Masitas de Puerco

Name: Masitas de Puerco (Crisp Fried Pork Chunks)
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Cuba
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 2 pounds boneless pork loin or shoulder, cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes; 4 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ cup bitter orange juice, or ¼ cup regular orange juice and ¼ cup fresh lime juice; 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves; 1 cup Cebollas Encurtidas (Pickled Onions), or ½ large red onion, sliced into thin rings; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Lime wedges; Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Crisp Fried Pork Chunks

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Eating Cuban

By Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs

Published 2006

About

At El Palacios de Los Jugos in Miami’s Little Havana, crisp, juicy deep-fried chunks of pork are garnished with sliced onion and sold by the pound. Masitas are usually served with a side of rice and black beans.

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon

Americas
Cuba
Havana
Side dish
Caribbean
Gluten-free

Method

Crush the garlic in a garlic press and place in a shallow, nonreactive baking dish. Add the oregano, salt, cumin, and pepper and mash together with a fork to make a paste. Stir in the bitter orange juice. Add the pork and toss to coat with the marinade. Cover and let the pork marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to