As promised, I will be sharing some of the recipes we had in our Thanksgiving dinner.
Crown Roast of Pork was my alternative to Roast Turkey after I stumble upon it while doing my food shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. My initial plan was to roast a big chicken since I will be preparing dinner only for the four of us. I was just lucky that the meat section of the store had a prepared pork loin rack of pork (Frenched). I seldom see this kind of cut of meat. In fact, this is only the second time, after 8 years, for me to make this impressive dish. Usually you need to ask the butcher in advance to prepare this for you.
You may also want to check this out with Martha Stewart on How to Make Crown Roast.
I went with the Herb Stuffing and was happy to try the recipe from Real Simple magazine. My only regret was adding the celery. I thought I could sneak it in without anyone noticing it. Too bad, it seems that celery will never become a part of the vegetable list for my husband and kids. At any rate, I recommend this Herb Stuffing recipe. It is a nice pair for the Crown Roast of Pork.
Crown Roast of Pork
Ingredients for the roast:
1 7 to 8 lb of crown of pork or pork loin rack of pork (Frenched)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 head of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Ingredients for the gravy:
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken or beef broth
Pan drippings
salt and pepper to taste
Directions for the roast:
1. Mix together the ingredients. Rub all over the roast. Let roast sit at room temperature for an hour before roasting.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the crown roast in a shallow roasting pan.
3. Roast pork on middle rack of oven. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours total or cook until meat thermometer inserted deep into center of meat registers 150 degrees.
4. Remove pork from pan and reserve drippings.
5. Arrange crown roast on a serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes.
Directions for the gravy:
1. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and mix well until flour is cooked.
2. Gradually add broth while stirring constantly.
3. Pour in the pan drippings.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Continue stirring and cook until mixture is smooth and thick.
Blogging Mama’s Tip:
1. This recipe serves 8 to 10 servings. Leftover is still good the following day.
2. Let the crown roast rest for 20 minutes so it will retain its juices and will not make the meat dry.
3. To check if meat is cooked, meat thermometer should not touch the bones. If you don’t have meat thermometer, bake about 1 hour for every 2 lbs of pork.
4. Arrange crown roast on a serving platter with desired vegetables.
5. You can also fill the crown roast with stuffing, but I prefer to separate the stuffing for even cooking.
6. Use a wire whisk in making the gravy. Whisk constantly to avoid lumps.
Herb Stuffing (adapted from Real Simple)
Ingredients:
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 stalks celery, diced
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 baguettes, left on the counter overnight to dry and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)
Directions:
1. In a saucepan, bring the broth and mushrooms (if using) to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the oil or butter. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the celery and cook for 7 minutes. Add the parsley and dill.
3. Heat oven to 375° F. Place the bread in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture and the broth and mushrooms (if using) and combine. Transfer to a 9-inch square or 11-by-7-inch baking dish.
4. Bake the stuffing for 25 minutes. If you prefer a soft stuffing, cover the dish with foil while baking. If you prefer a crusty stuffing, bake uncovered. (You can cover and refrigerate the uncooked stuffing for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to the baking time.)
