Crown Roast pork
Impress your family and friends at your next holiday feast with this stunning crown roast of pork. Marinated overnight with a fragrant blend of spices—including fennel, juniper, bay, and allspice—this roast is tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The sweet and tangy glazed apples and onions provide the perfect balance to the savory pork.
Ingredients
1 crown roast of pork (16 to 18 bones, about 10 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon juniper berries
1 small bay leaf
ÂĽ cup olive oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
2 large red onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups apple cider
Instructions
Place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet and season generously with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
Toast the fennel seeds, allspice, peppercorns, and juniper berries in a small skillet over medium heat until the fennel is lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the toasted spices and the bay leaf to a blender and pulse until coarsely ground.
Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt to the blender and process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute.
Spread the spice paste evenly over the pork, making sure to get into every nook and cranny. Use a spatula to scrape all paste from the blender. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
Place the pork on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 135°F (57°C), about 1½ hours.
While the pork roasts, combine the sugar, sage, thyme, apples, onions, and 6 tablespoons melted butter in a large bowl, tossing to coat.
Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes.
Add half of the apple and onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onions are dark golden but still firm, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer to cool, scraping any remaining sugar from the skillet over the mixture.
Repeat with the remaining apples and onions.
Return the skillet to high heat, add the white wine, and cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes.
Add the apple cider and cook until thick and glossy, about 8 minutes, until you have roughly â…“ cup of glaze.
Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and set aside.
Once the pork reaches 135°F, increase the oven temperature back to 450°F (230°C).
Brush the roast all over with half the glaze and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Brush with the remaining glaze and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C), about another 5 minutes.
Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
Serve the crown roast with the glazed apples and onions.
- Pro Tip
For the juiciest pork, use an instant-read thermometer and avoid opening the oven door too often. Also, resting the roast after cooking allows the juices to redistribute for tender, flavorful slices. Don’t skip the glaze — it adds a beautiful caramelized finish and balances savory pork with sweet and tangy notes.
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