Here is an article from Fine Cooking on Mojo that includes 3 recipes:
MOJOS
Tropical Sauces and Marinades for Grilled or Smoked Food
Make a mojo - an easy sauce bursting with the flavors of the Caribbean
By Norman Van Aken, from Fine Cooking Magazine # 28 (August/September 1998)
NOTE: In the same issue is an excellent article by Paul Kirk on KC barbecued ribs and another by Steve Johnson on brochettes - altogether a great summer issue with lots of other interesting ideas. The table of contents for this issue is at:
http://www.taunton.com/fc/admin/toc/28.htm
Back issues ($5.95 each) can be ordered from (this is not a solicitation):
http://www.taunton.com/fc/admin/backissues.htm
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THE WELL-TRAVELED MOJO
"According to my friend Maricel Presilla, a food historian who grew up in Cuba and is writing a book on the cooking traditions of Latin America, mojo (from the Spanish mojar, "to moisten") originated in Spain and came to the New World with the Spanish invad-ers, who carried it all over Latin America. Mojo then made its way to the Spanish Caribbean, including Cuba and the Dominican Re-public.
"Typically, a mojo was a boldly seasoned vinaigrette-type sauce that was heated to infuse its flavors. With the generous flavors of garlic, chiles, and herbs, and the tenderizing effect of an oil-and acid-based medium (the acid was often vinegar or citrus juice), mojo was traditionally used to moisten, marinate, and flavor dry foods like starchy tubers or well-cooked meats.
"As mojo traveled through the New World, it changed to suit the ingredients of different regions. For example, Cubans infused mojo with the juice of a sour orange to create their ubiquitous sauce, mojo criollo (criollo means hand-made but implies "made with love"), which is drizzled on roast pig and other barbecued meats.
"Mojo picked up tropical chiles and fruits in the Caribbean, as well as the spices of different immigrant groups. By the time I en-countered mojo in Key West, it wasn't just one mojo, but a big family of mojos. - Norman Van Aken, the executive chef of Nor-man's in Miami, is the author of "Norman's New World Cuisine" (Random House, 1997).
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When I moved to Key West in the early VV 1970s, I discovered a lively sauce called a mojo that jazzed up everything from French fries to grilled fish. A little bit like a warm vinaigrette, but with bold flavors such as fragrant garlic, hot chiles, and the juices of tropical fruits, mojo (pronounced MOE-HOE) was an exciting sauce for a young chef like me. Not only did I love the fresh flavors, but I liked the fact that mojo was a "multicultural sauce" (see the note in the Mojo Oriental recipe). I'd been looking for a way expand my cook-ing style and get away from the dominance of French sauces. I was happy to find in mojos a family of fresh-tasting sauces that got its distinctive personality from the ingredients of the New World.
Since my early days in Key West, I've made a lot of mojo. Over the years, in my restaurant and at home, I've created my own mojo variations that I think pair especially well with grilled food. My mojos are always boldly seasoned (I'm fond of the hot complexity of haba?ero chiles, for example) but balanced as well. I think mojos taste best when they're freshly made, slightly warm, and have had a chance to mingle with the juices of meat or vegetables that have just finished cooking. At the same time, I think mo-jos are too overwhelming for raw food or delicate lettuces, so try not to think of them as regular vinaigrettes. And while I love to make mojos for warm-weather grilling, they work just as well in winter, paired with a roast chicken or a saut?ed fish fillet.
I've included recipes here for three of my favorite mojos for grilled food. I love the way tropical fruits and hot chiles work together, so I created a luscious mango and haba?ero mojo-a simple pur?e that doesn't mask the flavor of fresh, grilled seafood tuna, grou-per, or shrimp.
One of my family's favorite mojos is my "Mo J." We make a lot of this garlicky~ cumin-scented mojo, use half of it to marinate flank steak Or chicken, and re~ serve the other half to drizzle on as a sauce when the meat comes off the grill. This mojo is made much the way a traditional mojo was: hot oil is poured over fresh garlic and spices, both to cook the edge off the garlic and to infuse the oil with all the flavors of the mojo.
And the third mojo recipe has Asian influences, including ingredients like fresh ginger and soy sauce, inspired by the Chinese immigrants who contributed their flavors and ingredients to the New World when they came to Cuba in the mid-1900s to work as la-borers in the sugar and railway industries. I like to pair this mojo with grilled shiitakes and somen noodles.
My mojos all vary slightly in technique, but they're not hard to make. The Mango Haba?ero Mojo comes together easily in a blender. When I can, I make my "Mo J" in a molcajete (a big stone mortar; it's pronounced mohl-kah-HAY-tay) as a traditional mojo might have been made, but I also use a food processor just as successfully. In my Mojo Oriental, I add the finely chopped aromatics to the liquid ingredients before the whole mixture is heated. All three of these can be made and refrigerated ahead (the "Mo J" and Mojo Oriental will keep well for several days; the Mango Haba?ero Mojo is best used the day it's made). Once you make these reci-pes with the food I've suggested, try making a mojo to serve with steamed vegetables or roasted chicken, or your own favorite food from the grill.
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"MO J" MARINATED & GRILLED FLANK STEAK
Serves 4-6. Toss a few red onions on the grill to serve with this dish; a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers rounds out the meal nicely. My family loves this versatile mojo on chicken as well as on flank steak.
FOR THE MOJO
12 cloves garlic (or 4 Tablespoons minced garlic)
2 haba?eros or other spicy chiles, cored, seeded, and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds, toasted
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sour orange juice (or 1/3 cup fresh lime juice plus 1/3 cup fresh orange juice)
1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE STEAK
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 or 2 large Bermuda onions, thickly sliced and brushed with olive oil (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
TO MAKE THE MOLE-Mash the raw garlic, chiles, salt, and cumin together in a mortar and pestle until fairly smooth. (Alterna-tively, use a food processor, pulsing until the ingredients are finely chopped but not pur?ed.) 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 minutes This will cook the garlic slightly. Whisk in the sour orange juice and vinegar. Sea-son 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 minutes on one side and 3 to 4 minutes on the other for medium rare. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes (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 minutes 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.
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GRILLED TUNA STEAKS WITH MANGO HABA?ERO MOJO
Serves 4. Sweet and spicy Mango Haba?ero Mojo is the perfect foil for a smoky grilled tuna fillet. The floral note of the haba?eros is a tremendous partner to the mango, but if you can't find them, substitute another spicy chile. This mojo is also delicious with grilled shrimp or pork. "Power up the blender,"' advises Norman Van Aken, to quickly turn sweet, juicy mango and spicy haba?ero chiles into a delicious mole.
FOR THE TUNA AND MARINADE:
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt; more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tuna steaks, 6 oz. each
FOR THE MOJO:
1 ripe, juicy mango, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 orange (about 1/4 cup)
1/2-3/4 teaspoon minced haba?ero, Scotch bonnet, or other hot chile (seeds removed)
Sprigs of cilantro for garnish
TO MAKE THE MARINADE-in a large shallow dish, mix the parsley, cilantro, garlic, sherry, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the tuna and toss to thoroughly coat, pressing the herbs all over the steaks. Let sit for 30 minutes
TO MAKE THE MOJO-In a blender, combine the mango, Chardonnay, and orange juice. Stir in the haba?ero and set aside. (This mojo is served at room temperature or very slightly warmed-don't boil it).
TO COOK THE TUNA-Light a charcoal or gas grill. When the grill is very hot, remove the tuna from the marinade and season it with salt and pepper. Sear the tuna for 3 to 5 minutes on each side for medium rare (or more, depending on the thickness of the tuna). Drizzle some mojo on each plate, set the tuna on the mojo, drizzle on a little more mojo, and garnish with cilantro.
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GRILLED SHIITAKES WITH MOJO ORIENTAL & SOMEN NOODLES
Serves 4 as a light dinner. Mojo Oriental-an intense infusion of spices, soy, honey, ginger, and sesame- brings together a dish of grilled shiitakes and somen noodles. Somen noodles are sold in Asian groceries and many supermarkets. Use capellini if you can't find them.
16 large shiitake caps, cut into quarters (or
32 smaller shiitake caps, cut in half)
1/4 cup whole cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns (optional)
2 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar .1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
1/2 haba?ero chile, seeded
FOR THE SOMEN NOODLES:
8 ounces dried somen noodles
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Minced garlic chives or chives for garnish (optional)
Black and white sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
THREAD THE SHIITAKE CAPS on 8 short wooden skewers. Arrange the skewers in a shallow, nonreactive pan.
TO MAKE THE MOJO, toast the cumin and peppercorns in a dry saucepan over medium-high heat until they're quite aromatic. Grind them in a spice or coffee grinder and return them to the pan. Add the stock, sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and haba?ero. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. After 5 minutes, remove the haba?ero; continue to simmer the sauce until it's reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about another 10 minutes Remove from the heat and strain the sauce through a fine sieve; let cool slightly. Pour the mojo over the shiitake skewers; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
LIGHT A GRILL OR BROILER. Remove the skewers from the mojo, letting any excess drip back into the pan. Transfer the mojo to a nonreactive saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Meanwhile, grill or broil the shiitakes until well-browned, 3 to 6 minutes
BOIL THE SOMEN NOODLES until just al dente (about 1 minute after the water comes back to a boil), drain well, and toss with the sesame oil. Mound the noodles in four shallow bowls, top with the grilled shiitake skewers, and drizzle with the reduced mojo.
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Norman Van Aken, the executive chef of Norman's in Miami, is the author of Norman's New World Cuisine (Random House, 1997).