Grilled Pork Steak~ Garlic Mojo Tacos de Carnitas

Inspiration for this dish? We’re hungry! Lol! But seriously, my foodie friend Laura Lynn Lopez had been telling us about how delicious the garlic mojo recipe was. And it just happens to be a recipe developed by one of my all time favorite chefs, Rick Bayless. I have all of his books and I read the recipe, but like so many recipes in books, I don’t think about them once I close the book. I have prepared garlic mojo several times, but I made the fresh, uncooked version. Slow cooking the garlic in oil, there is nothing like it! For todays blog post, I had lots of wonderful garlic, already peeled and ready to go. I purchased it that way at my favorite market for a good price. It made things alot easier when you need almost 4 full bulbs of garlic cloves. So, I figured once I prepared the garlic mojo, marinating and grilling something was bound to happen. And to me, garlic mojo and pork are just meant to be. Garlic Mojo Marinated Pork Steaks is what I prepared. Great the first day, hot off the grill and garnished with more garlic mojo, tasty!! Second and thirda days….Garlic Mojo Tacos de Carnitas. Some of the most flavorful pork tacos I have had in a while. The bonus part og the garlic mojo recipe is that it can be used in so many recipes. Great for crostini garlic bread, dressings, marinade, seasoning, pasta, salsa’s and so much more!  

 

Garlic Mojo

*This recipe was adapted from chef Rick Bayless, love him!

2 full cups  of garlic, cloves peeled
1 cup avocado oil
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
6 chile de arbol, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons mexican oregano, crushed
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In an 8X8 baking dish, add the garlic, oil, salt, chile de arbol and oregano. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

2. After 45 minutes, add the lime juice and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a potato masher, break down the cloves of garlic garlic. Let cool at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

 

Garlic Mojo Marinated Pork Steaks

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds pork steaks, 3 steaks
salt
pepper
3/4 cup garlic mojo

Directions

1. Season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer to plastic storage bag or baking dish. Cover with garlic mojo. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours.

2. Remove the pork from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Prepare grill preheat to medium/high heat, 350 to 400 degrees.

3. When ready, grill pork steaks for about 3 to 4 minutes per side or until internal temperature reads 145 degrees F. Remove from grill onto plate. Cover with foil and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes. Yields 6 serving

 

Garlic Mojo Tacos de Carnitas 

Ingredients

Grilled pork steak, about 1 1/2 pounds
2 to 3 tablespoons garlic mojo
16 corn tortillas (double tortilla tacos)
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup onion, diced
Your favorite hot sauce or salsa
Lime wedges

Directions

1. Slice and chop the pork steak into small pieces. Preheat skillet to medium/high heat for 5 to 6  minutes. When hot, add the pork and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the garlic mojo and cook for 2 more minutes. Cover and keep warm on low. The key is to cook the pork at high heat so it begins to caramelize and brown. This will give it a more carnitas flavor without all the frying.

2. Heat tortillas on large comal or griddle and keep warm. For a more traditional street taco, I like to double up on the corn tortillas for a hearty taco. Divide the carnitas into 8 double tortilla tacos. Garnish with cilantro, onion, salsa and lime. Yields 4 servings.