Crown Roast Of Pork With Lady Apples And Shallots 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 LADY APPLES AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Lay racks of pork flat on work surface, meaty side down (the inside of the ribs should be facing up). Use a knife to make 3 vertical 3"-long slits (about 1" deep) into the loins of each rack, 1 slit between every 2 ribs. Place each rack of pork into a 1-gal. resealable plastic bag and chill.
• Heat brown sugar, salt, and 4 cups water in a large saucepan over medium, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar and 4 cups ice water. Chill brine until cold, about 1 hour.
• Divide brine between bags with pork and seal, squeezing out excess air; chill pork 8-24 hours.
• Remove pork from bags and pat dry. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; let sit 2 hours to bring to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix garlic, chopped thyme, mustard seeds, pepper, 1/4 cup mustard, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl. Smear all over pork, working into slits; tuck thyme sprigs into slits. Upend both racks so they're parallel to one another with bones facing up and slits facing out. Curve racks toward each other so they meet at both ends to form a crown (call a friend to help with this part). Holding pork in place, encircle racks with string and tie securely in 2 places: around rib bones and around thickest part of loin. If desired, wrap tops of bones individually with foil to keep them from burning.
• Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook bacon, stirring often, until fat is rendered and edges are crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a roasting pan with a slotted spoon.
• Working in 2-3 batches, add apples, cut side down, and shallots to same skillet and cook over medium-high heat (undisturbed) until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer apples to roasting pan; turn shallots and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer to roasting pan.
• Remove skillet from heat and carefully add cider, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Pour liquid into roasting pan and place pork in the center, pushing apples and shallots to the edges; reserve skillet. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of loin registers 135°F, 1 3/4-2 1/4 hours.
• Remove roast from oven and transfer apples and shallots to a platter; tent with foil. Increase oven temperature to 500°F. Transfer pork to a cutting board and pour pan juices into reserved skillet. Return pork to roasting pan; roast until browned and crisp all over, 5-10 minutes. Transfer roast back to cutting board and let rest 30-45 minutes before cutting into chops.
• Just before serving, whisk remaining 2 Tbsp. mustard into pan juices in skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, whisking often, until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, 7-10 minutes.
• Transfer pork chops to platter with apples and shallots; spoon sauce over.