If you are looking to have a taste of sunshine on your plate, try this Chuletas de Cerdo y Yuca con Mojo recipe, or Cuban Mojo Pork Chops and Yuca. Both the chops and yuca are dripping with the incredibly zesty and flavor punched mojo Criollo sauce. Winter blues will be chased away instantly.
What an amazing dinner this Cuban mojo pork chops and yuca was. Mojo Criollo is hands down one of the best marinades I have ever tasted. This was not my first taste but the first time making it. Mojo Criollo translates as Créole garlic sauce. This sauce cannot get any more Cuban and I am happy to introduce this sauce and dish to you as part of the inaugural Eat the World Recipe Challenge. Read on to learn more about this group and the dish…
PIN IT FOR LATER! https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/266275396702928662
Eat the World Recipe Challenge
I am absolutely over the moon to introduce you to this new monthly group: Eat the World Recipe Challenge. I have been toying with the idea of creating my own monthly challenge for YEARS! But I was scared and never got around to it. In December a similar group that I was in ended, Around the World in 12 Plates. It was the perfect catalyst to light my challenge fire.
So we are in it for the long haul as we will cook a dish from every country on planet earth at the rate of one country per month. Anyone can join and you can participate when it suits your schedule. No monthly obligation but I hope that you will cook along with me as often as you can. Want to join the challenge? Check out the Eat the World Recipe Challenge page with all the details and join the Facebook Group.
Have you ever been to Cuba? It is one of the most popular Caribbean islands to visit. In Canada people flock there to stay in boring all-inclusive hotels. Not my thing. I did it once in my naive days when I was 19 and we went for 4 days once with work. That one was fun but we were like 25 in the group. Next time I want to do Cuba on the cheap and out of resorts, I especially want to go to Havana.
Oh, behave!
Yeah baby, I am managing to squeeze in another sexual pun even if the Getting Sexy in the Kitchen Series is over…well for now. You guys LOVED the aphrodisiac recipes so it may become a regular feature.
Mojo is a term often associated with voodoo practice and it refers to a magic charm or an amulet. But thanks to Austin Powers, mojo also implies one’s libido aka personal confidence and sexual charisma.
And finally, in Cuban cooking, mojo is used to describe a sauce that is made with lots of garlic, onion, the juice of a bitter orange (use half lime half orange juice), oregano and cumin. This sauce or marinade is absolutely kick-ass and so zesty. I have had it once before (don’t remember when ) and I knew when the day would come to make a Cuban dish, it was going to be pork marinated with Criollo mojo. Turns out that the sauce is often used to flavor yuca as well.
The Potato Alternative
Have you ever tried yuca before? It also goes by the names manioc, arrowroot, and cassava. Tapioca is the starch extracted from this root. Yuca is a very common starch used in recipes in South America and the Caribbean. I have had it a couple of times and personally, I prefer it a lot more to potatoes.
One very important thing to note about yuca: you MUST remove the skin and the purplish layer just under the skin AND cook it, otherwise you could get a cyanide intoxication. You can read more about it here. If you can get your hands on frozen yucca that has already been peeled, like I did, do it. And remember to remove the though fiber right in the center once the yuca is cooked because it is like a string of wood.
Besides the classic rice and black beans recipe, pork and yuca cooked and slathered with mojo Criollo are as Cuban as any main dish can get. I just loved the result. This mojo pork chops and yuca dish was just what I needed to shine some sun on this absolutely cruel winter. I prepared it for a friend who definitely needed a pick me up due to a personal tragedy and I did manage to get a smile out of her with my dinner.
Cuban Mojo Pork Chops and Yuca
Ingredients
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 cups sour orange juice 1 cup orange juice + 1 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 pork chops
- 1/4 olive oil
- 2 lbs fresh yuca or 1.5 lbs frozen
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 large onions sliced
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, puree the garlic cloves, onion, sour orange juice, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. In a sealable bag, place 1/4 of the mojo marinade with the pork chops and refrigerate for 8 hours. Add olive oil to the remaining mojo marinade.
- For fresh yuca, cut off both ends, then peel away the skin, removing all traces of the pink/purple layer. For frozen yuca just thaw it out. Cut the yuca into 3 inches long pieces.
- In a medium pot, fill with water, add the lime juice and salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the yuca pieces and cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. The yuca pieces will crack a bit. Drain and remove the fibrous core.
- Slice onions into thin rings. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions, cooking until just tender. Add the remaining mojo marinade and bring to a simmer. Pour half the marinade and onions in a bowl and set aside. Gently add the yuca to the skillet, toss with the marinade and leave to simmer for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Discard meat marinade and cook the pork chops about 3-5 minutes until lightly golden, then flip the pork chops and grill another 3 minutes or until done.
- Serve the yuca, a side such as black beans, and the pork chops on a plate. Pour a little bit of the mojo marinade set aside over the chops and top with some onion rings.
Check out all the wonderful Cuban dishes my fellow Eat the World blogger friends have prepared #eattheworld:
Wendy: Ropa Vieja in Slow Cooker
Camilla: Baked Picadillo Empanadas
Sarah: Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork
Karen: Cuban Bread {Pan Cubano de Manteca}
Amy: Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
Loreto and Nicoletta: Cuban Sandwich
Bernice: Huevos Habaneros – A Cuban Breakfast
Evelyne: Cuban Mojo Pork Chops and Yuca
Hi there, I am Cuban. You can bet that I know what mojo means in my country. We can use it to marinade pork, fish, beef or any other meat, but its use is popular for yuca. My mom use to do it simple but delicious. Squeeze 6 bitter oranges, and put a pinch of salt with crushed garlic. You don’t have to cook the garlic. Yo do it that way, and put it on the yuca. It is crazy!!
Hi Laubel, thanks for your comment. Mojo is the best! Thank for sharing your mom’s recipe <3
I never had tried yucca in a savory dish, in Philippines yucca equates to something sweet by default. I better try it someday
Really? I have never seen yuca in a sweet dish lol. now I am curious.
So I am guilty. Guilty of not liking pork — thus I do not eat it. It actually skeeves me out. BUTTTTTTTT Landon fucking loves this shitttttt! And um, I have a feeling if I made this for him, sexy time in the kitchen would definitely ensue, so OF COURSE I appreciate you for sharing… Andddd spicing up our SEX LIFEEEE – LOL!
Well, it’s good with salads, chicken, and fish…but you can’t do the fruit juice. Honey it is so good he will divorce you JUST SO HE CAN MARRY YOU AGAIN. Or just renew your vows, if like, you are lazy people and want to go the easy route.
GIRL I WOULD TOTALLY GO THROUGH THE WHOLE WEDDING PLANNING PROCESS AGAIN FOR THAT MAN AND THAT DAY! hahahaahahahahah! BRING IT!
I expect an invite for round 2 😉
Sounds like a fun challenge! Years ago, I participated in one and it was so much fun finding new recipe totally out of my wheelhouse – just like these pork chops. Have never seen anything like them. Love the new flavors. Good choice! Going to check out the challenge.
Oh that would be so fun if you joined the group MJ, it is a great bunch of bloggers. And this is a must try recipe for sure!
LOVE Cuban food! We used to live in Tampa, and had it all the time. Easy to get bitter oranges there, too. But the half OJ and half lime substitution is perfect — extremely similar flavor. This looks wonderful — thanks.
Oh wow so you had close access to lots of Cuban specialties when you lived in Tampa, and you had sour oranges! This is a must try dish for sure.
Créole Garlic Sauce?!!! Are you kidding me? YUM! I’m all over this. It’s so exciting when we can discover new dishes from new cuisines on each other’s blogs. I’m definitely going to have to make this. It should ward off the cold and flu…
Oh no sick on your birthday? Yes this is full of healthy garlic and vitamin C, you MUST make this asap lol. It’s really good.
I’ve never tried yuca but certainly want to try this. I never seem to know what else to do with pork.
Oh I hope you find some (try Latin or Chinese grocery stores) and this is a great new thing to do with pork, and all it’s cuts.
What a fun cooking challenge! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten yuca but the dish sounds very tasty
Yes we get to travel in our plates! I hope you find some yuca (try Latin or Chinese grocery stores).
We’ve never cooked with Yuca, but now I think we have to find some! Thanks for starting this great challenge!
Oh I hope you find some (try Latin or Chinese grocery stores) and so glad you have joined us!
How fun to launch a new monthly challenge. Loving the look of this Cuban pork dish, I haven’t cooked much like this at all before, so it’s quite new for me.
I am very excited about the new group! Oh this is so easy to make the sauce and can be used on so many foods, hope you try it Kavita.
Hi Evelyn this dish screams incredible flavor and that mojo sauce wow. I love the way you describe the food as a dish of sunshine and happiness. This to me is so important. How we infuse our recipes with things unseen or perception and passion. Back to your dish I love the yucca and how you played it up with sautéed onions a perfect marriage and compliment to the spiced up pork chops. This is such a great challenge you are taking us on and we are so pleased to be a part of it!
Have a super sun shiny day!
Cheers!
Loreto@sugarlovespices
Thank you so much Loretto, I am so happy you love my dish and everyone needs sunshine with our winter but with both of us having just lost a parent we need EXTRA sunshine 🙂 I am so happy you are along for the ride on this long haul challenge lol, it will be fun! Cheers!
Those onions on top are making me eat with my eyes except I am still hungry!! lol
LOL I have to say the dish and the onions where just right lol.
I have never tried yuca before. Your plate looks absolutely inviting and I’m now very, very hungry with no pork chops in sight!
Now what to do when no pork chops or yuca are lying around lol. Glad you like the dish Karen!
Thank you so much for starting this group Evelyne. I am LOVING it and these recipes that you shared today.
My pleasure and thank you for joining so eagerly. I am shocked that we are already 8 on the very first go lol.
What a hearty and delicious meal! I don’t know anything about cuban food, but I love anything with lots of garlic plus that I trust your taste 🙂 Have never seen fresh or frozen yuca here…
Very hearty indeed and the mojo criollo…I know you would love it. Maybe as a salad dressing? Is there any Latin or Chinese grocery stores where you live? They should have yuca.