My first experience with Cuban flavor

I posted the recipe in a separate post that way it can act as a stand alone document that can be printed or shared if this dish seems appetizing, which it certainly was. I will say this had a seemingly large prep time to cook time ratio, starting Saturday night when I had to make the marinade and get the pork in the fridge before heading out to the bars. I went ahead and chopped up the veggies that were needed before adding the assortment of herbs and spices, ending with the orange and lime juices.

Chopped veggies, garlic, and seasonings such as cumin, oregano, pepper, etc. 

Marinade after mixing all ingredients

Next, it was time to prepare the pork loin. I removed it from its plastic prison (its packaging), washed off all the germs, and then put it in the Hefty oven bag that I bought to use for marinating.

Pork loin. Appetizing right?

Next, I very, VERY carefully poured the marinade over the pork, then flipped it to make sure the entire loin was covered in marinade citrus-y, oily goodness. After that, I tied up the bag, placed it in a pan, and popped it in the fridge for its overnight stay.

Pork loin in oven bag, covered in marinade, ready to be refrigerated

The next day, to prepare the sauce, I started by chopping up some more veggies. There's no need to be super specific about the size of the diced onion, tomato, etc. because they're going to get blended anyways. The one deviation I made from the recipe was I had closer to a full cup of red pepper, but that was because I cut the pepper I had in half and that half was about 3/4 of a cup.

Blender full of chopped veggies

Next I added the spices, seasonings, and juices, and left them at this stage to prepare the pork for roasting and to start cooking the rice and beans. I decided to go with roasting in an oven over grilling because I could stay inside and still keep an eye on the games that were currently going on (Bonus advantage: it was raining at this time..in Houston, yes I know). I put the pork on a roast rack that fit nicely in a glass pan that would serve as a drip tray (easier to clean a pan than the bottom of the oven).

Sauce, ready to be blended

Pork on the roast rack

The pork went in the oven and I turned back to the sauce. It took less than a minute to blend, and as the pork was nearing completion, the sauce went into a saucepan to boil and get heated up. I ended up cooking the pork for about 45 minutes in order to get the internal temperature all the way up to ~160F, but I know that this time can and will vary from oven to oven, altitude to altitude. At this time, the rice and beans were ready to go and it was time to start serving.

Blended sauce, ready to boil and simmer

Rice and beans...so easy, a single guy can cook it!

Roasted pork, ready to be served

I sliced the pork into what seemed like reasonable pieces, poured a sufficient amount of mojo sauce on top, and added a side of rice and black beans. In retrospect, I think I might have chosen to put the rice and beans in their own bowl, but its not like the sauce made them taste bad...

Lunch is served

Now, I by no means am a food critic, nor am I going to pretend to be one. Those who know me know that I have very simple tastes and sometimes don't appreciate the flavor subtleties that exist in more "exotic" foods. You might call me a meat and potatoes and white bread kinda guy. In this case however, I have to say that the sauce/marinade was fantastic. Each bite was simultaneously filled with a creamy, tomato-y, peppery taste that mixed very well and easily with the citrus, lime flavor. The amount of sauce the recipe makes is actually enough to have some left over after eating all of the pork, and I must say I am looking for other entrees that I can use this flavor in. Don't get me wrong, the pork was tender and juicy and tasted great too, but the sauce really stole the show. I personally have never had anything before with this Cuban, mojo flavor to it, but I can definitely see myself going back to the well for this excellent Miami taste and if this first recipe is any indication, this experiment is going to be quite a success. 

-MB