Mojo Criollo

8 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp(8g) ground cumin

1 tsp (8g) freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp (about 1 small handful) minced fresh oregano leaves

1/4 cup (120ml) fresh juice from 1 orange

1/3 cup (60ml) fresh juice from 4 lime (see note above)

1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbs kosher salt

Prepare the mojo

  1. Make a wet garlic paste by mashing the garlic cloves with salt in a mortar and pestle. If you do not have one, you can use a cup and the back of a wooden spoon; otherwise, simply sprinkle the garlic with the salt and use your knife to chop it very finely into a paste.
  2. Place the garlic paste, along with oregano and cumin in a small bowl and pour the lime juice and orange juice over it. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Place the olive oil in a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. (This can be done on your grill or on your stove.) When small bubbles begin to rise to the surface of the oil, carefully add the garlic and citrus mixture to the pan (the oil will sizzle a bit, so be careful that it does not splatter on you). Give the mixture a quick stir and allow to cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Set aside.

Russ:

This is a mojo amended from classic cuban mojo criollo as it replaces the cuban sour oranges with a combination of orange and lime juice.

Chef's notes