Tired of turkey for Thanksgiving?
Or tired of it being dry and a total letdown?
Then, give the bird the heave-ho and turn your attention to the pig instead.
Ham is too predictable. But a crown roast of pork? Now, that’s not only an unexpected pick, but a dramatic one to boot.
Now, imagine one from heavily marbled Kurobuta pork. Now, we’re really talking.
Recently, Snake River Farms sent me a sample of its crown roast to try. It’s the first one I’ve ever cooked. Now, I’m wondering: What took me so long to discover this show-stopping hunk of pork?
It’s a 10- to 12-bone pork rack arranged and tied in a circle, with its bones frenched and exposed.
You can fill the center of it with fruit or stuffing. But truth be told, the interior space is not very large. So, if you’re going to make stuffing, as I did, you’re better off cooking it separately in a pan. Then, before serving, transfer some of the stuffing to the center of the crown roast and arrange the rest around its perimeter.
All I did was salt and pepper the crown roast. That’s all it needs. My husband cooked it in his Big Green Egg, imparting a lovely smokiness rivaling almost that of bacon.
To serve, just remove the butcher’s twine that holds the roast together, then slice in between the bones to separate the chops, serving one per person.
The pork is blissfully juicy and naturally sweet. You need no other sauce or embellishment on it. There’s a luxurious little fat cap around the exterior of each chop. I know you’re thinking you should cut it off and discard it. But honestly, it’s just a little bit of fat and it tastes so profoundly porky that it would be a crime not to eat it. After all, the holidays are all about indulging. Think of this as your little gift to yourself.
The Kurobuta crown roast is $139. It ships frozen or partially frozen, so give it a few days in the fridge to thaw out; or place it in a cold water bath, changing the water about every 40 minutes until it is thawed.
Think your guests will be upset with no turkey? Not with this baby.
CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a Snake River Farms Kurobuta Crown Roast of Pork in time for the Thanksgiving table. Entries, open only to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Nov. 15. The winner will be announced Nov. 17.
How to win?
Tell me a favorite memory about pork. Best answer wins.
Here’s my own response:
“Pork was nothing ever so fancy as a crown roast when I was growing up. It was routinely on my family table, often in the stir-fries my Mom would make. Or of course, in the form of char siu (as in barbecued Chinese pork) that we’d buy at the Chinese market. But my favorite taste of pork that lingers to this day? It’s so old-school, so pedestrian and probably so out of favor now that I’m almost afraid to disclose it. It’s Shake ‘N Bake. On weekends, my Dad would buy bone-in pork chops, plop them in the plastic bag of seasoning, and shake, shake, shake so that I could almost hear the sound all the way in another room in the house. I’d listen for the sizzle of the chops cooking in the oven, all the while counting the minutes until they would be ready. Then, we’d sit down with knife and fork, and dig in. But the best part? Oh, that came after the knife did its work, and all that was left to do was to pick up that bone with your fingers. I’d gnaw on it, savoring all the little bits of crunchy bread crumbs that clung to it. Then, I’d hone in on the last morsel of fat hiding in a nook in the bone. You know which one I mean. I’d bite into it, as its oily goodness fairly squirted down my chin. It wasn’t lady-like at all. But at that moment, I didn’t care whatsoever.”
Coming Wednesday: Fig-Pistachio Stuffing For Thanksgiving