Smoked Mojo Pork Shoulder Recipe

This Smoked Mojo Pork Shoulder is marinated in a bold blend of fresh citrus, garlic, herbs, and spices before slow smoking until tender, juicy, and easy to pull apart. The combination of classic Cuban mojo flavors and wood-fired smoke creates incredibly flavorful pork that’s perfect for Cuban sandwiches, rice bowls, tacos, sliders, and more.

Course BBQ, dinner, Grilling, Main Course

Cuisine American, Cuban, Cuban / American

Keyword comfort food, party food, slow-cooked, smoked, Smoked Mojo Pork Shoulder Recipe

Prep Time 12 30

Cook Time 12

Servings Servings

Calories 516kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

1 10 lb. Pork Shoulder or pork butt
4 tbsp. Butter sliced and set aside

Marinade

4 cups Orange Juice fresh if possible (about 8-12)
1 1/2 cups Lime Juice fresh if possible (about 8-12)
2 cups Olive Oil
12 Cloves Garlic
4 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 tbsp. Cumin
4 sprigs Fresh Oregano
4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 tbsp. Black Pepper

Instructions

Preparation:

Remove the pork shoulder from the packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.
Trim any silver skin off the sides and bottom. Use a carving knife and create a crosshatch pattern into the fat cap over the top. Place the meat in a dish that will hold the pork and the marinade.
To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic cloves in a blender. Blend until combined. Reserve 1-2 cups of this mixture and keep it separate to use when smoking.
Pour the juice mixture over the pork. Add the bay leaves and fresh oregano and thyme.
Place the pork shoulder into the fridge to rest overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Smoking:

Preheat the smoker to 250 F and set it for indirect heat.
Place the pork shoulder onto the smoker and let it smoke for 3 hours. Use diluted apple cider vinegar or reserved marinade to spray the meat to build the bark every hour until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
Once the pork shoulder hits the stall, remove it from the smoker and place it into a foil pan. Add any additional marinade to the bottom of the pan and add the sliced tablespoons of butter over the top of the meat. Cover it tightly with foil and place it back onto the smoker.
Let the mojo pork reach an internal temperature of about 203 F. Check for tenderness by using the probe of a thermometer and inserting it into the meat to see if it feels like softened butter.
When it's tender, remove it from the smoker but keep it covered. Let the meat rest in a cooler for 2 hours before pulling.
Pull and shred the pork and serve with white rice, fried plantains, and black beans!

Notes

Marinating: For the best flavor, marinate the pork shoulder for 8–24 hours. Because mojo contains a lot of citrus, I don’t recommend going much beyond 24 hours—the acid can begin to change the texture of the exterior.
Pork shoulder: Either a bone-in or boneless pork butt works. Bone-in typically takes a little longer but is a great option for low-and-slow smoking.
Making this in the crockpot? Follow the marinade instructions above, but use the cooking (only) instructions from my slow cooker pulled pork recipe.

Nutrition