Cuban Mojo Sauce or Marinade

Ingredients

▢ 8 garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
▢ 2 tablespoons minced onion
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (see notes)
▢ ¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (see notes)
▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Method #1 Mortar and Pestle (molcajete)

In a mortar and pestle, place the minced garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash until you create a smooth paste.

Method #2

After mincing the garlic on your cutting board, sprinkle it with salt. Combine both ingredients, and smash them together with the back of a chef’s knife or with the back of a spoon. Try to break down the garlic into a paste. It may not be as smooth as when using a mortar and pestle and that is just fine!
Transfer the garlic mixture to a jar or mixing bowl. Add the garlic, black pepper, orange juice and lime juice, oregano, cumin and olive oil. If using a jar, close the lid tightly and shake the ingredients together until well combined, or if using a bowl, whisk the ingredients together until well combined. You can taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
Store in a jar or airtight container for 2 weeks, shaking well before every use..

Notes

Instead of a combination of orange juice and lime juice, you can use ¾ cup of sour orange if available.
If you are not a big fan of garlic, reduce the amount to 4-5 cloves.
The mojo should taste bright, citrusy, a bit tart, garlicky and well seasoned.
If your mojo turns out too sweet (sometimes oranges are very sweet) add more lime juice (or lemon juice).

Nutrition

Calories: 759 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 73 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 53 g, Sodium: 1174 mg, Potassium: 482 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 13 g, Vitamin A: 313 IU, Vitamin C: 89 mg, Calcium: 99 mg, Iron: 2 mg