Crown roast, the fuddiest duddy of them all. And yet: delicious, easy, and so damn impressive in all that cylindrical massiveness. All you have to do is get your butcher to tie together two bone-in pork loins, then marinate it overnight and put it in the oven.

This recipe was featured as part of our story on The Last Kodachrome Christmas.

  • Yields: 12 to 14 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr, plus overnight marinating and 2 hrs roasting time 

Ingredients (22)

For the marinade:

  • 2/3 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • 2 tablespoons packed, finely chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (16-rib) pork crown roast (11 to 13 pounds)

For roasting:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 16 medium shallots, roots trimmed, peeled, and halved through the root
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Sausage-Currant Stuffing (optional), warmed

Instructions

For the marinade:

  1. The night before cooking, combine all marinade ingredients except the crown roast in a medium bowl. Rub the marinade all over the roast, including in between the pork chops. Place the roast on a baking sheet or in a large dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

For roasting:

  1. Let the pork sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450°F, arrange a rack in the lower third, and place a large roasting pan on the rack.
  2. Fill the center of the crown roast with a cushion of foil to keep the ribs from collapsing in. Cover the exposed tips of the ribs with foil so they don’t burn while roasting. When the oven is ready, remove the roasting pan and pour in 1/4 cup of the olive oil, spreading it around with a heatproof rubber spatula. Place the crown roast in the roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Pour the wine around the roast and add the bay leaf and rosemary sprig. Reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue roasting, basting with the pan juices and rotating the pan 180 degrees every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F in the thickest part of the roast (test in multiple places and be sure to avoid touching bones with the thermometer), about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. 50 minutes into the cooking time, toss the shallots with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the shallots to the roasting pan and stir to coat with the cooking juices.
  4. Transfer the crown roast to a cutting board or hot platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Remove and discard all of the foil. (If you choose, put paper frills on the rib bones.) Using a slotted spoon, place the shallots in a small bowl or on the platter around the roast.

For the sauce:

  1. Using a spoon, skim off the fat from the pan juices in the roasting pan and discard. Place the pan over two burners over medium-high heat and bring the pan juices to a boil. Add the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, and continue boiling until reduced by half. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium heatproof bowl; set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until it turns a peanut butter color, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour in the strained sauce, whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.
  3. If you choose, fill the center of the crown roast with the stuffing. To serve, remove the twine from the pork, cut it into chops, and serve with the shallots, stuffing, and sauce.