So when my father decided that he wanted to make a pork crown roast for the benefit of any of our readers who actually might want to tackle it one day, I happily went along. Here’s the deal.
What Is a Pork Crown Roast?
A crown roast of pork is nothing more than a bunch of pork rib chops nicely formed into a circle and tied up by your butcher. The butcher does most of the hard work (which is why this roast must be specially ordered.) Yes, there is stuffing to be made, and your butcher should give you the little paper hats that go over the exposed rib bones for the final presentation. You need a minimum of 13 ribs to tie up, and that makes for a rather compacted roast. A better size is 18 to 20 ribs. The general guideline for planning is 2 ribs chops per person, though we, proud meat eaters, could barely finish one each, so it depends on the size of the ribs.
Use a Meat Thermometer
Because of the variability of the rib sizes and the overall shape of the roast, timing is a bit hard to gauge. You must use a meat thermometer. We recommend a Chef Alarm, or one like it, where the probe stays in the roast the whole time while the roast is cooking, and the read-out unit is outside of the oven.
To Stuff or Not to Stuff a Crown Roast
We are still having a debate as to whether it is better to cook the roast with the stuffing in or cook it separately. We think most people will want to cook it with at least some of the stuffing in the roast to absorb some of the meat juices as the roast cooks. Cooking the stuffing separately however will allow you to have more evenly roasted meat. Several sources went into the planning of this roast, The Good Cook series issue on pork (now long out of print, but sometimes available on eBay), Weber grill company, and Gourmet Magazine. For a roast like this, it’s impressive to cut it at the table in front of guests. However, if you’re concerned about cutting it in front of guests, present the fully cooked crown roast to guests to wow them, and then take it back to the kitchen to slice.
What to Serve With Crown Pork Roast
Baked Apples Sweet and Sour German Red Cabbage Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Charred Skillet Broccoli Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls
More Pork Roast Recipes to Make!
Cuban Style Pork Roast Braised, Stuffed Pork Shoulder Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Balsamic Honey Glaze Roast Pork With Cardamom Mushroom Sauce
Do not rely on cooking time to know when the roast is done. Cooking times vary depending on the size of the roast, how many ribs, your particular oven. Invest in a meat thermometer before attempting a roast like this.
2 tablespoons butter 4 cups cubed day-old bread (3/4-inch cubes) 8 ounces Italian sausage meat 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 2 cups peeled, cored, and chopped tart Granny Smith apples 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage (or 1/2 teaspoon dry) 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dry) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Do not stir, just let cook until lightly browned on one side, then flip the sausage over and brown on the other side. When lightly browned, use a slotted spoon to remove, set aside. Add the chopped apples and cook for a few minutes more. Whatever extra stuffing you have, place in a separate, buttered, oven proof pan. Cover the tips of the ribs with aluminum foil to prevent scorching of the bones. Add one cup water to the pan. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted deep into center of meat (do not touch bones, which are on the outside of the roast) registers 145°F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours total.
