Pork Crown Roast

Even though the best way to throw a dinner party is to keep things as easy as possible, that doesn’t mean you can’t have an impressive meal. A pork crown roast is an example of where easy doesn’t necessarily mean simple. 

Standing tall like a crown, this roast is an impressive choice for holidays and larger gatherings. It delivers juicy, tender pork chops for a crowd using our foolproof oven method of roasting the meat first at a higher temperature to achieve a golden crust, then finishing at a lower temperature to cook it evenly throughout. Round out the meal with a couple of sides like honey glazed carrots and get ready to wow your guests! 

A pork crown roast is a more elaborate version of a pork rib roast where two pork rib roasts are tied together to form a circular shape. Don’t worry — you can have your butcher tie and prepare the crown, so all you have to do is season and roast it. For a nice round crown shape, it’s best to do a full 12- to 16-inch pork chop crown roast to achieve the signature curve and shape. 

Call your butcher and place a special order about a week in advance. Butchers typically don’t have pork crown roast ready to buy, although it is easy for them to order and prepare it.

Request a crown roast that weighs a total of 8 to 10 pounds, and let them know that you want two 8 chop racks of pork tied into a crown. Ask the butcher to french the bones (leaving the top portions of the bones exposed), remove the chine bone (this will make it easier to slice into chops once it is done cooking), and to trim any excess fat.

• Season and let the pork come to room temperature before roasting. Remove the crown roast from the refrigerator and season it with salt and pepper and a flavorful rosemary, garlic, and orange paste at least 1 hour before roasting to help ensure the roast cooks evenly and the seasoning has time to penetrate the meat.  
• Start with a high-temperature oven sear. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the roast on a rack inside a roasting pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until golden-brown. 
• Finish roasting at a lower temperature until desired doneness. Turn the oven down to 350°F and finish roasting at a lower temperature until the meat is 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part not touching the bone, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. 
• Rest the pork after cooking, don’t slice into it right away. Letting the meat rest after it comes out of the oven allows the juices to redistribute throughout the cut. If you slice in right away, you will lose the extra juices to the cutting board and the meat won’t be as moist and tender. Remember also that the meat temperature will continue to go up slightly as the meat rests. 

Impress your guests by cutting this showstopper right at the table. To slice, arrange the crown roast on a work surface or platter. Take a sharp chef’s knife and slice the crown roast evenly between each bone to create individual pork chops. 

Pork crown roast pairs extremely well with almost any side. For a balanced meal, select one heavier dish like our fluffy mashed potatoes and then add a vegetable like roasted Parmesan asparagus or a kale and quinoa salad.