CUBAN CIGAR
Serves 6, with extras
One day we were incredibly busy—we were filming a TV show and had at least 800 things happening at once, when Chef Richie Farina suddenly said, “Hey, I want to make a Cuban pork sandwich into a Cuban cigar.” The idea was the most genius replication I had ever heard of. Succulent smoked pork shoulder is wrapped in a pressed bolillo bun and deep-fried to a crisp. Then we roll it in braised collard greens and dip the end in a roasted red pepper puree. An edible cigar label is wrapped around the “cigar” and we dip the glowing red end of the cigar in ground sesame seeds to simulate ash at the tip. To top the thing off, we serve it in a clean ashtray. You can take this dish to the next level by placing a small amount of liquid nitrogen in the “ash.” It will create the illusion of a real, smoking, Cuban cigar.
PORK SHOULDER:
2000 grams water
200 grams salt
200 grams sugar
100 grams black peppercorns
100 grams coriander seeds
2000 grams ice cubes
1360 grams (3 pounds) pork shoulder
Canola oil
CUBAN BOLILLO BREAD:
100 grams water
15 grams honey
30 grams unsalted butter
3 grams active dry yeast
200 grams high gluten bread flour
150 grams wheat flour
2.5 grams salt
SOFRITO:
25 grams coriander seeds
25 grams cumin seeds
25 grams black peppercorns
PORK FILLING:
Reserved Pork Shoulder
Salt for seasoning
100 grams balsamic vinegar
50 grams pickles, diced
50 grams Sofrito
COLLARD GREENS:
1 bunch collard greens
200 grams water
50 grams balsamic vinegar
10 grams salt
15 grams Sofrito
RED PEPPER SAUCE:
3 red bell peppers
20 grams balsamic vinegar
5 grams salt
ASH:
50 grams white sesame seeds
50 grams black sesame seeds
50 grams tapioca maltodextrin (see Sources, here)
TO FINISH:
Canola oil for frying
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Hot smoker
Butane torch (optional)
Edible paper for printing (see Sources, here; optional)
Printer and ink for edible printing (see Sources, here; optional)
6 clean ashtrays for the “cigars”
Liquid nitrogen (optional)
Insulated cooler or dewar (optional)
PORK SHOULDER:
Combine the water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a large saucepot set over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Put the ice in a large container and pour the hot brine over the ice. Once all the ice has melted and the brine is cool, add the pork shoulder. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days
Rinse off the pork shoulder to remove any spices, pat dry, and put it in a large saucepot. Add enough canola oil to the pot to completely cover the shoulder. Smoke the meat at 225°F for 12 hours, until tender. Remove the pork from the smoker, cool to room temperature, and pull the pork. Reserve.
CUBAN BOLILLO BREAD:
Put the water, honey, and butter in a saucepot set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm, about 15 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and add the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the bread flour, wheat flour, and salt and mix with the paddle attachment until the mixture comes together as a smooth dough. Change to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed.
Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about an hour. Slide your fingers around the edges of the dough to deflate it, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into logs approximately 6 inches long. Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Once the rolls are cooled, use a serrated knife to pare away the crust from 6 rolls, and then use a rolling pin to flatten the bread. Stack them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and reserve to make the cigars.
SOFRITO:
Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a spice grinder, then transfer to a small bowl. Reserve to use in the Pork Filling and Braised Collard Greens.
PORK FILLING:
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put the reserved pulled Pork Shoulder in a mixing bowl and season with salt to taste. Add the balsamic vinegar, pickles, and 50 grams of the Sofrito, and mix well. Weigh out six 30-gram portions and roll them into logs that are about the same size as the flattened pieces of Cuban Bolillo Bread, then place them on a tray lined with parchment. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to build cigars. Reserve any extra pork for another use, like sandwiches made with the extra Cuban rolls.
COLLARD GREENS:
Put the collard greens on a cutting board and use a paring knife to remove the stems. Put the collard leaves in a colander and rinse under cold water. Put the water, balsamic vinegar, salt, and 15 grams of the Sofrito in a medium saucepot large enough to hold all of the greens, set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the collard leaves, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, until the leaves are tender and pliable, and then remove from the heat. Strain the collards and reserve the cooking liquid. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the collard leaves out on the tray; you can stack them on top of each other as
long as you keep them flat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cigars.
RED PEPPER SAUCE:
Char the peppers on all sides. You can do this on a grill or set a wire rack on a sheet pan and use a butane torch to char the skins, rotating the peppers on the rack with a pair of tongs. Transfer the peppers to a mixing bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap so the peppers steam in their own heat for 10 minutes to loosen the skins.
Rinse the peppers under cold running water, peeling off the skins and discarding them. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds. Put the red peppers in a blender with the vinegar and salt. Puree on high for 1 minute and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the Red Pepper Sauce until ready to plate.
ASH:
Put the sesame seeds in a medium sauté pan set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Put the sesame seeds and tapioca maltodextrin in a food processor. Grind until it resembles ash, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl every 30 seconds as you do this. Reserve the Ash in an airtight container until ready to assemble.
TO FINISH:
Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil on the stove to 325°F.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
About 30 minutes before you plan to make the cigars, set the tray of Collard Greens on the counter to come to room temperature.
To make the cigars, lay 1 piece of rolled Cuban Bolillo Bread on a cutting board. Place 1 log of Pork Filling on the bottom third of the bread and roll it up tightly to look like a cigar. Repeat with the 5 remaining pieces of bread to make 6 “cigars.” Line a sheet pan with paper towels. Fry the cigars for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown and hot. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Lay 1 collard leaf on a cutting board and set a hot “cigar” on the bottom third of the leaf. Roll it up so the cigar looks like it’s been rolled in tobacco leaves, using a second leaf if needed to cover the cigar completely. Repeat until you have filled and rolled all of the cigars. Bake the finished cigars for 2 to 5 minutes, until thoroughly warm on the outside. Place 15 grams of Ash in each of 6 clean ashtrays. Dip a “cigar” in the Red Pepper Sauce, so that it looks like a lit cigar, and rest it in the ashtray. Repeat with the 5 remaining “cigars.” As an added optional touch, you can print out cigar labels on edible paper and wrap them around each “cigar,” or dab liquid nitrogen into the pile of ash to make smoke. Serve immediately.
