Ingredients
- •709 ml (3 cups) fine fresh bread crumbs from a baguette or other crusty loaf
- •3.17 Kg (7 pounds) crown roast of pork (about 12 ribs)
- •3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) chopped fresh thyme
- •Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- •59 ml (¼ cup) finely diced salt pork
- •59 ml (¼ cup) finely chopped onion
- •59 ml (¼ cup) finely chopped celery
- •.34 kg (¾ pound) chicken-apple sausage, removed from casing
- •59 ml (¼ cup) finely chopped dried apples
- •59 ml (¼ cup) chopped pecans
- •9.8 ml (⅓ cup) dry sherry
- •355 ml (1½ cups) dry red wine
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) pomegranate molasses (available at specialty food stores), optional.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 163ºC (325ºF). Place the bread crumbs on a baking sheet and bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Rub the crown roast all over with one of the chopped garlic cloves and the thyme. Season to taste with salt andpepper. Place the pork, rib ends down, in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour.
While the pork is roasting, prepare the stuffing: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the salt pork, and toss until sizzling. Reduce heat to medium and saute until the pork has rendered its fat and is well browned. Add the onion and celery, and saute until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage and garlic, and stir to break up the sausage into small pieces. When the sausage is well browned, transfer the mixture to the bowl of bread crumbs. Add the dried apples, pecans, sherry, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
When the pork has roasted for 1 hour, remove from the oven and turn the roast over so the rib ends are up. Lightly pack the stuffing into the center cavity and around the bottom edge of the roast. Cover the center stuffing with foil, and use a long strip of foil to cover the stuffing at the bottom. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the meat is 71ºC (160ºF), about 1 more hour, removing the foil about 15 minutes before the roast is done.
Transfer roast to a serving platter, and spoon the stuffing from the pan into a serving dish. Cover and keep warm. Place the roasting pan over medium heat, and add the wine and pomegranate molasses. Bring to a boil and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture is reduced by about one-third. Strain into a gravy boat or small pitcher. To serve, carve the roast between the ribs, including some of the stuffing. Drizzle each serving with a little of the wine sauce. Pass additional stuffing and sauce separately.