Not many meals compete with the elegant presentation of a pork crown roast, which makes this sumptuous dish perfect to celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries – any special occasion. And because pork goes so well with apples, the recipe that follows combines both for a memorable dining experience.
Pork crown roast comes in several sizes, depending on how many ribs are present on the loin section of the pork carcass. For a gathering of eight or nine people, a 10-lb., 15-rib roast makes a generous meal and topping the ribs with the frilly paper coverings available at cooking and kitchen shops adds the perfect celebratory touch.
Preparing pork crown roast takes a day or two of advanced planning, mainly because of most butchers’ busy schedules. Forming the roast (bending, shaping, and trimming the ribs) takes skill and time, so give your butcher several days’ notice at the time of purchase.
Once you get the pork crown roast home, prepare it using the following recipe for an unforgettable meal your loved ones will remember forever:
10 lb. Pork crown roast
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups orange marmalade
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 pound (about 4) medium cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
Use pastry brush to apply vinegar to all surfaces of pork crown roast. Mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and rub onto roast thoroughly. Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cook over low coals with grill cover closed and vents slightly open for two to three hours, checking every 30 minutes to avoid flame-ups. Mix together orange marmalade and brown sugar in a one-quart saucepan and heat over low flame for two to three minutes.
Insert apple slices into cavity of roast and drizzle with marmalade/brown sugar glaze, then brush glaze over rest of roast. Cook about a half-hour longer or until ribs feel loose to your touch when moved. Allow roast to stand for about 15 minutes before carving it. Surround pork crown roast with apples that have been sautéed in a skillet with some of the glaze and top ribs with frilled paper caps. Serve with baked sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, and freshly baked rolls.