Crown Roast of Pork with Sausage and Apple Stuffing

By KrissyW330

I made this on the weekend for our annual Christmas potluck party and it was a HUGE hit! I brined it overnight in the fridge in: 6 cups of water, 6 cups of apple cider, 3/4 cup coarse salt and 1/2 brown sugar. I too doubled the stuffing but found that most of it didn't fit in the centre of the crown so I cooked most of it on the side (350 for 45 minutes). I made a large roast ( over 8 lbs) and there were no leftovers. It was delicious, a real winner!!

Ingredients

• For stuffing:
• 6 slices firm white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch squares
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery including some leaves
• 11/2 lb tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• For roast:
• 1 (9- to 11-lb) crown roast of pork, rib ends frenched
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 lb sliced bacon
• For gravy
• 1 cup apple cider
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons applejack brandy or brandy
• 1 1/2 cups canned beef broth

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Make stuffing:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread bread squares in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven until dry and lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Leave oven on (for roast) and cool bread.

Cook onion and celery in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in apples, sugar, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Reduce heat to low, then cook, covered, stirring, until apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in bread squares, parsley, and chives.

Make roast:
Set oven rack in lower third of oven. Sprinkle roast inside and out with salt and pepper and put in a large flameproof roasting pan. Mound stuffing in cavity. Wrap tips of rib bones with foil to prevent burning, then wrap meat below bones with overlapping bacon strips, securing them with wooden toothpicks.

Roast pork in middle of oven, covering stuffing loosely with foil after 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 155°F when inserted 2 inches into center of meat (do not touch bones), 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours total.

Transfer roast to a carving board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature of meat will rise to 160°F; meat will be slightly pink.)


Make gravy:
Add 1 cup broth to baking sheet and scrape up browned bits from bottom of baking sheet. Pour juices into 2-cup glass measuring cup; freeze 15 minutes. Spoon fat off top of pan juices. Transfer pan juices to medium saucepan. Add remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and apple cider. Bring to boil. Dissolve cornstarch into applejack in small bowl; whisk into broth mixture. Boil until gravy thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer gravy to sauceboat.

Carve roast between bones to separate chops. Serve with stuffing and gravy.

Remove all foil from roast and carve into chops by cutting between ribs.