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Crown Roast of Pork


A crown roast gets it's unique look when you tie a rack of pork rib chops into a circle with the meat facing the inside. If you cannot find one in the fresh meat section, you can ask the butcher to tie one for you. He will most likely want to know how many ribs you need. I would choose one rib per person plus a few extra. The tips of the ribs facing the top get trimmed to create the crown and when it is tied up, the top of the center will be hollow, ready to fill with stuffing. It looks beautiful on a platter and is definitely for a time you want to splurge and spoil some people in your life. I got the gist of this recipe from Good Housekeeping, December 2013. Our family loved the lemon and rosemary rub along with the fruit in the stuffing.

Ingredients:

for roast:
  • 7 - 8 lbs crown loin of pork ( about 10 ribs)
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves stripped from stem
  • 1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
  • 2  tsp salt 
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
for stuffing:
  • 8 cups cubed bread, slightly toasted or left to dry for a day 
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 8 slices ready cooked bacon, chopped
  • 2 pears, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves stripped from stem
  • 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup broth (or apple juice)

Method:
  1. Mix/rub together seasonings/spices for roast until well combined and then rub all over the roast. Place on plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4 - 24 hours.
  2. About three and a half hours before dinner, preheat oven to 400 F and place pork in roaster (sprayed with oil), roasting 45 minutes uncovered. 
  3. Meanwhile, in large skillet, melt butter and cook onion and celery until soft, add garlic, pre-cooked bacon, pears, cherries (or cranberries) and spices and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 
  4. Transfer to large bowl, adding bread cubes, toss gently and add juice or broth a little at a time until moist but not soaked. Set aside.
  5. After pork has roasted for 45 minutes, remove from oven and fill cavity with as much stuffing as fits, mounding slightly. Put leftover stuffing in a buttered dish or wrapped in foil, to cook alongside the roast later.
  6. Turn oven temperature down to 325 F and continue roasting for about one and a half to two hours, until meat thermometer reads 155 F when inserted in several places. 
  7. In the last half hour of roasting, put the left over stuffing to bake alongside the roaster, During this time, cover the top of the roast and tips with foil to prevent over browning.
  8. When the roast is ready, remove from oven, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes during which time you can tie up the rest of the meal. Garnish roast on platter with cranberries, pear slices and sprigs of rosemary. Carve at the table. (Cut string and cut between each rib to serve.)
NOTE - It is valuable to have a meat thermometer on hand for assessing if the meat is cooked to perfection. After all the work and expense of this beautiful meal you do not want to slice into an under cooked or over cooked roast because of a wrong guess. Plan on about 20 minutes of cooking time per pound.

6 comments:

  1. This looks amazing ... I will have to try this very soon

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  2. Oh Anneliese - that is a work of art!!! I am bookmarking this and must try it soon. Thanks for sharing this.

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  3. I really enjoy reading your blog, it's always so interesting every article you post! Thanks for sharing it!

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  4. I love the addition of rosemary to the stuffing. I'll have to try that the next time I do a crown roast. For those who haven't done this before, do try it - it is an easy dish to prepare and always draws raves.

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  5. I have purchased a crown roast to prepare for my family for our early Christmas on Dec 20. Your recipe is very timely as this if the first time I will be making one and I have been looking at different recipes in hopes of preparing correct. Thanks! Bernice J

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  6. I had already planned a crown roast for Christmas. Maybe I will try this recipe. Yum

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