Crown Roast of Pork with Fennel and Lemon
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus at least 4½ hours’ marinating and roasting
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½teaspoons fennel seeds
- Rosemary leaves from 2 bushy sprigs
- 5garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- ¼cup sage leaves and tender sprigs
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1teaspoon fennel pollen (optional)
- 1tablespoon plus 1 pinch coarse kosher salt
- 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 18- to 9-pound crown roast of pork (10 to 12 ribs)
- 1teaspoon cracked black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
278 calories; 20 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 291 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In small skillet, toast fennel seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 2
Place toasted fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic, sage, lemon zest, fennel pollen (if using) and pinch of salt in blender. Run blender briefly to chop everything up, then add olive oil, and blend until mixture becomes a paste, scraping down sides occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Step 3
Wipe pork with paper towels, then season evenly with remaining tablespoon salt and the pepper. Smear herb paste all over meat, making sure to coat the middle and the crevices on the sides of the chops. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or longer in refrigerator. (Overnight is ideal.) If you’ve chilled the meat, bring to room temperature for at least an hour before roasting.
- Step 4
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place roast upside down (bones down) in large roasting pan. (You can use a rack to help steady it if you like.) Roast for 20 minutes, then turn heat down to 350 and continue roasting until meat registers 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1½ to 2 hours longer. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.
Private Notes
Comments
What a great idea, Melissa, and thank you so much. We made the crown roast for dinner guests tonight and it was the best pork crown I have ever tasted. So juicy and flavorful! I used the center tube section of a tube cake pan to hold the roast from tipping. When it was almost done, I took it off the tube and turned it bones side up and finished it under the broiler to brown that side too. Delicious!
I love this recipe! It is perfectly tasty & showstoppingly beautiful. It's going to be a holiday tradition at our house.
I dry aged the roast in the fridge for 2-3 days prior to cooking. This seems to seal in all the juices. I also added a smidge of Dijon to the rub (in hopes good "stick-to-itiveness"{it worked}).
This is a delicious, fun, & beautiful presentation holiday roast centerpiece! Can hardly wait til next time.
I used a 16 rib 12 lb. crown roast and assumed that the cooking time would be longer. However, after turning the oven down from 450, I only roasted it another 1.5 hours when the temp reached 145. The meat was super flavorful and juicy! Definitely be sure to check the temp often because I would’ve hated to see this overcooked.
This was a huge hit with the family! Also extremely easy. For a 6-rib roast I salted/peppered in advance for 24 hrs, marinated for 8 hours, and left it out for about an hour before roasting. I have a small oven so I rotated the roast half-way through cooking. Don't be married to the roasting time, as it will vary by the size of your roast. Go by temperature. I didn't have any (optional) fennel pollen, but this would be a very nice addition. Will definitely make again!
Delicious!!! Any ideas for leftovers? Still have a fair amt of pork left!
Is it OK to make the rub ahead of time? ( Then hold for about 4 days in the refrigerator?)
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