Double Rack of Pork, Honor-Guard Style, with Morel Pan Sauce

Fit for Company, Fit for a Crowd

Crown roast of pork was once considered the elegant presentation of choice for a proud Christmas table. But today’s pork is leaner, and with a crown roast, which is made by cutting between each rib chop and forming the chops into a circle, the meat is easily overcooked before the bone side is done. Shame, shame, shame. For a spectacular but less-risky preparation, have the butcher french the bones of two 7- bone rib racks. Then face them back to back, bones crisscrossed like a military salute of a “guard of honor.”
The honor guard presentation lends itself to a savory stuffing, such as Chestnut, Bacon, and Corn Bread Stuffing ([>]). Bake the stuffing separately, then spoon it into the tunnel created by the two loins. For my family’s Christmas dinner, I serve this dish with braised escarole and roasted potatoes.

SERVES: 12, with leftovers

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 7-bone center-cut pork loin rib roasts (rack of pork), chine bones removed, bones frenched, and fat trimmed to ¼ inch
• Morel Pan Sauce (recipe follows)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. MAKING THE PASTE:

• With the motor running, drop the garlic and shallots through the feed tube of a food processor and chop.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Add the remaining ingredients and pulse several times to form a paste.

2. PREPARING THE PORK ROAST:

• Lay each roast, bone side down, on a work surface and, using a sharp paring knife, cut 6 to 8 diagonal slices through the fat only (each cut about ¼ inch deep and 3 inches long).
• Rub the paste into the slits and over the fat, sides, and ends of the roast.
• Lay the roasts back to back in a roasting pan with the bones crisscrossing and pointing upward.
• Let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

3. ROASTING THE PORK:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
• Place the roast in the oven, insert a continuous-read digital thermometer into the meat so that the tip is positioned dead center, and set it for 135°F.
• The roast should take 1¼ to 1½ hours to reach this temperature.
• If you are not using a continuous-read thermometer, begin checking the internal temperature of the roast with an instant-read thermometer after 1 hour.
• If not yet done, continue to roast, monitoring the temperature every 15 minutes.
• When done, remove the pork and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
• Let rest for at least 15 minutes, or up to 25 minutes.
• The meat will reach a final temperature of 140°F to 150°F (providing faintly pink meat).
• Make the sauce.

4. SERVING THE PORK:

• To carve the roast, you have two options: You can cut between the rib bones so that each guest gets a thick chop, or you can remove the bones by slicing between the bones and meat, cut the meat into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices, and serve the bones separately (this will stretch the roast and accommodate variations in individual appetites).
• Serve with the Morel Pan Sauce on the side.

COOK’S NOTES:

• Because today’s commercial pork is so lean, I often recommend flavor-brining to improve the meat’s juiciness and texture.
• If you cook the pork to no more than a final temperature of 145°F after resting (remove it from the oven at 135°F), the meat should be tender and juicy without flavor-brining.
• If your family insists on more well-done pork or you don’t trust your ability to get the pork out of the oven quickly enough, you should flavor-brine the pork; don’t cook it to more than 150°F, for a final internal temperature of 160°F after resting.
• For a less-fancy effect, you can use a boneless loin or T-bone loin roast, or the inside roast (top round) from the leg.
• If you are cooking this recipe for a special occasion, splurge on a rib-end center-cut loin roast from your local farmers’ market or from an heirloom breed, such as berkshire.
• For a less-gussied-up version, roast a single 7-bone rib end loin roast and cut the paste recipe in half. You can serve it as is or with a modified pan sauce, substituting less-expensive dried porcini for morels. For a sauce even kinder on the pocketbook, instead of dried mushrooms, use ½ pound sliced white or cremini mushrooms cooked with the butter and shallots until soft.