Elida Proenza's Yucca Con Mojo
Submitted by Lionman00
Cuban yucca con mojo boils tender yuca root and drenches it in a sizzling garlic-lime mojo sauce. A traditional Caribbean side with tangy-sharp flavor over starchy root.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minYucca con mojo (yuca con mojo in proper Spanish) is a Cuban side dish that turns humble starchy yuca root into something electric. The technique is pure Caribbean brilliance: boil the yuca until creamy-soft, then drown it in a raw garlic-lime-salt paste that gets bloomed with sizzling hot olive oil at the last second. That final pour causes the mojo to sizzle and perfume the whole dish with toasted garlic and citrus brightness.
The yuca itself is the base and deserves respect. It needs a long aggressive boil to break down its fibrous core. The trick of adding a cup of cold water after 20 minutes of simmering is traditional. It shocks the starch, finishes the cooking, and helps expose those central fibers for removal. Pulling those fibers out is essential unless you want stringy bites. Serve with roast pork, grilled steak, or as part of a Cuban-style plate with black beans and rice.
Pro Tips
- Peel yuca with a paring knife, not a vegetable peeler. The waxy brown skin is too thick for a peeler and the pink inner skin has to come off too.
- Stand back when you pour the hot oil into the mojo. It spatters aggressively and the steam carries garlic essence you do not want in your eyes.
- Pound the garlic-salt paste in a mortar and pestle, not a food processor. Pounding releases the oils slowly for deeper flavor. Processor blades just shred.
- Serve hot. Yuca gets rubbery as it cools, and lukewarm yuca is sad yuca.
Variations
- Add a splash of orange juice alongside the lime juice for a more traditional Cuban mojo profile.
- Stir in a pinch of ground cumin and oregano for deeper Caribbean warmth.
- Top with crispy fried pork (chicharron) or crumbled bacon for a substantial, brunch-style version.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the yucca into 2-in pieces and peel with a paring knife.
Cut the large pieces in half so that all are of uniform size.
Bring ar least 2 quarts salted water to a boil.
Add the yucca and cook for 20 minutes or until cracks begin to appear in the center (of the yucca.)
Add 1 cup cold water.
Cook the yucca for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until very soft.
Meanwhile, make the mojo.
Finely chop the garlic, and, in a mortar and pestle, pound it to a paste with the salt and pepper.
Stir in the lime juice and correct the seasoning.
Just before serving, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and pour it into the garlic mixture.
Stand back - it may spatter.
Drain the yuca and pull out any fibers.
Arrange on a platter or plates and pour the hot mojo on top.
Garnish the yuca with thinly sliced onion and serve
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