A pork crown roast provides a stunning presentation, making it ideal for a special occasion or holiday dinner. Because of the size of the roast -- typically 8 to 10 lbs. -- you will need to have plenty of hungry guests. It consists of two racks of ribs that are frenched to help give it the appearance of a crown. Frenching a roast means that the meat on the ends of the ribs are removed for a more elegant look and to allow you to place paper frills on the ends of the ribs after cooking.
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. With large cuts of meat like a pork crown roast, beginning the cooking process with a hot oven and finishing with a slow oven gives it a delicious brown crust without drying out the meat.
Step 2
Mix about 2 to 4 tbsp. of olive oil or rendered bacon fat with your choice of seasonings, such as thyme, parsley and sage. Stir until the mixture has a paste-like consistency.
Step 3
Spread the mixture over the entire roast, inside and out. Season with salt and black pepper.
Step 4
Place the roast in a deep, heavy-duty roasting pan. FineCooking.com explains that a heavier pan is preferable when cooking roasts of this size and will prevent burning.
Step 5
Roast your pork for 15 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F.
Step 6
Continue roasting for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the roast. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. A crown roast is done when it reaches 155 to 160 degrees.
Step 7
Remove the roast from the oven and oven, and cover it loosely with foil as it finishes cooking.
Step 8
Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of white wine, brandy or dry vermouth to the pan to deglaze it, and scrape up the browned bits. Allow the liquid to simmer until half of it is left.
Step 9
Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken or beef broth to the pan. Allow the mixture to reduce to 3/4 cup.
Step 10
Mix 2 tbsp. cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. Add to the roasting pan, and allow the sauce to thicken. Add 1 tbsp. butter to the sauce and stir.
Tips and Warnings
- If rib ends brown too quickly, cover them with foil to prevent burning. You can stuff the inside of the crown roast with a bread stuffing.
Things You'll Need
- 2 to 4 tbsp. olive oil or rendered bacon fat
- Deep, heavy-duty roasting pan
- Aluminum foil
- 1/2 cup white wine, brandy or vermouth
- 1 1/2 cup of chicken or beef broth
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tbsp. butter
- Meat thermometer
References
- What's Cooking America: Linda's Culinary Dictionary - C
- Fine Cooking; How to French a Rack of Lamb; Jennifer Armentrout
- "Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition -- 2006"; I Rombauer, et al.; 2006
- Fine Cooking: Picking a Roasting Pan to Use All Year; Martha Holmberg
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