Crown Pork Roast
In my parents’ house, Christmas and Thanksgiving are holidays where turkey is required to the point of being enshrined. As though the Lord spoke down to Mary and Joseph in the manger and said “thou shall eat turkey”. But Easter; Easter is filled with possibilities. Some years we have a nice leg of lamb, other years we follow the traditional (and in my sister’s opinion only) option of honey-bee ham and scalloped potatoes. One of my favourite dishes was a stunning crown pork roast, filled in the center with kale and caramelized onion stuffing. But there are possibilities, there are a multitude of different (fights?) opinions…vocal opinions.
However you celebrate Easter, Passover, or just a nice Spring long weekend, may it be filled with delicious food and families that can (finally!) gather again. I have longed for the large family dinners to the point where I will even welcome the vocal disagreements. As my grandmother always said, its just “sweet confusion”.
For those of you looking for something different than the typical ham, here is our recipe for crown pork roast. It is essentially just pork rib chops nicely formed into a circle and tied up. But it looks so pretty! You can ask your butcher to french the cops for you and tie it together. You can attempt to do this yourself, and I have included directions in case the butcher has not prepared it for you. Need clearer instructions/video: Here is an article from Bon Appetit that takes you through it step by step.
Don’t forget to ask the butcher for the pretty paper hats. They really complete the look!
The size of the roast can vary somewhat based on the number you are serving. You really need at least 12-13 ribs in order to properly form a circle. It works best with 14-16. Plan on 2 ribs per person and you will have enough with leftovers.
Lastly- feel free to substitute the stuffing of your choice. A sausage, walnut, or apple stuffing would be delicious here.
Crown Pork Roast
1 Crown roast of pork, 12-16 chops (See Note above)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped, flat leaf parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Recipe- Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffing, or stuffing of your choice.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Place the pork roast on a work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut a third of the way through the meat between every two rib chops. (this will help the roast bend and stand upright). Using kitchen twine and a trussing needle, tie the ends of one rack to the ends of the second rack, being sure that the meat side of each rack faces outward. Tie a second piece of twine around the crown directly below the rib bones. Season with salt and pepper. [Alternatively, you can use a skewer to hold the ends together while you wrap the twine around the bottom of the roast, below the rib bones]
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, zest, garlic, parsley, and sage. Rub the herb mixture evenly over the meat. Transfer the roast to a flat rack placed in a large, heavy duty roasting pan. Fill the center of the roast with your already cooked and prepared stuffing. Note: not all of the stuffing will fit. Fill the center with as much stuffing as will comfortably fit, without overflowing.
Roast for 15 minutes, cover the top of the stuffing and tops of the rib bones with foil, and reduce the heat to 375. Continue roasting, rotating halfway through, for about 2 hours. About 30 minutes prior to doneness, remove the foil to brown the stuffing and create a crust. Roast until the meat is well browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 140-150 degrees F. Note: insert the thermometer into the meaty center of the crown, avoiding any bones.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes on the rack before transferring it to a serving platter. You can add the little booties before carving, because they are too adorable not to! Serve with the rest of the stuffing.