This sophisticated crown roast of pork recipe looks and tastes great and will feed a hungry crowd.
Ingredients
- 16-18 rib pork loin crown roast (see tip)
- Fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs to garnish
For the stuffing
- 35g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
- 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
- 200ml sweet cider
- 25g raisins
- 25g dried cranberries
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- Bunch of fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Loosely scrunch up some foil and place in the middle of the crown roast. Cover the exposed bones with more foil to prevent them from burning, but leave the meat uncovered. Roast for 1 hour, basting every 30 minutes.
- 2. Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and celery, then cook for 6-7 minutes until soft but not coloured. Stir in the rosemary, cook for 1 minute, then add the apples and toss together. Turn up the heat, then add the cider, raisins and cranberries. Bubble for 6 minutes until the liquid is reduced and the apples are tender. Remove from the heat, then add the breadcrumbs and parsley. Mix well, then season.
- 3. Remove the foil from the centre of the roast and fill with stuffing. Cover the stuffing with a sheet of foil and roast for 1 hour more. Remove the foil and roast for a further 30 minutes until the stuffing is browned and cooked through.
- 4. Leave the crown roast to rest on a warmed serving dish for at least 15 minutes, loosely covered with a sheet of foil. When ready to serve, garnish with a few fresh cranberries and a couple of rosemary sprigs, then bring the roast to the table so your guests can admire it. Carve off the pork chops by cutting between the bones, then serve with the stuffing.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 353kcals, 11.5g fat (4.9g saturated), 42.8g protein, 16.9g carbs, 6.9g sugar, 0.6g salt
Chef's tip
A crown roast is made from 2 racks of pork loin on the bone (a rack having 8 or 9 chops). These are taken from opposite sides of the carcass, then joined together to form a circle with the bones on the outside. The joint is then French trimmed (the meat is removed from the last 5cm or so of the bones) for a neat appearance. The pork is then roasted with a stuffing piled into the centre. A good butcher will prepare it for you but it’s best to order ahead.
Wine Recommendation
A light red will do, but a better match here would be something appley: either top-quality, dry cider, a Chenin Blanc white wine from South Africa, or a Loire Valley example such as Vouvray Sec.