This crown roast is a show stopper for the holidays if you feel like a change from turkey. Ask your butcher to prepare, French and remove the chine bone so you can carve between them. This crown roast has to be assembled by your butcher you cannot find it in a supermarket ready to go. For a bolder flavour, marinate the pork roast with the herb blend overnight. You can also add your favourite stuffing to the middle. To prevent glaze from burning follow this recipe and don’t brush it on at the beginning.
One 14- 16 rib pork loin crown roast, on the bone, frenched
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (50 ml)
Fresh chilli- optional
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
3 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (45 ml)
¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary (50 ml)
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup fresh pomegranate juice (80 ml)
¼ cup pear nectar (50 ml)
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a food chopper or processor blend the garlic, fennel seeds, sage and rosemary and pulse a few times to chop. Add the olive oil and cracked black pepper and pulse until smooth.
Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate and pear juices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside.
Massage the herb paste over the roast and into the incisions and let marinate for a few hours or up to a day. Season the pork generously with salt. Transfer onto a rack in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Cover the bones with a strip of foil to prevent them from burning. Pour a little water into the bottom of roasting pan. Roast pork at 375°F for 20 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325°F and continue to roast pork for 60 minutes longer. Brush the roast all around occasionally with the reduced glaze, and continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into centre of meat reaches 150°F about another 20 to 30 minutes. Roasting time will vary dramatically depending on many factors so make sure to use a thermometer and remove from oven when it reads 150°F. Transfer pork to a large plate. Cover loosely with foil and let stand before slicing, about 20 minutes. Present roast on platter with small pears and fresh herbs and spoon sautéed cabbage and apple recipe in the middle if desired. Slice pork between ribs. Serve.
