Crown Roast

Yield: 7 – 14 servings

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Brine:

8 cups water, divided

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup Morton salt

1/4 cup raw and unfiltered cider vinegar

10 black peppercorns

6 whole cloves

 

10 pound pork rib roast (between 12 and 14 ribs) or 2 pork loin rib racks (see below)

1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Apple and Chestnut Stuffing:

4 cups country French bread with an airy texture, remove crust and cut in 1/2” cubes. Do not used a densely textured French bread

2 cups apple cider

4 cups peeled, cored, and chopped tart, hard apple

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 ½ cups chopped dried cranberries

4 1/3 cup chopped roasted chestnuts

4 teaspoons butter

2 1/2 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger

 

 

Garnishes:

Mature kale, spinach leaves

Anise springs

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

 

 

Steps:

1. If a prepared crown roast is not available, take 2 – 6-7 rib, pork loin racks cut from the center section of the ribs (preferably of the same hog so that the pork chops will be relatively the same size).
2. Lay the rack on a cutting board with the ribs facing up.
3. Cut a 3” slit down from the top of each rib. French (remove the meat from the bones down to the bottom of the slit) the bones.  Save the scraps for another recipe.
4. Make a small cut into the meat between each rib so that the meat can be formed into a circle.
5. Form each rib rack into a semi-circle with the ribs on the outside and the meat on the inside.
6. Place ends together to form the crown.
7. Secure the ends together with skewers and tie 3 lengths of kitchen twine, long enough to easily allow for tying around the exterior crown, about 1 inch apart.
8. Remove skewers.
9. Prepare the brine by combining 4 cups water, brown sugar and salt in a saucepan.
10. Heat over medium-heat and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
11. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
12. Add peppercorns, cloves and vinegar.
13. Place roast in a tall stainless steel stockpot or ceramic pot large enough to just hold the roast.
14. Add cooled brine and enough of the remaining 4 cups of water to cover the meat.
15. Place in icebox for 24 hours.
16. Remove roast from icebox 2 hours before the time that roasting will occur to allow the roast to come to room temperature.
17. Remove the roast for the brine and place in a dish large enough for the roast to shed any brine that may be remaining on the meat.
18. Occasionally check the roast and pour off any brine that has gathered in the bottom of the dish.
19. Discard all of the brine.
20. At the end of the two hours, place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven so that the roast will not be too close to the heat source or top of oven.
21. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
22. Generously season the roast with the freshly ground black pepper. 
23. Cover the exposed bones of the crown rib with tin foil and place the roast in a large roasting pan.
24. Place roast in the center of the oven
25. While the roast is in the oven, make the stuffing.
26. Combine the bread cubes and apple cider in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine. Allow bread to completely absorb the apple cider.
27. Place a small frying pan over medium heat. Melt butter in the small frying pan.
28. When the butter starts to bubble, but not brown, add shallots. Saute the shallots until soft, stirring often.
29. Add the apples, pistachios, raisins, sauted shallots, honey, lemon zest, ginger, and nutmeg to the soaked bread.
30. Toss to mix.
31. Reserve stuffing.
32. When the roast reaches an internal temperature of 120° F. place a dome of stuffing in the cavity of the roast.
33. Return roast to oven.
34. Any remaining stuffing can be placed in an appropriately sized ovenproof buttered casserole and placed in the oven.
35. After ½ an hour, check stuffing. If browned, cover lightly with tin foil.
36. When the roast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (anywhere from 2 – 2 ¾ hours) when inserted 2 inches into the center of roast (from the side, not the top, and make sure that it is not touching any bones), remove the roast from the oven.
37. Tent the entire roast loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.
38. The internal temperature should rise while resting to 165 – 170°F. The meat on the inside of the roast will be slightly pink.
39. Prepare platter with desired greens. When rested, place roast on the platter and garnish with pomegranate seeds.
40. Serve.