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Grilled Cuban Mojo Pork Chops

Name: Grilled Cuban Mojo Pork Chops
Prep time: 29 min
Total time: 2 h 4 min
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: boneless chicken — 907 g; orange juice — 177 g; lime juice — 79 g; garlic — 24 g; dried leaf oregano — 4 g; cumin — 10 g; olive oil — 73 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; red onion — 110 g; cilantro leaves — 15 g

Grilled Cuban Mojo Pork Chops reads citrus 7.8, sourness 6.3 and fruity 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cuban main, about 2 hr 4 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.4 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 7.3 / 10
Sour & Bright — 9.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 7.8 · Sourness 6.3 · Fruity 5.9 · Sweetness 4.6 · Salinity 4.0 · Richness 3.9 · Allium 3.8 · Umami 3.6 · Herbaceous 3.3 · Warm Spice 2.4 · Earthy 2.2 · Floral 2.0 · Bitterness 1.7 · Nutty 1.3 · Smoke 1.2 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (11)

boneless chicken — 907 g
orange juice — 177 g
lime juice — 79 g
garlic — 24 g
dried leaf oregano — 4 g
cumin — 10 g
olive oil — 73 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
red onion — 110 g
cilantro leaves — 15 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 4 min (29 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 114.9 kcal, 20.2 g protein, 2.3 g fat, 3.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Measure out and reserve 1/4 cup of this mojo for finishing; you'll use the rest as the marinade.
Pour the remaining mojo over the pork chops in a resealable bag or shallow dish, turning to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours — no longer, or the citrus will start to toughen the meat.
Add the sliced red onion to the reserved 1/4 cup mojo and let it sit at room temperature while the chops marinate, softening the onion's sharp bite.
Remove the chops from the marinade, pat them dry with paper towels, and let them stand at room temperature 15 minutes; discard the used marinade.
Season the chops generously with additional kosher salt and black pepper — most of the marinade's seasoning goes down the drain with it, so this step is what actually salts the dish.
Heat a grill to medium-high, about 450°F, and brush the grates with oil.
Grill the chops until well-marked and releasing easily from the grates, about 4 minutes on the first side.
Flip and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest chop reads 145°F, 3-4 minutes more.
Transfer the chops to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5 minutes so the juices redistribute (carryover will carry them a few degrees higher).
Top the rested chops with the marinated onion and cilantro, spoon any remaining onion mojo over the top, and serve.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Carne Asada Burrito Bowl with Grilled Corn — Tex-Mex
Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon — Greek
Tavuk Corbasi (Chicken Soup) — Turkish
Carne Asada Tacos with Salsa Verde — Mexican
Crispy Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Red Onion — Mexican

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.