Crown roast of pork

I decided to retain the bozzy sauce so that the meat can be served with gravy

In my household, a party means at least a trial run of dishes that I plan to serve on D-day. This time, I decided to wow my guests with a crown roast of pork, though I have never done it before. A rack for crown roast needs to be pre-ordered and I am short on the patience department. Since waiting is not my forte, I went to Giant Hypermart, got myself the juiciest rack of 8 ribs, a smallish rack because hubby and I would have to grade it before making it a reality on the weekend.

I used a very sharp knife to clean up the tips (so as to cap with fancy aluminum foils or tulle) and free the membrane. With some planning, it was not as complex an operation as I feared.

There are many different recipes that go into the cavity of the crown and I was befuddled. The grand scheme of things is to cook the filling and crown in stages. To simplify matters, I chopped whatever I fancied. If nothing works, there is always butter and wine which makes most of a potential failure better.

This is a good recipe because it can be made in advance. I was planning to serve it like a true domestic diva, with the drama and all. A rack of pork ribs is relatively affordable and presented properly can wow even my hardest critic.

Verdict:

It made an impressive entry. In the end, there were only 2 ribs leftover which I promptly dispatched when the guests left.

For 6, about 3 ribs per person.

Ingredients:

Crown:

2 racks of pork, marinated with any of your favorite jam ( I used Lingonberry marmalade ) and dusted with cracked pepper.

Filling: (anything goes in here according to your fancy)

Some butter and olive oil for sauteing.

Pork bits or smoked bacon

2 cups of chopped parboiled purple sweet potato

1 cup of chestnuts, thick slices

2 apples, medium cubes

1 cup of white wine

1 dollop of lingonberry jam

Sea salt to season

Method:

Prepping the ribs:

Prepare a shallow baking dish, greased.

Truss the ribs with cotton strings to make a crown.

Slather crown with jam and wine.

Set the crown aside on the dish.

Assemble the filling:

In a frying pan, heat butter and some olive oil.

Fry meat until brown.

Saute chestnuts ,apples,potatoes with a dash of white wine.

Season with jam, pepper and salt.

As long as the pork is cooked, remove the cooked filling.

Transfer the filling into the cavity of the crown, including the sauce from the filling.

Foil the tips of ribs and the filling, like a shower cap

Baking:

160C, 2 hrs:

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Just before baking, pour a cup of water to the baking tray.

Bake at 160C for 2 hrs.

Remove the foils.

150C, 1 hr:

Bake at 150C for another 30 mins.

Meat should register 70C or more when removed before serving.

Rest 30 mins before carving.