the yucca cooks, make the mojo sauce. Place the garlic and onions in a food processor with the cumin, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Turn the processor on and stream in the EVOO and 1/4 cup water.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the mojo. Heat for 15 seconds, then add the beef and begin to break it up. Brown and crumble the meat with the mojo for 3 minutes. Add the olives with pimientos, the paprika, Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and grill seasoning. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Split the rolls and pile the bottoms with hefty spoonfuls of the meat mixture. Cover the meat with sliced dill pickles and the tops of the rolls.
• Drain the yucca and return it to the warm pot. Add half of the remaining mojo and mash. The yucca will break down a bit and become creamy and sticky but not smooth-like mashed potatoes with some soul. Season up the cooked yucca with salt and divide it among the dinner plates alongside the Sloppy Josés. Serve the plantain chips and sliced tomatoes alongside to finish your plates. Season the tomato slices with a pinch of salt and drizzle tiny spoonfuls of raw mojo sauce over the chips when passing out the plates.
• Yucca (you-kah) is yum-a! Cooked up, it tastes like a creamy, starchy cross between a turnip and a potato. You'll find it in the produce department near the root vegetables or in any Latin market. If your market does not carry yucca, cook up some peeled sweet potatoes and follow the method detailed above.