Cuban Sandwich-Inspired Futomaki

Prepare the rice

1. Wash the rice in a bowl with cold water, changing the water three or four times, until it runs less cloudy. Drain it well. Place it in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid and add the 360 ml of measured water. Let it soak for 30 minutes. This liquid is then used to cook the rice; do not add more water.
2. Cover the pot and heat over medium heat until the water begins to boil, about 5-7 minutes. Reduce to the lowest heat and cook for 12 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.
3. During the soak, mix the rice vinegar with the sugar and the 3 g of salt until dissolved. When the rice has finished resting, transfer it to a wide, shallow dish and pour the dressing over it evenly. Fold it in with a spatula, gently lifting and cutting through the rice without crushing the grains.

   

4. Spread the rice in a shallow layer and fan it for about 10 minutes, until it is lukewarm and no longer giving off steam. Cover it with a clean, barely damp cloth while you finish preparing the filling. Do not cool it in the refrigerator for this assembly.

Prepare the filling

5. While the rice is soaking, trim the excess fat and loose juices from the pork. Cut it into thin strips or short shreds. Cut the ham and cheese into strips as well. The pork and ham must be cooked and cold before assembly; the cheese, pickles and mustard are used as indicated.

   

6. Cut the pickles lengthwise and pat them dry with paper towels. Divide the pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard into four equal portions, one for each roll.

Roll and cut

7. Place a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat, rough side up. Divide the rice into four parts. With slightly moistened fingers, spread one part over the seaweed in an even layer, leaving about 2 cm free at the far edge. Do not press the rice into a paste.

   

8. Draw a thin line with a quarter of the mustard across the lower third of the rice. Place on top, from one end to the other, a portion of each filling ingredient. Lift the mat and roll from the nearest edge, holding the filling in place. Press gently to shape the cylinder. Lightly moisten the free edge of the nori to seal it and leave the seam facing down for about 2 minutes. Repeat with the other three sheets.

   

9. With a very sharp, slightly moistened knife, cut each roll in half, each half in two, and each quarter in half again. You will get eight pieces per roll and 32 in total. Clean and moisten the knife between cuts. Serve right away, with the nori on the outside and the filling visible.