Mojo Pork

One of my favorite grilling recipes, that we used every summer at my business, is Mojo Pork.  I use pork tenderloin and fresh herbs and citrus juice.  The leftovers make fabulous Cuban sandwiches, so you can grill both tenderloins and make the sandwiches for lunch or dinner the next day.

                                         

Mojo Pork

                              
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 2 and 1/2 limes)

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (approximately 1 and 1/2 oranges)

1/2 cup olive oil 

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

4 tsp. minced garlic

1 and 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano)

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

2 pork tenderloins (1 package), trimmed of visible fat and silverskin

                                                                              
1.  Add all ingredients except the pork to a large zip top freezer bag.  Seal the bag and squeeze to mix the ingredients.  Add the pork to the bag and reseal.  Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate over night (or freeze, to make at a later date).  

2.  Clean and oil the grate of your grill.  Preheat grill to medium high heat.  Remove the pork from the marinade and grill, turning approximately every 5 minutes, and basting with the marinade.  It will take approximately 20 minutes to cook through (pork should reach at least 145 degrees F).  Food safety tip:  do not baste during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Discard excess marinade.

3.  Let pork stand for about 10 minutes before serving.  Slice thinly and serve with grilled pineapple (recipe below).  It should serve about 6- 8 people. 
                                                                         

Grilled Pineapple

                                               
1 pineapple (cored, skin removed, sliced into rings)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

                                                                   
1.  Lightly coat the pineapple slices with brown sugar.  Place the fruit in container in the fridge for approximately 2 hours to let the fruit macerate in the sugar.

2.  Clean and lightly oil the grill grate.  Preheat the grill to medium high heat.  Grill pineapple for a few minutes per side.  Pineapple is done when it starts to caramelize and has grill marks.

                                                                                 
Alternate cooking method:  You can put a small amount of vegetable oil in a grill pan and cook the pineapple over medium high heat for a few minutes per side, until it starts to caramelize.
                               
                                                                        

                                                 

Cuban Sandwich

                                                                                            
Cuban Bread (or soft French bread)

softened butter

yellow mustard

left over mojo pork (or roasted pork)

sliced ham

swiss cheese

dill pickles

                                                                                                            
Spread a thin layer of yellow mustard on the inside of the bread.  Layer slices of pork, ham, swiss cheese, and dill pickles between the bread.  Spread a thin layer of softened butter on the outside of the bread.  Cook the sandwich in a sandwich press.  Or, you can cook in a frying pan on the stove, as you would cook grilled cheese, using a spatula to press the sandwich down as it cooks. 

                                                                             
These Cuban-inspired dishes go really well with homemade Mojitos made with fresh mint!  Enjoy!