March 7th is National Crown Roast Of Pork Day. If you love pork roasts, consider a crown roast of pork for a special occasion.

What is a crown roast of pork?

Cut from the rib portion of the loin, a crown roast—whether lamb, pork, or veal—is one of the most impressive special-occasion entrées.

The “crown” is made from two rib racks that are bent into a circle and then tied together with kitchen twine. A butcher can do this and present you with a handsome circle of ribs, ready to cook (photo #4).

A pork rib roast is a smaller, simpler version of a pork crown roast, just one of the rib racks.

A delicious crown roast recipe follows.

This classic recipe is a crowd-pleaser. It’s from Betty Claycomb of Alverton, Pennsylvania, for Taste Of Home.

Says Betty: “It looks so elegant that everyone thinks I spent a lot of time on this roast. But it’s actually so easy!

“The biggest challenge is to remember to order the crown roast from the butcher ahead of time.”

> Check out the other cuts of pork.
 
 
RECIPE: CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH MUSHROOM DRESSING

Ingredients

 
For The Mushroom Dressing

 
Preparation

You can see a video of the preparation here.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Place the roast, rib ends up, in a shallow roasting pan and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cover the rib ends with foil. Bake, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours. Meanwhile…

2. MELT the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and celery; sauté until tender. Stir in the bread cubes, salt, and pepper. Spoon the dressing around the roast. Brush the sides of the roast with the preserves.

3. BAKE until a thermometer inserted into the meat between ribs reads 145°F, 45-60 minutes. Remove the foil and let the meat stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

If you don’t want to slice the roast at the table, bring the platter to the table to present it to family and guests, before returning to the kitchen to slice.
 
 
________________
 
*The difference between dressing and stuffing: While they have the same ingredients, dressing is cooked in a pan, outside of the meat (or in a separate pan altogether), while stuffing is dressing that is stuffed and cooked inside a bird.

[1] A crown roast of pork with mushroom dressing. The recipe is below (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Each person gets a luscious slice of meaty rib (photo © Harry & David).

[3] While the dressing looks impressive in the center of the roast, it’s messy when the ribs are sliced (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[4] An uncooked crown roast, which consists of two rib racks tied together (photo © Robinson’s Prime Reserve).