This is THE Cuban Roast Pork from the 2014 movie “Chef”, created especially for the movie by LA Korean-fusion food truck original and rockstar chef Roy Choi. Easy to make, the pork is juicy and tender (no thermometer required!) and the flavour is incredible. INCREDIBLE!!
While the rest of the word is obsessed with “50 Shades of Grey”, I am obsessed with the Jon Favreau movie “Chef”. Have you seen it? If you are a foodie, it is a must-see!
There are classic moments in the movie that only “foodies” will appreciate. Like when one of the actors is swaying away to the beat of Latin music while he rubs marinade into the pork (seriously, cooking has never been so sexy!). And the passion for cooking the food you love.
I was somewhat dubious about trying a recipe from a movie until I read that the “star” recipe was actually developed by a real chef – Roy Choi. Do you know who Roy Choi is? He is a ROCK STAR in the foodie world, known for starting the food truck movement in LA with his Korean-fusion taco truck, Kogi. Cool and talented beyond words.
I found the recipe for the Mojo marinated Cuban Roast Pork from the Chef movie here on thestar.com. And as soon as I read it, I knew it was going to be a good recipe.
When I tried it, I discovered it was a great recipe. One that I had to share with you!
This Cuban Roast Pork is really easy to make. Just whizz up a handful of ingredients for the marinade, then let it marinate overnight to get the flavours infused into the pork. This marinade REALLY infuses into the meat. You will be amazed.
It’s also much less maintenance and stress than traditional roast pork because this is meant to be cooked past overdone, long and slow until the meat is tender and juicy. The cook times I have provided yields a roast that is really tender and juicy but can still be carved. But you know what? Even if your oven is too strong, if you leave it in for too long, it is still going to work! The worst that can happen is that the meat is too tender and it becomes fall apart i.e. you simply pull shreds off with tongs instead of carving it.
Really. If that is the “dud” outcome, then in my books, this is a “foolproof” recipe.
I made this Cuban Roast Pork using Murray Valley Pork which is simply the best quality pork produced in Australia! You can’t get it at supermarkets, only at butchers, and if there’s ever a time to splurge on good quality pork, Easter is it!
OK, signing off! I really want to say I’m going to have this Cuban Roast Pork for Easter lunch. But I have cooked almost 15 kg/30 lb of pork in the past couple of weeks so I’m pretty porked out. So I think I’m going to stick with chicken this year.
Really hope you consider this pork for your Easter table though!! I promise it is worthy of being the centrepiece. 🙂 – Nagi
PS Make sure you save some Cuban Pork Roast to make Cuban Sandwiches (Cubanos)! I’ll share the recipe on Easter Monday. All you need is leftover Mojo Marinated Pork, baguettes, swiss cheese, gherkins and slices of ordinary ham. One of the BEST SANDWICHES I have never had in my life!!
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Juicy Cuban Mojo Pork Roast (Chef Movie recipe)
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cilantro / coriander, lightly packed
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 3/4 cup orange juice, fresh
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, lightly packed
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, packed (or 1/2 tbsp dried oregano)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Pork
- 4 lb / 2 kg pork shoulder / pork butt, skinless and boneless (not loin or leg roast, will dry out)
Mojo Sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine Marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. Alternatively, you can finely chop/mince the garlic and herbs then mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- Place in a large ziplock bag with the pork. Place in the fridge overnight (in a bowl, just to be safe).
- Remove the pork from the Marinade and leave on counter for 1 hour (bring to room temp). Reserve the Marinade.
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan).
- Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Base with pan juices.
- Reduce heat to 190°C/375°F (170°C). Roast for another 1 1/2 – 2 hours, basting every half hour, until the internal temperature reaches 70°/160°F. At this temperature, the pork is cooked, still juicy, and carvable, as it is intended to be (Note 1)
- Fall-apart tender alternative (not slicable, meat falls apart): Roast at 160°C/320°F (all oven types) for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat can be easily shredded using 2 forks (check on side).
- Remove from the oven and place on a plate, loosely covered with foil. Rest for 20 minutes before serving with the Mojo Sauce on the side. I decorated mine with pan fried slices of oranges and extra cilantro/coriander leaves.
Mojo Sauce
- Place the reserved Marinade, Mojo Sauce ingredients and 2 tbsp of the roasting pan drippings into a small saucepan. Bring to boil and add salt and pepper to taste. You might also want to add more lime juice or even a touch of sugar. Turn the heat down and simmer for 1 minute, then remove from the stove and set aside.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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I think you’ll LOVE this Grilled Corn with Chipotle Mayo to serve on the side!
Or how about this Green Coriander / Cilantro Rice? Very on-theme! 🙂
OMG so delicious!!!! I marinated over night and then poured the sauce & pork in a slow cooker on high this morning with a little water. I knew it would be good as soon as I tasted the mojo sauce. It has been cooking for 4 hours so far and already taste SO GOOD. I plan to add some potatoes the last two hours. I cooked white beans that are so yummy too and will serve with a good sourdough bread.
Thank you so much for the fabulous recipe, it’s a keeper
OMG! so delicious!!!! I marinated over night and then poured the sauce & pork in a slow cooker on high this morning with a little water. I knew it would be good as soon as I tasted the mojo sauce. It has been cooking for 4 hours so far and already taste SO GOOD. I plan to add some potatoes the last two hours. I cooked white beans that are so yummy too and will serve with a good sourdough bread.
Thank you so much for the fabulous recipe, it’s a keeper
YESSSSSS! So glad you enjoyed it Linda! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!!
I’m wondering if you have tried this on the grill (indirect heat of course) we are planning to make the sandwiches this week.
I’m sorry I haven’t Erin! I wish I could!!! 🙂
I made this last night. It turned out perfect! My father-in-law who is a chef even took home leftover. Thanks for the great recipe.
Woah! What a compliment!! Thank you so much for letting me know everyone enjoyed it so much Suzy!!
I bet this would be awesome in the slowcooker! Do you think 8 hours on low would be enough time or do you think it needs longer? Thanks! erin 🙂
Hi Erin! Actually I think 8 hours is bang on! You’re right, it would be awesome in a slow cooker 🙂 I think I’d pop it in a cranked up oven right at the end though just to get a bit of a crust on it!
This was absolutely fabulous. My husband sang to his food through the whole meal. He told me to keep this recipe close because I was going to make it again. So moist, flavorful and absolutely delicious. I served it with twice baked potatoes made with apple smoked bacon, buttermilk and Irish white sharp cheddar and steamed asparagus. So lovely. Thank you.
Julie
WOO HOO!!! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed this Julie – this is a personal favourite of mine 🙂 ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!
My husband is Cuban…and we love the movie “Chef”!… so I’m look forward to making this! One question – how do I adjust the time for a smaller roast?
Thanks!
Hi Shari!! What size roast are you using??
The recipe looks delicious. I am pretty novice at cooking and what attracted me to this was that you describe it as “fool proof.” Perfect for me, especially since I am serving for a nice casual dinner with friends and wine. I’d hate to make something that people are forced to swallow down kindly. I don’t have a roasting pan so I’m wondering if you have any specific recommendations? I’d like to invest in a nice dutch oven. If I’m not able to get that before cooking this, would one of those one-time use aluminum disposable roasting pans totally screw it up? Thank you!!
Hi Emilio! This is pretty darn safe, trust me! Anything that is cooked for a long period of time is pretty foolproof because you don’t have to worry about tough meat 🙂 And a disposable pan will be just fine!!
This is a silly question if I have my oven to 315 and have a 4lb porkless pork butt covered with foil how many hours or will it be close to pulled pork Texture I really don’t want to mess this up :/
Hi Salina! I haven’t made this as pulled pork before but I think if you add 1 1/2 hours to it then it will be soft enough to shred!
Hello Nagi!! I can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks/sounds delicious! I’ll be cooking it tomorrow morning and just finished the marinade. Is it ok to marinate starting at 2PM and not put it in the oven until tomorrow morning?
Thank you!
Absolutely Karen! That’s a great marinating length of time. I’m SO THRILLED to think that you’re making this!!
Two questions:
1) fat side up or down (and would you turn it once you take the foil off)?
2) what rack position in the oven?
Hi Jeff! Fat side up and the rack placed about 1/3 from the bottom so the pork itself is around is positioned very slightly above the middle of the oven. You don’t want roast too high because then the top browns far faster than the rest of the roast – unless you have a schmancy oven with perfect heat distribution 🙂
Thanks. Exactly what I did, it was delicious!
I’ve got to say, your photos are stunning! You are amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Dana!!! That’s very flattering! 🙂
Hey Nagi, I really want to try this recipe but my family and I don’t eat pork. Is there any other meat you would recommend? I generally substitute with chicken but that won’t be very suitable for slow roasting I think
Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Rain! Actually, chicken would be FABULOUS with this!! Slow cooked roasted chicken is lovely 🙂 I recommend roasting it in a dutch oven or covered with foil in a baking tray. Cook it for around 2 hours until the meat is practically falling off the bone. OR you could of course roast the chicken as you ordinarily do so you can carve it!
Can’t wait !! We are doing Cuban Thansgiving feast with our family
Do you think could make this 1 day in advance then warm up prior to serving the next day ?
Oooh, that’s SO COOL!! Yes you most certainly can. I would suggest keeping it in the roasting pan, and cover tightly with foil, then reheat on a low oven probably for around 30 to 40 minutes to warm it all the way through without cooking it again. It won’t be quite as juicy as making it fresh, but it will still be nice and juicy because all the juice is retained inside from the day before (don’t cut it!). Hope you love it!!
Can you use a pork loin, which is what I have on hand.
Hi Judy! You sure can, but I recommend reducing the roasting time. This recipe uses shoulder which is a tougher cut of meat and it is roasted beyond overcooked so it is very tender. Loin is leaner and a much more tender cut of meat. I would roast it so it is just cooked, beautiful and tender, just like you would for an ordinary pork roast. 🙂
Hi Nagi, thks for the great recipe! I am trying it tomorrow!
Do i have to cut down the oven baking time ( 2.5 hr) if i am just using 1kg of pork shoulder?
thks!
Hi Rachel! Oooh, you will LOVE it! The marinade is just brilliant. 🙂 Yes, you will need to reduce the cooking time. For a 1 kg pork….I still think it needs around 2 hours. This is roasted past well done so it becomes tender, so it does need a decent amount of time. It is better to slightly overcook it to the point that it is a bit more “falling apart” rather than undercook it so the meat is still tough. 🙂 I hope you love it!!!
Hi Nagi, yes i tried today, is very juicy n tender!
thks again for the great recipe!
I tried this recipe but I took the legs of a wild boar and served it with potatoe croquettes.
It was perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
And the movie was also amazing. 😉
Kisses and hugs from Austria! 🙂
Rainer! I love Austria! I stayed in a small town called St Jakob Im Walde at an Inn. I went to Vienna as well, but spent most of the time in St Jakob Im Walde (for horse riding!). Poster card perfect!! I am so glad to hear you loved it with boar!! I never would have imagined. 🙂 Store bought? Or did you catch it yourself?? N x
Oh that’s so cool that you have been to Austria. I’m glad that you had a good time here.
I didn’t catch the boar but my father did. He goes for hunting and then I have to cook what he brings home. 😉
That is just TOO COOL!!!
It says to save the marinade, what for? Besides marinating meet, i cannot find what else you used it for. Am i missing something?
Hi Yvette! It’s used in the Sauce step. 🙂
I am using a pork butt. I have had ZERO luck with cooking pork in the past. I can’t even make pork chops.
BUT…I have hope. I didn’t have mint but still think it will be delicious.
I am going to throw it in my dutch oven and cook it low and slow.
I can almost taste those cubans already!!
Think positively! You will be fine 🙂 Cooking it long and slow it is hard to go wrong!! 🙂 N x
Internal temp should be 160F, not 160C. Obviously a huge difference and 160C would take an eternity and would be beyond overdone and dried out
Thank you Jordan, a massive typo 🙂 Fixed!
I can’t wait to make this. Have a fam reunion coming up. Can you help me by answering. How long are Cubanos generally? 9 inches or so? How many Cubanos would a 4 lb roast make if I were using it just to make cubano sammies for the reunion? Thank you so much in advance. I am a fan of your site.
Hi Sammy! Traditionally each sandwich is 6″/15cm long (then you cut in half to serve). But you really can make it as long as you want! There’s a recipe for Cubanos on my blog which specifies the length per serving – here you go! https://promotown.info/cuban-pork-sandwich-cubanos-from-chef-movie/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This is perfect for a family reunion because one pork feeds so many people! OH and check out the tip for freezing the cubans. SERIOUSLY! I was blow away. 🙂