Crown Roast of Pork

March 7th is the date to honor Crown Roast of Pork. It is also a great day to plan your Easter holiday meal. Pork is a traditional meat for many holidays including Easter. Sometimes you will find Crown Roast of Pork with cute little paper frills (chef hats) and you may think they are difficult to make. The truth is that they are not but there are few tips and tricks you may want to know. 

Make the butcher your best friend. They will be able to help you with many different dishes. They love to share both their wisdom and their skills with you. As always it is best to research exactly what you are looking for before heading to the butcher to ask. 

Order your crown roast early. Simply stop by the butcher and ask how much advance notice they require also inquire with the butcher what size they recommend. for number of guest you will have. Order your meat and plan your meal. That way it is done well ahead of time and you are prepared. 

WOAH!!!! Wait just a minute. I just realized you may not know what a crown roast of pork is. In that case we should start there

A crown roast of pork is made up of pork rib roast / rack of pork. It's formed by tying the rack into a circle with the ribs standing up. This is a step that your butcher may do for you. The crown roast is normally roasted but can also be barbecued. The butcher may french the roast for you but if not you will have to cut away from the end of each rib so that part of each bone is exposed. 

The national pork board advises that cooking the crown roast of pork following the guidelines set down by the US department of Agriculture. The guideline says to cook roasts to an internal temperature of 145 degrees then allow the meat to rest 3 to 10 minutes.  It is best to roast the meat in a shallow pan uncovered at 350 degrees for 12 minutes a pound The ends of the bone should be covered with strips of foil.

Brining is marinating meat in a salty liquid. This is usually water with other liquid ingredients such as cider added. Brining the meat helps to make the meat tender and infuses flavor as well. 

Basting is also another tradition way to season the roast before and periodically during roasting. There are several great basting recipes

Stuffing the center of the roast is one way that many use. The stuffing is may be used before cooking the roast or it may be cooked separately spooning the stuffing into the middle of the roast right before serving. I prefer the second way. After both are prepared stuffing the center of the roast and then reheating 

8- to 10-lb pork crown roast (about 16 to 18 ribs)

2

teaspoons salt

1

teaspoon pepper

Mushroom Stuffing

2/3

cup butter or margarine

2

medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

1

medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1

lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (6 cups)

8

cups unseasoned croutons

1

tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried sage, thyme or marjoram leaves

1

teaspoon poultry seasoning

1

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. On rack in shallow roasting pan, place pork with bone ends up. Wrap bone ends in foil to prevent excessive browning. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of pork and does not touch bone or rest in fat. Place small heatproof bowl or crumpled foil in crown to hold shape of roast evenly. Do not add water.

Roast uncovered 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make Mushroom Stuffing. About 1 hour before pork is done, remove bowl and fill center of crown with stuffing. Cover stuffing with foil for first 30 minutes.

Remove pork from oven when thermometer reads 150°F; cover with tent of foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 160°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F, and pork will be easier to carve.) Remove foil wrapping from bone ends. To serve, spoon stuffing into bowl and cut pork between ribs.

recipe source Pillsbury