Mojo Sauce (Cuba)
Mojo (pronounced Mo-Hoe) is a popular Cuban sauce combining citrus, garlic, herbs and (sometimes) a little heat. It's awesome as a marinade for Lechon Asado (Cuban roast pork) and as a light sauce that adds a tropical zing to pretty much any meat.
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 C Sour Orange (Naranja Agria) Juice
- Or 2/3C Orange and 1/3C Lime Juice About 3-4 Small Oranges and 4 Small Limes
- 1/3 C Olive Oil
- 8 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1/2 Small White or Yellow Onion Diced
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Jalapeño or Serrano Pepper Diced (Optional)
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- If using fresh citrus, consider zesting it (wash it first). There is no required amount, and this isn't necessarily authentic, but it will add an extra layer of flavor.
- Combine all ingredients (including the zest) into a bowl and whisk or stir for a good minute. You can also add everything to a bottle and shake for a minute.1 C Sour Orange (Naranja Agria) Juice, Or 2/3C Orange and 1/3C Lime Juice, 1/3 C Olive Oil, 8 Cloves Garlic, 1/2 Small White or Yellow Onion, 1 tsp Ground Cumin, 1 tsp Dried Oregano, 1 Jalapeño or Serrano Pepper, Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Regarding salt and pepper, start with 1/2 tsp of each. You might increase the salt to 1 tsp if using this as a marinade.
- Chill for at least an hour, preferably overnight. The more time, the merrier.
- Give the sauce a good stir before serving.
Notes
I like the chunkiness of the diced vegetables in the sauce but you can just as easily toss everything in a blender.
There are countless variations of Mojo. I have seen recipes with grapefruit juice, red pepper flakes and cilantro. The movie "Chef" even used mint in their Mojo marinade.
Sour oranges are a Mojo staple and are pretty accessible around Cuba and South Florida. I don't have them in my area, but the mix of orange and lime is a solid substitute.