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Herbed Crown Roast of Pork
Let’s just say I’m a fan of the maximalist approach when it comes to gorgeous holiday pork preparations (most things, honestly), and this rack of pork CROWN ROAST is a prime example.
I will always look for ways to create recipes that cause your guests to audibly gasp in awe and amazement but also require the least amount of effort on your part: in this case, asking your butcher to build the crown roast for you by stitching together two rib racks, slathering it with an insanely flavorful concoction of all my favorite pork pals — horseradish, apricot jam, dijon mustard, crushed coriander, garlic, thyme, sage!!! — and then letting it roast to spectacular levels of juiciness while you make a pearled couscous with apple, raw and roasted fennel, and a sweet and tangy vinaigrette.
With your main and side complete at the same time, you, my friend, are free to get back to the important work of celebrating the season and accepting all the compliments.
Herbed Crown Roast of Pork
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Serves: 8 to 10
Ingredients
Rub:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apricot jam
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Crown Roast of Pork:
2 heads fennel, fronds removed and cut into 1 ½-inch wedges
4 to 5 shallots, halved if very large
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 (8 to 10-pound) crown roast of pork, tied (10 to 12 ribs)
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt, to taste
Salad (yields 7 cups):
1 cup Israeli couscous (try whole wheat if you’re looking for a nuttier flavor!)
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced and mashed into a paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Roasted vegetables from pork roast
1 head fennel, fronds removed and reserved for garnish
1 honeycrisp or granny smith tart apple
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 bunch parsley leaves, torn
1 bunch mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
•First prepare the rub, in a small bowl combine the thyme, sage, mustard, jam, horseradish, coriander seeds, garlic, and olive oil. Set aside.
•Place the wedges of fennel and the whole shallots in the bottom of a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place the crown roast on top of the vegetables and season generously with salt. Rub the herb mixture around the pork and place a small piece of foil on the tip of each pork bone so they don’t burn. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes (this allows for more even cooking and distribution of liquids during roasting). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
•When the pork is ready to roast, place into the oven and allow to cook for 30 minutes, then drizzle the wine over the vegetables and reduce the temperature to 375ºF and allow to roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until 145ºF on a meat thermometer. Add additional drizzles of wine if necessary to prevent the vegetables from burning. The vegetables should caramelize and become tender on the bottom of the pan.
•When finished roasting, remove the pork to a large cutting board to rest for 30 to 40 minutes then slice and serve with the Israeli salad. If the vegetables need additional time to caramelize after the roasting (this depends on how much liquid the pork released during cooking), you can drain some of the excess cooking liquid off of the vegetables and return them to the oven to roast for another 20 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so until more deeply caramelized and tender.
For the Israeli Salad:
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan add the couscous and allow to toast over medium-low heat until lightly golden, nutty, and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Once toasted, add the couscous and allow to boil for 9 to 10 minutes until al dente.
•Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, add the shallots, garlic, maple syrup, mustard, and white wine vinegar and whisk to combine. While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the couscous and place immediately into the dressing and toss to coat. Set aside, the couscous will begin to drink up the delicious flavor of the dressing.
•Meanwhile, roughly chop the roasted fennel and shallots from underneath the pork roast and add them into the large bowl. Thinly shave the fennel and apple on a mandolin and add to the large bowl as well. Add the almonds, parsley and mint. Toss everything together until well combined. Squirt lemon juice over to finish and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the fennel fronds as desired. Serve salad with the cut pork chops.
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