Mojo Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak

Mojo Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak is another tried and true recipe from my repertoire. I have made it this weekend and it was a hit with my family. This recipe comes courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine one of the best cooking publication currently available.

Mojo is an expression that has many use however in cooking Wikipeadia described as follow:

Mojo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmoxo]) is the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of sauces, varying in spiciness, that originated in the Canary Islands. It is predominantly either a red (most common), green or orange sauce.

The basic recipe consists of olive oil, large amounts of garlic, paprika, and cumin. Flavorings such as vinegar, lemon, orange or lime juice may be added. The most typical use of this hot sauce seems to be papas arrugadas con salsa mojo, orpotatoes with mojo. Mojo is also commonly served with fresh bread rolls at the beginning of a meal. Similar sauces, also known as mojo, are also popular in Cuba and throughout the islands of the Caribbean, Hispanic or non-Hispanic, due to heavy Canarian emigration to the Caribbean, and have even influenced some barbecue sauces in the Deep South region of the United States, particularly the states of Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. The flavor can be made of almost everything, from tomato or pepper to avocado.

In Cuban cooking mojo applies to any sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil and a citrus juice, traditionally sour orange juice. It is commonly used to flavor the cassava tuber and is also used to marinate roast pork.^[1]

In Puerto Rico mojo is a herb sauce of finely chopped cilantro or parsley with garlic, black pepper, onions, olive oil and sometimes vinegar or lemon. Its commonly used on the island as a dip for tostones, cassave and sometimes mashed with mofongo.

The following recipe is of Cuban Origin, I hope you enjoy it.

Mo J' Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak

• 12 cloves garlic (or 4 Tbs. minced garlic)
• 2 habaneras or other spicy chiles, cored, seeded, and minced (wear rubber gloves)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 tsp. whole cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup sour orange juice (or 1/3 cup fresh lime juice plus 1/3 cup fresh orange juice)
• 1-1/2 Tbs. sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the steak:

• 1-1/2 lb. flank steak
• or 2 large Bermuda onions, thickly sliced and brushed with olive oil (optional)

To make the mojo:

Mash the raw garlic, chiles, salt, and cumin together in a mortar and pestle until fairly smooth. (Alternatively, use a food processor, pulsing until the ingredients are finely chopped but not puréed.) Scrape the mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil until fairly hot but not smoking, and pour it over the garlic-chile mixture (the oil should sizzle when it hits the cool ingredients), stir, and let stand 10 min. This will cook the garlic slightly. Whisk in the sour orange juice and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool completely.

Put the steak in a zip-top bag or a shallow bowl and pour in 1 cup of the cooled mojo. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Refrigerate the remaining 1 cup of mojo.

To cook and serve:

Light a charcoal or gas grill. When the grill is very hot, remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade), pat dry, and season with salt and pepper; cook 5 to 7 min. on one side and 3 to 4 min. on the other for medium rare. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 min. (If you like, grill the Bermuda onions as well—you can put them on at the same time as the flank steak; grill 6 to 7 min. per side.) Meanwhile, warm the reserved mojo over low heat. Slice the flank steak very thinly on the bias and serve with the reserved mojo and the grilled onions.