Herbed Crown Pork Roast

Well WOW!!!  WE DID IT!!!  hahahaha When I was trying to come up with menu for Christmas dinner and I was reflecting on the "Christmas tastes" of my past and remembered that my Mom had made a pork crown roast one year....It looked fun so Ross and I decided to try it out!!!  It was SUPER yummy and actually not that hard to make at all!!!  (including the little crown frills!!!)  We made this with Apple Sausage Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Brussel Sprouts, and Rolls!!!

Ingredients

• 1 gallon Water
• 1 1/2 cups Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 10 large Cloves of Garlic, smashed with skins on
• 2 large Sweet Onions, quartered with skins on
• 5 Bay Leaves
• Handful each of Fresh Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

Crown Roast of Pork

• 10 lb Crown Roast of Pork (ordered from the butcher)
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt and 2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 tablespoons each of Fresh Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, chopped
• 

• Place an 8-9 pound crown roast of pork in a large 16-quart stockpot. Add 1 gallon of water, 1 1/2 cups Kosher salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 10 large cloves of garlic, 2 large quartered onions, 5 bay leaves, and a handful each of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. Swirl the water around until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
• Cover and place in refrigerator and let sit for 12 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven temperature to 325° F.
• Remove the roast from the brine and rinse a couple of times. Dry the roast with paper towels.
• Rub 2 tablespoons of olive oil both in the cavity and on the outside of the roast.
• Rub 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons each of fresh chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme on the inside and out.
• Fill the top portion of the cavity of the roast with Homemade Stuffing with Apples and Sausage (optional).
• Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan in the bottom third of your oven.
• Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140° F with an instant-read thermometer. If the bones begin to brown too much, cover the top of them with small squares of foil.
• Remove the roast from the oven and tent with foil. Let sit for 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise about 5-10°F. The finished temperature should be 145-150°F.
• Increase the oven temperature to 500° F.
• Once the roast has rested, remove the foil and place it back in the oven. Cook for an additional 10 minutes to get the roast nicely browned and crisp.
• Remove and let sit another 10 minutes before serving.
• ENJOY!

notes

• A typical 8-9 pound roast, what I have here in this recipe, will have anywhere from 12-18 ribs. You can usually count on one rib feeding one person, two if they’re really hungry,
• Brining is the key to a juicy and tender finished roast. It’s basically like a marinade that adds moisture and flavor into the meat.
• After brining, let the Crown Roast of Pork come to room temperature by sitting out on the countertop for about one hour. Taking the chill off ensures a more evenly cooked roast.
• Remove the roast when the internal temperature reaches 140°F. The temperature will continue to rise by about 5-10°. You’re looking for a finished temperature of 145° F.
• When using the thermometer, make sure and stick the probe into the thickest part of the roast which is in the center. Avoid sticking it near the bones on the outside of the roast.
• There is an old misconception that pork should never be pink. That’s no longer accurate. Pork can turn quickly into a dry and tough piece of meat if it is overcooked.  A little bit of pink actually delivers a moist, tender roast.
• The reasoning behind “resting” is to permit the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat fibers leaving a juicy and flavorful finished roast. If you immediately cut into it, all of those juices will run out onto the serving plate.