Crown Roast of Pork
with Apple and Pork Stuffing and Cider Gravy
Yield: 10 Servings
Bon Appétit, Dec 1998
I’ve made this a few times. A simply spectacular main-course. Ask the butcher to grind any pork trimmings to use in the stuffing (good luck with that). This uses a double rack of pork. You can’t bend a single rack into a crown. It also is usually so tight in the middle that stuffing only sits on top.
- For pork
- 18-lb crown roast of pork (12 ribs)
- 2TBS vegetable oil
- 1tsp salt
- 1tsp sugar
- 1tsp dried thyme
- ½tsp crumbled dried sage
- ½tsp ground black pepper
- Apple and Pork Stuffing (recipe follows)
- For gravy
- 1½cups canned beef broth
- 1cup apple cider
- 4tsp cornstarch
- 2TBS applejack brandy or brandy
Make pork:
Position pork atop 9- to 10-inch-diameter tart pan bottom. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Brush pork with oil.
Combine salt, sugar, thyme, sage and pepper in small bowl. Rub spice mixture over pork. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F.
Fill pork cavity with enough stuffing to mound in center. Cover tips of pork bones with foil. Roast pork 20 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting until thermometer inserted into center of pork meat registers 145°F, about 1 hour 50 minutes.
Remove foil from bones. Continue roasting until thermometer inserted into center of pork and stuffing registers 150°F, about 15 minutes longer. Carefully transfer roast atop tart pan bottom to platter.
Make gravy:
Add 1 cup broth to baking sheet and scrape up browned bits from bottom of baking sheet. Pour juices into 2-cup glass measuring cup; freeze 15 minutes. Spoon fat off top of pan juices.
Transfer pan juices to medium saucepan. Add remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and apple cider. Bring to boil.
Dissolve cornstarch into applejack in small bowl; whisk into broth mixture. Boil until gravy thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer gravy to sauce-boat.
Carve roast between bones to separate chops. Serve with stuffing and gravy.
Apple and Pork Stuffing
This recipe originally accompanied Crown Roast of Pork with Apple and Pork Stuffing and Cider Gravy. Part of the terrific stuffing is used to fill the crown roast of pork, and the rest is baked alongside. But if you are making the stuffing to go with other meats, simply bake all of it in a shallow baking dish until a meat thermometer registers 155°F.
- 2TBS vegetable oil
- 1¼cups chopped celery
- ⅓cup chopped shallots
- 1TBS minced garlic
- 2lb ground pork
- 1cup plain dry breadcrumbs
- 4oz dried apples, chopped
- 3large eggs, beaten to blend
- ⅓cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2tsp crumbled dried sage
- 2tsp salt
- ¾tsp ground black pepper
- ¼tsp ground allspice
- 1cup (about) canned beef broth
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add celery and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients except beef broth. Add enough broth to moisten stuffing.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Set aside enough stuffing to fill crown roast of pork cavity. Transfer remaining stuffing to 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover with foil. Bake stuffing in pan alongside roast during last 1 hour of cooking until thermometer inserted into center registers 155°F, about 1 hour.
Invert stuffing in pan onto platter. Slice stuffing and serve with roast.
Serve with:
| Vegetable | Starch |
| Green Beans | Stuffing obviously |
| Broccoli | Mashed Potatoes |
| Asparagus | Roast Potatoes |
| Mixed Salad | Noodles |