Ingredients for Crown Roast
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- Leaves of 4 sprigs of fresh sage
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (8-to-10-pound) rib roast of pork, tied into a crown by your butcher
Ingredients for Cranberry Relish
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup Pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh clementine, or mandarin, or tangerine juice
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
- Zest of 4 medium mandarin oranges or 1 orange
- 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries sliced
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 medium jalapeño ends trimmed, seeded, and small dice
- 1/2 medium red onion small dice
Servings: 16 to 20 pork chops
Total Time: 4 hours
Directions for Crown Roast
1. Place herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in a small a food processor and pulse to combine. Pour in the olive oil while pulsing until you have an herb past. Rub the herb paste all over the meat, making sure to coat all surfaces except any exposed bone. Let the roast sit at room temperature until the oven is heated (no more than 1 hour total).
2. Heat oven to 250°F and adjust oven rack to center position and place crown roast on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the roast to the oven and cook until internal temperature is 140°F, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Remove the roast from oven and tent with foil for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 500°F. Remove tented foil, return roast to oven, and cook until crisp and browned on the exterior, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, tent with foil, allow to rest for 15 minutes, then carve by slicing in between each rib and serve.
Directions for Relish
1. Bring wine and maple syrup to a boil in a wide shallow pan and reduce by two thirds until mixture is syrupy, about 15 minutes. Add the orange juice and boil another 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon, orange peel, and cranberries and cook just two more minutes then immediately remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl and place in the refrigerator.
2. Chill mixture until cranberries are cool, at least 1 hour. Before serving stir in red onion and jalapeno, taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.
3. Trim crown roast and serve one to two chops per person with a few spoonfuls of the cranberry relish and a drizzle of the cranberry relish juices.