Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo

Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo is a wonderful recipe to make when entertaining or when meal prepping. The meat is pull-apart tender, juicy, succulent, and so versatile. 

Traditionally Cuban-Style pork is slow roasted in the oven until it’s got a beautiful golden brown crust on the outside while still tender and juicy on the inside when you carve into it. When visiting New York City, I love going to Cafe Habana in the Soho area to enjoy their vast menu of Cuban dishes — so delicious! We love getting their Mojo Pork or sandwiches, which is where I got the inspiration for this dish.  

In my Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork recipe, pork shoulder is drizzled in a deliciously tangy, garlicky, herb sauce and either slow-cooked or pressure cooked in an Instant Pot until it is fork tender and shreds easily. Other than the pork being absolutely tender and delicious, the other star of the show is the Mojo sauce, a zippy garlic and herb sauce that adds zest to any dish! Once your pork and sauce are created, the possibilities with this recipe are truly endless. You can make rice bowls with it, fill it in a taco, make a Cuban sandwich, a quesadilla…the list goes on and on! 

While I mentioned that you could do just about anything with this Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo recipe, here, I served my pulled pork in bowls filled with Cilantro-Lime rice, black beans, and some greens. All of it is drizzled in that incredible Mojo sauce to brighten up the dish! My entire family adores this recipe since it’s very customizable and we love a build-your-own bowl night here. This is also a great one to make when hosting for game day watch parties or any sort of gathering that you’d want to easily feed a crowd.

Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo

Serves: 8

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5 from 3 votes

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 10 mins

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Ingredients

For the Mojo:

• 8 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ jalapeno seeds removed and roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Pork:

• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cassava flour
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos

Optional, For Serving:

• Cilantro-Lime Rice
• Prepared black beans
• 4 cups thinly sliced romaine
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ½ red onion thinly sliced
• 1 avocado thinly sliced
• Plantain Chips

Instructions

Make the Mojo Sauce:

• In a wide-mouth jar using an immersion blender or in a food processor, combine all of the mojo ingredients and blend until smooth.

Make the Pork: Instant Pot Method

• Cut the pork in half crosswise and season all over with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cassava flour and dredge so that it is coated all over with the flour. Shake off any excess.
• Press the ‘saute’ button and heat the Instant Pot. Add the oil and heat until very hot. In batches, sear off the pork so that it is golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Set the browned pork aside.
• Add the onion to the Instant Pot and saute, tossing, until slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Hit the ‘cancel’ button and nestle the pork back into the Instant Pot. Add the apple cider vinegar, the coconut aminos, and ½ cup of the prepared mojo sauce (reserving the rest for serving).
• Securely fasten the lid on top of the Instant Pot, making sure the vent is sealed. Press the "manual" and then set the time to 70 minutes. Walk away from the Instant Pot and let it do its thing! Note: If your Instant Pot doesn't have a manual button, set it to 'high pressure.’
• When the cook time is complete, release the pressure manually by carefully turning the valve. When all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid and transfer the pork to a rimmed baking sheet, leaving the liquid in the Instant Pot. Using two forks, shred the pork then add back into the Instant Pot.

Make the Pork: Slow Cooker Method

• Cut the pork in half crosswise and season all over with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cassava flour and dredge so that it is coated all over with the flour. Shake off any excess.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the pork and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the browned pork to the slow cooker.
• To the skillet you browned the pork in, add the onions and cook, stirring, until slightly tender. Add to the slow cooker with the pork.
• To the slow cooker, add the apple cider vinegar, the coconut aminos, and ½ cup of the prepared mojo sauce (reserving the rest for serving) over the browned pork. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10, or until the pork is fork tender.
• Transfer the pork to a rimmed baking, leaving the liquid in the slow cooker. Using two forks, shred the pork then add back into the slow cooker.

To Serve:

• You can enjoy this recipe in so many ways, but we love making Cuban-inspired bowls filled with cilantro lime rice, black beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and plantain chips. Drizzle with the remaining mojo sauce and enjoy!