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Braised Mojo Pork & Chimichurri

In this simple slow cooker recipe, we slather a pork shoulder in Cuban mojo sauce and let it simmer for the better part of a day. It emerges juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and full of garlic, citrus, and a deeply savory heat. You could stop there, but we like to take it right over the top with chimichurri, our all-time favorite condiment. The Argentinean sauce is so fresh and aromatic, so full of bright pungency — thanks to the garlic, red wine vinegar, and fresno pepper — it seems to cut right through the succulent meat. This dish will definitely serve a crowd, but don’t be too generous: leftover mojo pork makes a mean sammie.

Braised Mojo Pork & Chimichurri

Servings: 6

Ingredients

    For the mojo pork:
  • 4 Tbsp grapeseed oil
  • 1 4-lb pork shoulder
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 Fresno pepper, halved with seeds
  • 1 cup dark rum
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
    • For the chimichurri:
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ½ tsp dry oregano
  • 1 tsp Fresno pepper, seeded and diced small
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Directions

  1. To make the mojo pork: In a large, heavy-bottom pot, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Season the pork with salt and pepper and sear until golden on all sides. Place seared pork shoulder in slow cooker.
  3. Pour off the extra fat and oil from the pot and discard. Add the onion, Fresno pepper, and rum to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Add the rum mixture to the slow cooker with the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and coriander.
  5. Cover and cook for 6 hours on high.
  6. To make the chimichurri: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Set aside.
  7. Once the roast is ready, transfer it to a platter and top with chimichurri. We like to serve ours with white rice, black beans, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Pairings

For wine pairings, consider a Tempranillo from Spain’s Rioja region. It’s a well-rounded wine, and if you get a bottle with some oak, its cherry, dried fig, cedar, and tobacco notes will taste wonderful with the braised pork.