Slow Roasted Cuban Mojo Pork
Updated: 3 days ago
By Chef Jon Ashton | Published June 20, 2025
Why you'll love it: bright citrus and garlic · hands-off slow roast · sticky, crisp edges · feeds a crowd.
A shoulder of pork, slow-roasted until it collapses into citrus-laced shreds, its edges caramelised and sticky with garlic, cumin, and orange. The crackle, the softness, the scent: sunshine and smoke in every bite.
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Slow Roasted Cuban Mojo Pork
Serves 8 to 10
A sensory love letter to slow-roasted citrus, garlic, and glorious, glorious pork
Marinate: at least 2 hours, ideally overnight
Roast: 5 to 6 hours
Time: 7 to 8 hours
Level: Weekend project
Equipment: Roasting Pan, Instant Read Thermometer, Chef's Knife, Wooden Cutting Board.
Ingredients
For the Mojo
8 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons (8g) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (8g) freshly ground black pepper
A small handful (about ¼ cup) fresh oregano leaves, minced
½ cup (120ml) fresh orange juice, about 1 to 2 oranges, if they’re plump and generous
¼ cup (60ml) fresh lime juice, from 3 to 4 limes, depending on their mood
¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
For the Pork and to Finish
1 boneless pork shoulder roast (6 to 8 pounds / 3 to 3.5 kg), rind removed
A small handful (about ¼ cup) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
Lime wedges, for serving
Method
Make the mojo: In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, cumin, black pepper, oregano, orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil. Season generously with salt, more than you think, because the pork is a sturdy fellow and can take it.
Marinate the pork: Pour half the marinade into a sealed container and pop it in the fridge. This will be your finishing sauce. Nestle the pork into the remaining marinade, turning it gently to coat. You may transfer it all into a large zip-lock bag if you fancy, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Let the citrus and garlic whisper their secrets into the meat.
Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 275°F (135°C) and set the rack to the lower-middle position.
Wrap the pork: Line a rimmed baking tray with two layers of heavy-duty foil. Trust me on this. Place the pork and all its glorious marinade onto the foil. Fold it up loosely around the pork, crimping the edges to seal, but allow a little room for air to swirl and work its slow magic. Two layers of heavy-duty foil matter. A single layer can tear over six hours and send the juices you need for the sauce onto the tray.
Slow roast, covered: Roast for 3 hours, undisturbed.
Uncover and brown: Then, gently peel back the foil. Raise the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C), and return the pork to roast for another 2 to 3 hours, basting occasionally with its juices, until the pork barely resists the touch of a knife or skewer. The surface should be a deep, glistening bronze, with edges verging on crisp, the sort of thing that causes people to hover around the oven with a fork and pleading eyes. You'll know it's right when a knife slides in with almost no resistance and the outside is a deep, glistening bronze. If the pork still resists the knife, give it another 30 minutes and test again. Shoulder needs time to turn tender.
Save the juices: Pour the accumulated juices into a bowl. Discard all but about a cup of them: rich, glossy, porky nectar.
Finish the mojo sauce: Now, take your reserved mojo from the fridge. Whisk it together with the hot pan juices, then stir in the chopped mint and oregano. Taste. It should be bold and fragrant, cool from the mint, alive with lime, and warm with the whisper of roasted meat. You'll know it's right when the sauce tastes bright with lime and garlic, with the roasted pork underneath. Add a pinch more salt if it tastes flat.
How to Store
Fridge: Keep leftover pork and the mojo sauce in separate airtight containers for up to three days.
Freezer: Freeze the cooked pork with a little of its juices, then thaw it in the fridge and warm it through gently.
Make ahead: Make the mojo and marinate the pork the night before, so all that's left on the day is the slow roast.
Key Ingredients
Boneless Pork Shoulder: Its generous fat turns to liquid silk during the long, slow roast, so the meat collapses into tender, juicy shreds.
Fresh Orange Juice: The sweet citrus heart of the mojo, it soaks into the pork and helps the outside caramelise into a sticky bark.
Fresh Lime Juice: It adds a sharp brightness that cuts through the richness of the pork.
Garlic: Eight cloves, finely minced, give the mojo its bold, unmistakable flavour.
Ground Cumin and Black Pepper: Together they bring a gentle, earthy warmth to the marinade.
Fresh Oregano: Used in the marinade and again in the finishing sauce, it gives a fresh, herbal lift.
Fresh Mint: Stirred into the finished mojo sauce, it adds a cool freshness against the hot, roasted juices.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: It carries the garlic, citrus and spices and helps the marinade cling to the meat.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Being shy with the salt: the pork is a sturdy cut, so season the mojo generously, more than you think it needs.
Rushing the marinade: the citrus and garlic need time to soak in, so marinate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
Forgetting to reserve the sauce: pour half the mojo into a sealed container and refrigerate it before the pork goes into the rest, as that's your finishing sauce.
Using a single layer of foil: one layer can tear during the long roast and lose the juices you need, so use two layers of heavy-duty foil.
Taking it out too soon: if the pork still resists a knife, give it another 30 minutes and test again, because shoulder needs time to turn tender.
Pouring away all the juices: keep about a cup of the pan juices to whisk into the reserved mojo for a rich, glossy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of pork is best for Cuban mojo pork?
Boneless pork shoulder, sometimes called pork butt. It has plenty of fat, which melts during the slow roast and keeps the meat juicy and tender.
How long should I marinate the pork?
At least 2 hours, but overnight is best. The longer it sits, the more the citrus and garlic soak into the meat.
Why do I set aside half the mojo?
That half becomes your finishing sauce. Keeping it separate before the raw pork goes in means it stays fresh and bright to whisk with the hot pan juices at the end.
How do I know when the pork is done?
A knife or skewer should slide in with almost no resistance and the outside should be a deep, glistening bronze. If it still resists, give it another 30 minutes and test again.
Why is the pork roasted covered and then uncovered?
Wrapped in foil at 275°F (135°C), it cooks gently in its own juices until tender. Uncovered at 325°F (165°C), the surface browns into those sticky, crisp edges everyone fights over.
What is mojo?
A Cuban citrus and garlic marinade and sauce with roots in Spain. This version uses fresh orange and lime juice with garlic, cumin, oregano and olive oil.
What should I serve with mojo pork?
Black beans and rice are lovely with it, with lime wedges for squeezing. Spoon the juices over the rice too, as they're liquid gold.
What Makes Cuban Mojo Pork So Irresistible?
Let's start with the mojo marinade, and no, not the kind Austin Powers was searching for. This is the real kind. The kind made with fresh sour orange juice, lime, garlic (enough to scare off a vampire army), plus oregano and cumin. It's bold but balanced. Zesty, garlicky, a little wild. Like salsa dancing at 2am.
The pork, usually shoulder or "butt" (which, confusingly, is not the pig's bottom), sits in this marinade for hours, sometimes overnight, becoming gloriously saturated with flavour. Then it's slow-roasted until the inside is fall-apart tender and the outside caramelises into a crust that's part candy, part bark, part edible poetry.
Tips for Cooking Cuban-Style Pork Like a Chef (or at Least Fooling People Into Thinking You Are)
Marinate, darling. At least 2 hours, and overnight is ideal. Let the meat bathe. Swaddle it in citrus and spice like it's royalty.
Use pork shoulder. It's fatty (in the best way), and that fat turns to liquid silk during slow roasting.
Low and slow. Give it time. This isn't fast food. This is flavour in slow motion.
Crisp the edges. Uncover for the final 2 to 3 hours at 325°F (165°C), basting as you go. You want that bark: those sticky, irresistible bits that guests fight over.
Save the juices. They're liquid gold. Drizzle over rice, beans, or just sip from a spoon like a deeply savory tea. I won't judge.
A sensory love letter to slow-roasted citrus, garlic, and glorious, glorious pork
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