Mix things up this Thanksgiving: Instead of the usual turkey, try our large-format crown roast of pork as your holiday centerpiece. Ask your butcher to trim and tie off the roast to fit in a Field No.12, and serve with mushroom and apple dressing to hit all the right savory notes of a traditional Thanksgiving plate.
For the mushroom and apple dressing: 2 cups cubed day-old bread, (anything from a sourdough to a cranberry walnut, to a fennel and golden raisin loaf)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces mushrooms (we use a mix of beech, oyster and shiitake), cleaned and cut in half
1 lady apple, cored and chopped
4 small parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped sage
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped winter savory
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
For the crown roast: One 10-pound crown roast of pork, trussed and frenched
¼ cup light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cracked coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cracked fennel seeds
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch winter savory
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch sage
3 small heads garlic
12 small lady apples
Make the mushroom and apple dressing: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix together the bread and 3 tablespoons olive oil until coated. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables, the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, and the herbs until well combined. In a large skillet, cook the vegetables over medium-high heat until soft. Add the stock and butter, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the toasted bread to the pan. Cover and let bread soak up the liquid for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Make the crown roast of pork: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and kosher salt. In a small cast-iron skillet, toast the peppercorns, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the toasted spices to the brown sugar and salt.
If your butcher didn’t truss your roast, do that now. Wrap the tips of the exposed bones with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Rub the outside of the roast with the spice blend and stuff the center with the dressing (there should be some dressing left over).
Arrange a bed of savory, rosemary, thyme, and sage on the bottom of a No.12 (14-inch) cast iron skillet. Add the garlic and lady apples to the pan and set the crown roast on top. Bake until the center of the meat registers 155°F, 2 to 2½ hours.
Remove the garlic and lady apples from the pan and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F and bake the roast for an additional 10 to 20 minutes or until crispy and well browned. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
During this time, you can bake the remaining dressing leftover from the roast. Return the garlic and lady apples to the skillet before serving.
