Make Your Own Mojo: Garlic-Citrus Marinade

Until a friend of mine who lives in the South introduced me to mojo, I'd never heard of it. You may have seen it in your grocery store where it's bottled and marketed as a marinade. In Cuban cooking, mojo is a sauce made with olive oil, large amounts of garlic, and a citrus juice and in Puerto Rican cooking, cilantro is often added. Sour orange, lemon, or lime juice, or some combination thereof, can be used in mojo. Use equal amounts of fresh orange & fresh lime juice to make a substitute for sour orange juice. I use this homemade fresh lime juice version to marinate pork tenderloin. Mojo adds massive flavor and can also be used to marinate chicken, beef, or fish. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
16 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/3 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until it's a light golden color. Be careful, it cooks fast. Add the lime juice and stir, slowly bringing it to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add the salt, pepper, and cilantro. 

Put your meat of choice in a 13" x 9" baking dish lined with parchment paper. Let the mojo cool, then pour it over the meat to be cooked. Put the covered baking dish in the fridge overnight.