Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava}

Yuca and Malanga are two of my favorite side dishes to eat with Cuban food. With my method, Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca con Mojo is super simple. The Yuca is cooked at the same time as the sour orange garlic sauce, all in one pot.

Growing up in Miami, I was exposed to and ate Cuban food regularly.

The flavors, spices and traditions of the Cuban people are wonderful.

They are a people of family and love. I remember spending a day at Rico Lorenzo’s home for a family gathering.

He and his wife were close friends of my dad and me and were like family.

I still remember that pig in the ground. As a Jew, well, I just had to grin and bear it. Hehehe.

Yuca is extremely popular in South Florida and found at all Cuban and Caribbean restaurants.

Boiling Yuca takes about 25 minutes.

In the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, this Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo only takes 8 minutes.

 

I leaned about Yuca at an early age.

What is Yuca?

• Cassava or Yuca in Spanish, is a woody shrub, which is native to South America and the Caribbean.
• It is heavier and denser than a potato, but has a bit of a sweet taste like a yam.
• It’s starchy and tuberous root, it is a main source of carbohydrates.
• Yuca is a major stable food in developing countries as it is very high in carbohydrates and very filling.
• It comes in a sweet and a bitter variety, with the sweet variety being the most popular for cooking and eating.
• In addition to the Caribbean, Africa is a major consumer of Yuca. It’s really good!!!!
• Make sure you do not get the bitter variety.
• Yuca is often time sold in the frozen section, already cooked.
• You can still use this recipe, just skip to the part where you make the Mojo.

So then, what is Yucca?

• “Yucca,” is something altogether different. 🙂
• It is a plant with long, blade-like leaves that grows from a central point, like Aloe Vera, but with softer leaves.
• It’s also the name of a city in Arizona.
• The “u” in Yuca is pronounced like “you,” while the “u” in Yucca is pronounced like the “u” in “yuck.”

 

As you can see from the above photos, Yuca is very dense and hard.

It can get really long and thick.

Make sure your knife is properly sharpened, as it would be easy to cut off a finger.

Be very careful when cutting raw Yuca.

How do I Cut Yuca?

• First cut off the ends and then cut the Yuca into two or three large chunks/pieces, about four inches long.
• Stand the Yuca on a cut side (like a tree stump) and with a sharp knife, carefully, cut away the skin.
• A strong Potato Peeler is your best bet because of the super tough and thick skin.
• Yuca has a woody and stringy center, that is not edible.
• Quarter the Yuca, lengthwise.
• Cut out the woody center.
• If you have a super thick/fat Yuca, you may need to cut your Yuca into more pieces.

Please make sure to be careful when removing the skin of the Yuca. Do not let your pets near it. Do not use it for compost. Do not taste the Yuca raw. Yuca has has linamarin which when eaten raw converts to cyanide in the stomach. Proper cooking of Yuca, eliminates that potential.

 

We used to always boil the Yuca on the stove for 20-25 minutes.

That was after the water came to a boil. It’s just a fraction of the time with a Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.

There is still the time to come up to pressure and the time for the pressure to release, but we can do other things while the  Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker is doing its thing. It’s good that way too!

I just like to use my  Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, so I can set and then forget it, until it is done.

Place the Yuca into a Steamer/Strainer Basket.

Similar to my Pressure Cooker Potato Mash, the Yuca will be above the sauce and will steam.

What are Other uses for Yuca?

• Dried Yuca is Tapioca, which I am sure many of you are very familiar with Tapioca.
• Tapioca Pearls are used for Tapioca Pudding.
• Tapioca Starch, Tapioca Pearls/Black Boba is used for Boba Tea.
• They all come from the Cassava/Yuca shrub.
• You must also try my Air Fryer Yuca Fries. The taste is hard to describe, but they are so incredibly delicious!
• My Boba Tea is fantastic and I will get the recipe up on the blog soon.
• A popular breakfast bread is Pan de Yuca
• It is a light, airy and chewy Columbian bread made with Tapioca Starch/Flour and Oaxaco sheese.
• Pan de Yuca goes great with a cup of hot chocolate or Cuban Coffee in the morning.

Juan, a Colombian grocer friend of mine taught me how to make the Pan de Yuca.

We used to buy Pan de Ya from Juan’s bakery section, several times a week.

 

While the Yuca is Steaming in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, prepare the Sauce ingredients.

Use a Morter and Pestle or a Mini Food Chopper/Processor and mince the Garlic as small as you can

If you have neither, smash the Garlic and then use a knife to mince the Garlic.

I love my Ultimate Chopper, which is no longer made and this Small Food Chopper is a good substitute.

Remember the late night TV commercials years ago? I bought two of them.

 

If you do not have the Fresh Citrus, Limes or Unsweetened/Sour Orange Juice, the True Orange and True Lime work very well.

They are crystalized and taste like you went outside and picked the fruit off your own tree.

I keep the whole line of True Products in my pantry, at all times.

Four teaspoons, plus 1/2 cup of Fresh Water will taste like Fresh Citrus Juice.

 

Select Sauté or Browning on your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker cooking pot and allow pot to fully heat.

For Pressure Cookers without a Sauté or Browning button, choose the Meat button or us the Dial.

A good Olive Oil is always important to use.

 

Adding a Pat of Butter, give the Mojo, a nice, rich flavor.

Onions soften very quickly in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker so only a short Sauté is needed.

Don’t let the Onions get brown, as we don’t want them to caramelize. Minced Garlic, fresh or bottled is fine to use.

The Minced Garlic only Sautés for a few seconds, just enough to become fragrant.

 

Placing the Yuca above the Mojo Sauce in the Steamer Basket allows the Yuca to steam, while the Mojo cooks.

Unlike boiling the Yuca in water, this method keeps the Yuca from breaking a part.

If you purchase this Salbree Steamer Basket, you will need to pop off the handles.

As the Yuca steams, the Sauce will continue to cook.

Yuca will change from white to yellow while cooking, so don’t worry when you open your pot and the Yuca is a different color. 🙂

 

Why Cook the Yuca Separate from the Mojo Criollo?

• The Sour Orange flavor is super strong.
• The Mojo flavor will penetrate the Yuca and may be unbearable. Normally, that is a good thing, but not in this case.
• While you certainly can cook them both together, the Sauce will overpower the Yuca.
• It is just as easy to dump steamed Yuca into the Sauce and then simmer to thicken up the Sauce.
• Trust me, this will be super duper flavorful

This Mojo Marinade is wonderful on all kinds of meat, so you might want to make a double batch and throw in some Chicken and Pork and cook for a few minutes..

Check out my Pressure Cooker Lechon Asado ({Cuban Port with Mojo} recipe. It is so good!..

 

Serve the Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo in chunks or in strips, your choice.

The chunks are the traditional way.

For another traditional Cuban dish, try my Pressure Cooker Spanish Tortilla or my Pressure Cooker Cuban Black Beans!

I will be adding a lot more Cuban recipes in the near future.

Have a Cuban stepmother and working in Downtown Miami, taught me so much about Cuban food and was a big part of my menu.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Instant Pot DUO Plus 60 Pressure Cooker
• J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
• di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
• Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
• Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
• My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
• Salbree Steamer Basket
• Ultimate Chopper (Mini Food Processor)

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