The Ultimate Pork Crown Roast Recipes

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 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.

CLASSIC PORK CROWN ROAST

Steps:

• Put the pork on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of pepper; set aside.
• Put the fennel, allspice, whole peppercorns and juniper berries in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until the fennel begins to turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the toasted spices to a blender, add the bay leaf and blend until coarsely ground. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt and process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute. Spread the paste over the pork, making sure to get it into all the nooks and crannies; use a spatula to scrape up all the paste from the blender. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put the pork on a rack set in a large roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees F, about another 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, sage, thyme, apples, onions and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large bowl until well coated. Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add half of the apple and onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onions are dark golden all over but the apples are still firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a single layer to cool, using a heatproof spatula to scrape all the remaining sugar from the skillet over the apples and onions. Repeat with the remaining apple and onion mixture.
• Return the skillet to high heat and add the wine. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add the cider and cook until thickened and glossy, about 8 minutes; you should have about 1/3 cup of glaze. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
• Once the pork reaches 135 degrees F, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and brush the pork all over with half the glaze. Return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze and continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F, about another 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 30 minutes. Serve with the apples and onions.