Get your MoJo back

I need to share some really good news with you before we get started with everything. I recently had an interview with Urmila Ramakrishnan, the Food Truck journalist for the Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal. We’re going to get a follow up interview at our commissary with her as well! Finally, I had thought that WomenVenture was not going to be able to review us for funding until July, but they are going to this week! Okay, thanks for that commercial break & now on with the show…

This was a hard decision to make. I really love this recipe and it is one of my trade secrets. Since it is near and dear to my heart, I was kind of reluctant to share. While I’ve given to close friends and family, it’s really just so good & simple that I finally came realize that I needed to let you in on this too.

This all began with my quest for the perfect Cuban sandwich. Now, I don’t claim to have made that (yet!) but this pork recipe was a wonderful step in the right direction.

It all started about a couple of years ago when I first discovered the Cuban sandwich. It was hot and toasty; savory with a touch of sour; and it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I tried one from the Happy Gnome in St Paul. Man oh man was it good! And that sandwich drove me to find another and another, to taste the best the Twin Cities had to offer. I enjoyed Simply Steve’s Food Truck’s Cuban Burrito, which is the Chipotle version of a Cuban sandwich – it’s just as big too! But the moment of transcendence for me came when I visited 3 Squares in Maple Grove. I knew that had great food. I’d gotten take out from the restaurant before, but this time I was finally able to convince the whole family to go there to eat.

I, of course, had read the menu & checked out the place online, included their website, Yelp & Facebook. So I pretty much had my mind made up even before we pulled into the parking lot. The funny thing is now I can’t remember what that was anymore. Probably because I forgot to take into account that, like many great places, they have daily specials. That’s where the chefs get to show off their handiwork & impress their guests with their talent.

You already have an idea of where this going, no doubt. Yes, one of the specials that night was a Cuban sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries. Mere words cannot describe the bliss from that gastronomic experience of that night. So many delicious things and the Cuban they served was absolutely incredible!

And this was the inspiration for my MoJo Pork recipe. Most Cuban sandwiches start with a Pork Butt and include either sour orange juice (1/2 orange & 1/2 lime juice mixed) or Seville orange juice. I didn’t have either, nor did I know where to find Seville orange juice. I substituted Grapefruit instead and the rest was divine! You will not believe the easy of this recipe & how so few ingredients come together to make it. It does take a few days prep ahead, but it is well worth the wait, I assure you. So far, I don’t think I’ve steered ya wrong yet, not intending to start now either!

So let’s get cookin’!

 

 

MoJo Pork

4-6 lbs. Pork Butt

2 large Grapefruits, peeled & segmented, save all the juice possible
1 head garlic, peeled & crushed
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. B. Pepper
1/2 Cup Olive oil
 

Puree all ingredients except pork with an immersion blender.

Stab pork with knife all over to let the marinade penetrate.
Put pork into a gallon Ziploc bag, pour puree over it & seal. Make sure marinade covers the entire butt.
Marinade 2-3 days.
Slow roast 2 ½ -3 ½ hour foil covered at 300, uncovering last ½ hour to brown.
Shred pork. Pour cooking liquid over shredded pork to reabsorb.
Cool overnight.
In a non-stick skillet on medium heat, brown pork on both sides until crispy & serve.