Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Grilled Mojo Beef – Rhymes with “Everybody Say Ho!”

I got a request for a Cuban-style mojo marinade recently, which sounded like something I’d enjoy making, but to be honest I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. I knew I was probably pronouncing it wrong, but other than that, I couldn’t remember having it anywhere.

I’d seen “mojo” sauces before, but they were at Spanish restaurants, and seemed to be chili-based; so I did a little of research, and of course, every single recipe I looked at was different. They all had garlic, citrus, and olive oil, but after that, the spices and seasonings varied greatly. So, this is basically a composite of what I saw, and it really came out well.

I think this would work great as an all-purpose marinade for just about any thing destined for the grill, but as I mentioned in the video, skirt steak would be my top choice.  Unless horribly overcooked, it always comes out juicy, and tender, as long as you slice it across the grain.  It also tends to really soak in the flavors of the marinade quite well, which I believe is due to it being such a well-marbled cut.

Once again, please excuse my makeshift brick grill, but I’m happy to report there’s help on the way.  So stay tuned for me to show that off soon, but in the meantime I really hope you get this delicious Cuban inspired mojo marinade a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 pounds beef skirt steak, cut into smaller pieces
1 large navel orange, juiced
3 limes, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6-8 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
extra lime wedges

19 comments:

Gandalf said...

Looks yummy. I would probably be lazy and just put the marinade dish in the fridge, covered, rather than the bag-transfer. Is this heresy? Is my soul in danger??

Food Junkie said...

Would a skirt steak be called something else (like up here chuck is called blade)? I have never in my life seen a skirt steak in a butcher shop or meat department and am wondering if I should be looking for a different name?

Chef Todd said...

Hi Chef John, Can you use tofu instead of skirt steak? And can you use apple juice instead of orange and lime juice? JUST KIDDING! I'm going to make this for my staff this weekend and turn it into a Cuban sandwich. By the way, I can't keep up with your Panna Cotta recipe. Meaning I can't make enough of it. Everything you touch is gold. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Would this be an inside or an outside cut of the skirt, or does it really matter?

reub said...

Aside from absorbing flavors for when it's later grilled, does the onion add anything to the marinade as far as the beef is concerned?

Pens_Fan_#1 said...

I've never heard of skirt steak being called anything other that "skirt steak." Flank would probably work just as well though.

Chris Yetman said...

Sour oranges are also called ornamental oranges and grow along the streets in old neighborhoods in Tucson and other southwest cities. They're not good for much else, except orange marmalade. I'll grab some and try this recipe with them.

Unknown said...

My grandma and my great grandma have lots of sour orange trees in their gardens in Shiraz, Iran. We also use their blossoms to make jam and flavour our tea. So good, I miss them.

Unknown said...

In my opinion you should stay with this brick grill thingy. I love it, if you ask me... Imho, you dont have to excuse yourself for it.
OK, it is probably less comfortable, than an expensive one.. but... i adore your intention, to actually teach "us viewers" how to cook, with recipies "from scratch"... and how could this be done better as simple as possible. Just with some bricks, a grate, and some coals... what else do you need ? Keep it simple :)

Well.. Perhaps my opinion has to do with my "anger" against everyone who spends more for Kitchen Hardware, than to quality produce. Therefore I'm a big fan of yours.
You got it right, chef john!
keep up that good work.

Herzliche Grüße aus Deutschland
Dein Fabian

Devin Emily said...

Hey Chef John! My parents own an old grove, and back in the day sour orange trees would be planted in between a certain amount of other citrus trees for pollination purposes. Nowadays modern trees planted don't have to have the sour trees, so sour oranges have almost dissipated in most places.
Most trees are also grown on a sour root stalk so you could chop a clementine/navel/any citrus tree down near the roots and a sour orange tree will grow back.
I love your videos and I have been following them for years now! Keep on doin what your doin man, love it!

Anonymous said...

\zxc\scscas

TrueCoug said...

Is your grill "help" in the former of something big, green, and egg-shaped? I hope so!

Karen said...

This was fantastic and I was surprised with how much flavor the marinade imparted to the meat. Your Mexican Corn recipe was the perfect complement. A Food Wishes dinner that I will dream about for weeks to come.

Karen said...

Any thoughts on "inner" vs "outer" skirt steak?

Unknown said...

I made this the other day - just simply incredible and delicious! I'm definitely making this again!

Unknown said...

Chef John, we made this last night and "AS ALWAYSSSSSS" WE ENJOYED!!! XOXO

Anonymous said...

This recipe reminds me of one of the best burrito places in Mountain View, Ca. They call this mixture "mojo de ajo" and it is marinated steak in mojo sauce with onions and garlic. They slice the steak thin, marinate it, cook it on a flat top, and then chop it with a couple of cleavers to use in tacos and burritos. I haven't had the chance to try this recipe as I just found it but it sounds like it is pretty close. Is the oregano ground in this recipe or flaked? I don't want to add too much oregano since it can be overpowering so I use powdered oregano in small amounts rather than flaked amounts. Thanks for all your research!

Unknown said...

Chef John, can this marinade be used with chicken?

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John! Can I use this steak marinade with Chicken?