Classic Pork Crown Roast Recipes

THE ULTIMATE PORK CROWN ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set rack on the bottom third of the oven so the roast will fit completely inside.
• In a small mixing bowl or mortar and pestle, combine thyme, sage, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and mash to break up herbs and garlic. Add oil, about 1 cup, and combine with pestle.
• Take crown roast of pork and if your butcher hasn't already prepared it, clean the bones of meat with a boning knife (French them) and make a small cut into the meat in between each rib so you can wrap it into a circle easily; save the scraps. Rub the pork all over with the herb mixture. With the ribs on the outside, wrap the rack around onto itself so the ends meet and secure with kitchen twine so it holds its crown shape. *Cook's note: if you are doing this by yourself, using a skewer to help hold its shape while you wrap the kitchen twine around the roast.
• Place in a roasting pan. Add the scraps into the bottom of the pan alongside the roast. This will help add flavor to your sauce. Set aside to bring the pork to room temperature prior to cooking.
• Fill the cavity with Apple Pecan Stuffing.
• Cover the stuffing and the tips of the rib bones with foil then place the whole roast in the oven and bake for 2 hours and 20 minutes, an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should register 150 degrees F when done. About 30 to 45 minutes prior to doneness, remove the foil to brown the stuffing and create a crust. Remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes before cutting. Serve with Apple Pecan Stuffing and Gravy. Garnish with watercress, if desired.
• Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add olive oil, sage and thyme sprigs. As the oil heats up the herbs will crackle and fry, infusing the oil. Remove the sage and thyme and set aside on a paper towel to drain - these can be as a garnish, if desired. Add onions to the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes until caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onions from pan and add apples. Crush the pecans and add to the pan. Add more oil, if needed and season with salt and pepper. Gently saute until pecans are lightly toasted and apples are just cooked slightly - about 3 to 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl whisk together egg, cream, chicken stock, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add torn sourdough, caramelized onions, apples, pecans and chopped parsley. Using a wooden spoon, mix the stuffing until well combined.
• Place carrots, onion, celery, turnip, apple and garlic in a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse textured puree. Once roasting pan comes out of the oven (and meat is removed) set it over medium-high heat on the stove. Add a 2-count of olive oil then add vegetable puree. Sweat for 7 to 8 minutes until most of the moisture has cooked off, then dust with flour. Cook for 2 more minutes stirring well to incorporate all the flour with the fat in the pan. Add the apple liqueur and scrape the bottom of the pan. Gradually add chicken stock, stirring as you go to ensure there are no lumps. Bring to a simmer and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer then remove from heat and strain through a sieve - it's okay if some of the pulp goes through as this will naturally add body to the gravy.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix the light brown sugar, ground mustard, paprika, allspice, cayenne, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix all over the pork roast, including the inside of the crown.
• Add all the root vegetables and the onions to a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the thyme and the remaining teaspoon each salt and pepper. Toss until the vegetables are coated. Mix together the butter with the maple syrup in a small bowl. Set aside at room temperature while the roast cooks.
• Place the roast in the center of a baking sheet and arrange the vegetables all around it. Roast, rotating halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F, about 2 hours. Raise the heat to 425 degrees F.
• Add the white wine to the baking sheet, then baste the roast with the maple butter. Continue to roast for 15 minutes more. Remove the roast to a serving platter. Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the baking sheet with a slotted spoon and place them into and around the crown roast on the serving platter. Pour any drippings from the baking sheet into a small saucepan. Add the Dijon mustard and any remaining maple butter to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half and slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the roast and vegetables or keep on the side.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• For the pork: In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, sage and crushed red pepper with 1/2 cup olive oil. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and brush both sides with the olive oil herb paste.
• Stand the pork rack up and curl it around so that the two ends meet; be sure that the thick meaty part of the pork is on the inside. Secure the roast by tying it twice around the outside of the roast with twine.
• Place the pork in a large roasting pan fitted with a pizza pan tray and stuff the center of the pork with the Pear and Chestnut Stuffing. (There will be leftover stuffing. Place the leftover stuffing in a baking dish and cook for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.)
• For the pan sauce: Place the garlic and diced veggies around the pork. Add half the chicken stock, the wine and bay leaves to the pan. Sprinkle everything with salt.
• Cover the pork bones with aluminum foil to prevent the bones from burning. Place the pork in the oven. Roast until the pork is starting to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.
• Roast the pork for 2 1/2 more hours, basting the pork occasionally. Rotate the pork a couple of times during the cooking time. If the liquid level reduces, replace it with the remaining stock.
• When the pork is cooked to the proper doneness - an instant-read thermometer should read 140 to 145 degrees F - remove it from the oven. Carefully transfer the pork to a serving platter and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Bring the pan juices to a boil. Taste and re-season if needed. Blend the veggies if desired to create a smoother sauce. I also like to leave them in.
• To serve: Remove the twine. Scoop out the stuffing and cut the pork in between the bones to create chops. Top with pan sauce.
• Coat a wide, straight-sided pan with olive oil and add the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat and let the bacon get brown and crispy.
• Add the celery, onions and fennel and season with salt. Cook the veggies until they get soft and very aromatic, 8 to10 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Toss in the chestnuts, cranberries and pears, and stir to combine. Add the wine and let it reduce by half.
• Put the bread in a large mixing bowl and add the cooked veggie mixture to the bread. Stir to combine and douse the bread with half the stock. Use your hands to combine the bread, veggies and stock. Add more stock when/if needed to really saturate the bread. Season with salt and taste it to make sure it is delicious.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the parsley, oil, salt and pepper; rub over roast. Place on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan. Cover rib ends with pieces of foil. Bake at 350° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 160°. , Transfer roast to a serving platter. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Remove foil pieces. Garnish rib ends with foil or paper frills. Cut between ribs to serve.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH MUSHROOM DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place roast, rib ends up, in a shallow roasting pan; sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cover rib ends with foil. Bake, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours. , Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and celery; saute until tender. Stir in bread cubes, salt and pepper. Spoon around roast. Brush sides of roast with preserves. Bake until a thermometer inserted into meat between ribs reads 145°, 45-60 minutes. Remove foil; let meat stand 10 minutes before slicing., If desired, thread cranberries on a 20-in. string or thread. Transfer roast to a serving platter. Loop cranberry string in and out of rib ends. Slice between ribs to serve.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. On rack in shallow roasting pan, place pork with bone ends up. Wrap bone ends in foil to prevent excessive browning. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of pork and does not touch bone or rest in fat. Place small heatproof bowl or crumpled foil in crown to hold shape of roast evenly. Do not add water.
• Roast uncovered 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make Mushroom Stuffing. About 1 hour before pork is done, remove bowl and fill center of crown with stuffing. Cover stuffing with foil for first 30 minutes.
• Remove pork from oven when thermometer reads 150°F; cover with tent of foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 160°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F, and pork will be easier to carve.) Remove foil wrapping from bone ends. To serve, spoon stuffing into bowl and cut pork between ribs.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK

Steps:

• Combine thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle or a food processor, and pound or pulse to combine. Stream in olive oil and pound or pulse to make a paste.
• Rinse the pork, and dry it very well with paper towels. Massage the herb paste all over the meat, making sure to coat both the middle and the crevices between the ribs. Place the roast in a large roasting pan, and allow to marinate and come to room temperature, approximately an hour.
• Heat oven to 450. Roast the pork for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and roast approximately 1½ to 2 hours longer, or until the meat, measured between the bones, registers 145 on an instant-read thermometer. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH ONION AND BREAD-CRUMB STUFFING

Steps:

• Make stuffing:
• Cook onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in 3/4 stick butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Continue to cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are pale golden, about 10 minutes more. Add sage, marjoram, and pepper and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add vinegar and wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, then remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, cook bread crumbs and remaining teaspoon salt in remaining 3/4 stick butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Reserve 1 cup onion mixture, covered and chilled, for sauce. Transfer remaining mixture to a large bowl and stir in ground pork, celery, and crumbs.
• Cook roast and stuffing:
• Put 1 oven rack in lower third of oven and another on bottom of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir together sage, marjoram, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then rub over outside and bottom of roast. Put roast in a small flameproof roasting pan and mound 2 cups stuffing loosely in center, then add water to pan. Transfer remaining stuffing to a buttered 2-quart baking dish and chill until ready to bake.
• Roast pork in lower third of oven, covering stuffing and tips of ribs with a sheet of foil after about 30 minutes and adding more water if pan becomes dry, until thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat (do not touch bones) registers 155°F, 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours total.
• Bake remaining stuffing (next to or under roast, starting 30 minutes before roast is done), covered with foil, 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425°F (after removing roast from oven) and continue to bake stuffing, uncovered, until top is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes more.
• Transfer pork to a platter and let stand 30 minutes.
• Make sauce while pork stands:
• Transfer pan juices from roasting pan to a gravy separator or a glass measure and skim off fat. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine to pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add reserved onion mixture, broth, pan juices, and any juices on platter from roast and bring to a simmer. Restir cornstarch mixture and add to pan, whisking, then simmer 2 minutes. Add butter and swirl pan until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Carve pork and serve with stuffing and sauce.