Ingredient: fresh thyme leaves

HAPPY EASTER!

Turkey at Thanksgiving. Prime rib at Christmas. Brisket at Hanukkah. Ham at Easter. Candy at Halloween. Holiday food pairings make each separate celebration special—and something special we look forward to each year.  One reason ham became the meat of choice for Easter dinner is because it was available. Historically, pigs were slaughtered in fall and cured over the winter. They were ready to eat once spring arrived and the Lenten fast ended. Today ham is available year-round and while Brion loves pork chops, ham is definitely not a meat he enjoys. Enter the pork crown roast ….

With its skyward-reaching ribs, a regal crown roast makes a stunning Easter dinner centerpiece.

Charred sticks of bone jutting from a wreath of fork-tender meat make this main seem medieval – as well as fit for a king and queen. There’s just something about a crown roast that makes it look like it belongs in the center of a long table in the dining room of a drafty castle filled with tapestries and enormous fireplaces.

The presentation is solely for appearance. If you can roast a turkey, you can prepare a majestic crown roast of pork.

Marinate the roast overnight or season it simply with salt and pepper, then tuck it into the oven. The interior space of the crown is a perfect spot for stuffing, making a beautiful presentation. Set it on a bed of greens or herbs, tuck in a few cranberries & persimmon slices around the rim and there you have it! Carving a crown roast is no more effort than slicing straight down between the rib bones.

Crown roast of pork is made from the rib portion of the loin. The meatiest part of the ribs forms the stable base of the crown. Common fears with making any roast are overcooking and drying it out or cooking it unevenly. If you roast a crown roast in a low & slow oven, you can get the entire roast pretty much exactly at the proper temperature from edge to center.

To enjoy with our meal, I’ve added some spiced cranberries. Now this is not just your basic cranberry sauce. Brion came home with a spiced cranberry liqueur to try so I couldn’t resist putting some in the cranberries. Wow, what an upgrade!

The distillery it comes from is located in the heart of Barrhead, Alberta. ‘West of the 5th’ was started by brothers Nathan and Caleb on their family farm in 2018. The family grows over 10-acres of fresh fruits to be used as flavoring in their award-winning moonshines. In just four short years of operating the distillery, the brotherly band have brought home five provincial recognition awards for their spirits.

With that being said, let’s enjoy & appreciate our Easter meals as we anticipate spring & the coming of a new season.

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Print Recipe

Crown Roast of Pork

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Keyword

crown roast of pork

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Roast

• 4-5 kg (13 Ribs) pork crown roast Frenched & prepped by butcher or yourself if you prefer.

Overnight Marinade

• 2/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp sage leaves, packed, finely chopped
• 4 tsp salt I prefer Herbamare sea salt.
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Spiced Cranberries

• 1 cup Spiced Cranberry Liqueur
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 340 gm pkg fresh cranberries
• 1-2 cinnamon sticks (3" long)
• 1 tsp orange zest
• pinch of sea salt

Savory Stuffing

• 340 gm (about 8 cups) dry bread cubes
• 1/3 cup butter,
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 100 gm mushrooms, chopped
• 454 gm (about 3-4 medium) potatoes, cooked & mashed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/8 tsp dried summer savory
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Fingerling Potatoes

• 680 gm fingerling potatoes
• 3 Tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, garlic powder & onion powder

Baby Carrots

• 454 gm baby carrots
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Snow Peas

• 285 gm fresh snow peas
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp water
• salt & pepper to taste

Course Main Dish Cuisine American Keyword crown roast of pork Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Roast 4-5 kg (13 Ribs) pork crown roast Frenched & prepped by butcher or yourself if you prefer. Overnight Marinade 2/3 cup Dijon mustard 1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped 2 Tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped 2 Tbsp sage leaves, packed, finely chopped 4 tsp salt I prefer Herbamare sea salt. 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper Spiced Cranberries 1 cup Spiced Cranberry Liqueur 3/4 cup brown sugar 340 gm pkg fresh cranberries 1-2 cinnamon sticks (3" long) 1 tsp orange zest pinch of sea salt Savory Stuffing 340 gm (about 8 cups) dry bread cubes 1/3 cup butter, 3/4 cup onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 100 gm mushrooms, chopped 454 gm (about 3-4 medium) potatoes, cooked & mashed 2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves 3/4 tsp dried thyme 1 1/8 tsp dried summer savory 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Fingerling Potatoes 680 gm fingerling potatoes 3 Tbsp butter or olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3/4 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, garlic powder & onion powder Baby Carrots 454 gm baby carrots 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp honey 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves Snow Peas 285 gm fresh snow peas 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp water salt & pepper to taste

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Marinade

1. The night before roasting meat, combine all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread marinade generously over entire roast, including bottom & between rib bones. Place roast in a large dish, cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight.

Spiced Cranberries

1. In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower heat & cook until reduced & slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, take out cinnamon sticks & cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

   

Stuffing

1. Peel & cook potatoes, drain & mash. Set aside. Chop veggies. In a saucepan, melt butter & sauté veggies with herbs, salt & pepper. Remove from heat; combine with bread cubes, mashed potatoes & chicken broth. Add only enough chicken broth until it is moist but not mushy or falling apart. Mine usually takes the whole 2 cups. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cooking Crown Roast

1. Remove marinated roast from refrigerator & allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
2. Preheat oven to 250 F. Adjust oven rack to a lower position. Place the roast on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking pan. Transfer to oven & roast until internal temperature reaches 160 F , about 8 hours. Remove from oven.
3. Increase oven temperature to 350 F.
4. Fill the center of the crown with prepared stuffing, mounding it slightly. Return roast to oven & roast until both roast & stuffing are browned & crispy on the exterior, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, tent with foil, allow to rest for 15 minutes as it reaches the internal temperature of 165 F.
5. Remove strings & carve by slicing in between each rib & serve with pork gravy & spiced cranberries. If you have extra stuffing, bake for about 30 minutes in a buttered casserole dish for a future meal.

Roasting Veggies

1. While the crown roast is cooking, prepare veggies. Since you are using a 'low & slow' cooking temperature it will be necessary to stove top 'roast' the potatoes & carrots.

Fingerling Potatoes

1. Wash & place potatoes in a glass microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 8 minutes. Remove & allow to cool for a few minutes. Heat skillet to a medium heat & add butter. Sauté the potatoes & add seasonings to taste. Cook for about 6-8 minutes until the potatoes are softened & browned.

Baby Carrots

1. Steam carrots in microwave for a few minutes to partially cook them. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add baby carrots, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are browned in spots & tender crisp, 6-8 minutes. Add apple cider vinegar & honey to skillet. Cook, stirring often, until liquid is syrupy & carrots are evenly coated, about 1 minute. Remove from heat & sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Snow Peas

1. Rinse, drain & trim snow peas. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, about 2-3 minutes. Add the olive oil & trimmed pea pods. Move them around to coat in oil, let them sear for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid excessive browning. Add the minced garlic, stir again & let mixture become fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add the water & stir to move the snow peas around, Let the water evaporate & steam the pods, cooking them through, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Recipe Notes

• Depending on the amount of people you are serving the roast to, the amounts of veggies may need to be increased.
• Roasting at this low, slow temperature produces the most incredibly tender roast you could imagine. I always use this same theory when roasting baby back ribs & get super tender ribs as well.