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Mojo Criollo – Cuban Barbecue Sauce

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Hey y’all…it’s about time to uncover that backyard grill and dust off the cobwebs. At our home we love mild weather and outdoor cooking. My Honey Bee especially loves being a pyromaniac grill master, but unfortunately it’s our dinner that is usually up in flames. I mean, don’t tell him I said this but I basically have to try and watch the grill from inside the house. When I see the flames get too high I bang on the glass of the kitchen window and yell “fire”. I’m surprised our neighbors haven’t called 911. Then, he struts in the house and brags about how “he made dinner”. Really?

So, being that our grilled meat can get a bit charred, I need to make sure that it is infused with extra moistnessā€¦like my absolute favorite marinade – Mojo Criollo.Ā Mojo – pronounced Moh Ho – not the Austin Powers catchphrase Mo Joe šŸ™‚ Criollo Kree OH yoh. Loosely translated – Mojo – sauce. Criollo – of Latin descent. Growing up in Miami we called it Cuban Barbecue Sauce.

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue SauceThis is a classic Cuban marinade and we use it on meats and poultry. My personal favorites are marinated pork chops and chicken breasts. Typically the Mojo is made with sour oranges. This type of Orange is literally bitter, sour and fairly inedible. Sour oranges are plentiful in Miami, but not so available in Atlanta. This is the Mojo recipe I came up with:

Mojo Criollo ā€“ Cuban Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • optional a pinch of fresh oregano

Instructions

Add all ingredients in a small Mason jar with tight fitting lid. Shake for 2 minutes to emulsify.

Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Pour over meat or poultry and let marinade at least 2 hours.

I prefer to make this marinade a day ahead. We really love the garlic flavor in our house. By making ahead of time the garlic flavor is more intense.

The fresh oregano is totally optional. I just think it enhances the flavor more.

https://2beesinapod.com/mojo-criollo-cuban-barbecue-sauce/

Salt, pepper and oregano…

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue SauceAdding olive oil…

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue Sauceā€¦and oregano.

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue SauceOh my gosh – doesn’t this look delish?

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue SauceMake sure to shake the jar for 2 minutes to completely mix and emulsify the marinade.

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue Sauce

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue SauceI can’t express to you how absolutely delicious this marinade is. The sour citrus and heavy garlic flavor are amazing. It really does make a difference to the flavor of meat and poultry.

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue SauceWe typically grill out a few days a week in the Spring and Summer. This is honestly our go-to marinade for meat, every time we grill.

Perfect marinade for grilling meat and poultry - Mojo Criollo - Cuban Barbecue Sauce

We hope you give this marinade a try. Your meat doesn’t need to be charred – maybe your grill master is better than my grill master šŸ™‚ Let us know what you think! Happy grilling!

xo-Vicki

 

8 Comments

  1. Vicki this looks so good! I can’t wait to try this when my family comes to dinner in a few weeks. I hear a side if sweet plantains calling my name right now. Hugs, CoCo

    1. Hey CoCo – So glad you’re going to give this a try! And now, I want plantains šŸ™‚

  2. Love this! It looks super easy and I think I already have the ingredients on hand! Can’t wait to try it on some chicken. Thanks for sharing! Hugs!

  3. Vicki. This looks so yummy n I was cracking up at your husband barbecuing n it founds very familiar. Can’t wait to try it!!! Xo Lisa

    1. Lisa – you can’t make this stuff up!! LOL – Honey Bee is so sweet – and he does think he’s a grill master, but…

  4. Can’t wait to fire up the grill! Cuban grilled chicken, yellow rice and black beans ~ oh yeah, and mojitos. A backyard version of El Siboney and a heck of a lot closer! Thanks for sharing šŸ™‚ Bwg ~~~

    1. Oh my gosh Bobbi – You know how much we LOVE El Siboney!!! This will hold you over until your next Key West tripā€¦I promise šŸ™‚

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