Recipe

Roast Pork, Ripe Plantain and Sour Orange Mojo Uramaki

Name: Roast Pork, Ripe Plantain and Sour Orange Mojo Uramaki
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 160 min
Total time: 360 min
Ingredients: 500 g boneless pork shoulder, in one small piece; 50 ml sour orange juice; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 4 g salt; Black pepper to taste; 50 ml water for the baking dish; 300 g short-grain Japanese sushi rice; 375 ml water for cooking the rice; 45 ml unseasoned rice vinegar; 15 g sugar; 4 g fine salt; 4 whole sheets of nori seaweed; 100 g seedless cucumber, cut into strips; 1 large, firm ripe plantain, about 220 g peeled; 5 ml oil for roasting the plantain; 25 ml sour orange juice; 10 ml olive oil; 1 small clove garlic, very finely chopped; 1 pinch dried oregano; 1 pinch salt

Sushi rolls with rice on the outside, mojo-style roast pork and cucumber inside, and a topping of roasted ripe plantain. Cuban-Japanese fusion.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation50 min
Cooking2 h 40 min
Total time6 h
Servings4 rolls; 32 pieces for 4 servings
DifficultyMedium

Mojo-style roast pork and ripe plantains (maduros) come together in these fusion uramaki. The rice is on the outside of the nori, the meat and cucumber form the filling, and thin slices of roasted ripe plantain cover the roll.

The recipe explains how to prepare a small portion of pork from scratch. You can also use roast pork you already have, properly stored, following the alternative in the notes.

Method

Roast the pork

Mix the 50 ml of sour orange juice with the 3 cloves of garlic, the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Rub it over the pork shoulder, cover it and marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Place the meat and its marinade in a small baking dish with the 50 ml of water and cover tightly with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil. Roast for about 2 to 2½ hours, until completely cooked and easily shredded. If the dish dries out, add a little hot water.
Let the meat rest for 15 minutes. Remove the visible fat, shred finely and set aside about 260 g of cooked meat for the rolls. Drain its juices and keep the remainder separate. Refrigerate if you won't assemble soon.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Prepare the rice, plantain and mojo

While the roast finishes, wash the rice until the water runs almost clear. Drain it and put it in a pot with the 375 ml of water. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Cover, bring to a gentle boil, reduce to the lowest heat and cook for 12 to 14 minutes; turn off the heat and let it rest covered for 12 minutes. Adjust only the water if the manufacturer indicates a different absorption ratio for that rice.
Dissolve the 15 g of sugar and 4 g of salt in the vinegar over gentle heat. Spread the freshly cooked rice in a wide, shallow dish and mix in the dressing with cutting motions, without mashing. Let it become just lukewarm and cover it with a clean, slightly damp cloth.
When you take out the pork, raise the oven to 200 °C. Peel the plantain and cut it lengthwise into slices about 3 mm thick. Brush with the 5 ml of oil and roast on baking paper for 12 to 18 minutes, turning carefully if needed, until golden and tender but still holding their shape. Let them cool.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
For the mojo to serve on the side, heat the 10 ml of oil and cook the garlic briefly over low heat without browning it. Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly and add the 25 ml of sour orange juice, the oregano and the salt. This mojo is prepared separately and has not been in contact with raw meat.

Assemble the uramaki

Line a sushi mat with food-safe plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori on it and spread a quarter of the rice over the whole surface in a thin layer, with barely damp hands. Carefully flip it so the rice is underneath, on the mat, and the nori is on top.
Place a quarter of the drained pork and of the cucumber in a line near the closest edge. Roll with the help of the mat, holding the filling and pressing just enough to close. Do not let the plastic wrap end up inside the roll.
Spread a quarter of the ripe plantain slices over the outside of the roll, overlapping them slightly. Shape with the mat and remove the plastic wrap completely. Repeat with the other three rolls.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Cut each roll into 8 pieces with a sharp, clean, slightly damp knife. Serve the 32 pieces with the mojo in a small sauce dish; add only a few drops as you eat to keep the texture.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

Makes 4 rolls of 8 pieces each: 32 pieces for 4 servings. You will need an oven, a pot with a lid, a sushi mat and food-safe plastic wrap.

The approximate total time includes 2 hours of marinating and roasting the pork; some preparations are done in parallel. For a shortened version, use 260 g of already roasted pork directly, shredded and drained: skip the first group of ingredients and the roasting section. The rest of the preparation takes about 90 minutes.

If you don't have sour orange, replace its total of 75 ml with a mixture of 50 ml orange juice and 25 ml lime juice; use 50 ml for the pork and 25 ml for the mojo. This is a flavor alternative, not identical to the original fruit.

Keep the prepared meat refrigerated until shortly before assembly and serve the rolls freshly made. The rice goes on the outside and the nori on the inside; the plantain must be firm so the pieces can be cut.