Have you seen the movie Chef? If you haven’t, and you love food, you should watch it. It stars Jon Favreau and is partly about his re-discovering his love of cooking, without giving away the whole story. The film is full of delicious looking food, including Mojo Pork for Cubano sandwiches.

The recipes were developed by superstar chef Roy Choi, and he and Favreau have recently come out with The Chef Show on Netflix – a series where they cook various recipes from the show and have a few celebrity friends show up along the way.

The Mojo pork is the most famous recipe from the film, as it is central to the character’s story line in a way. Ever since I first watched the movie, I’ve wanted to make Mojo pork, and with the new Netflix series, that became possible.

As with all meat dishes, the better quality meat you get, the better your meal is going to taste. So go to your butcher, and get a quality cut of pork shoulder. I went to my parent’s local butcher, who sorted me out with exactly what I needed for this recipe.

Have this pork with Cuban side dishes, like rice and beans or plantains. You don’t need to save any to make Cubanos, but if that’s your jam, then go for it. Our left over rice, beans and pork all went into a form of Nasi Goreng the next night, so we didn’t make Cubanos. But, I am very likely to try and make them once I get back home. Watch this space.

Ingredients

1.5kg pork shoulder, boneless and skinless
200 ml olive oil
1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
zest of 1 orange
250 ml fresh orange juice
juice of 4 limes (approx 150 ml)
zest of 1 lime
10 garlic cloves
10 -12 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
salt
pepper

1. Blitz all of the ingredients (except the pork) in a blender or food processor until herbs and garlic are finely chopped.
2. Place the pork in a large glass dish with a lid, or use tin foil, and pour the marinade over the pork. Ensure the marinade gets underneath the meat as well. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
3. In a roasting dish, place a grill or wire-mesh tray. Remove the pork from the marinade and place on the wire rack. Bring to room temperature (between 30 – 45 minutes). Save the marinade.
4. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Cover the pork loosely with tin foil and place in the oven.
5. Roast for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
6. Reduce the temperature to 150°C, and remove the foil. Cook for a further 30 – 40 minutes
7. Remove from the oven, place the pork on a carving board, and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
8. While the pork is resting, place the marinade in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add additional orange and lime juice if desired, and season to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Once rested, carve the pork and serve with the Mojo sauce.