Ingredients
- ☐ One 16- to 18-bone crown roast of pork (about 10 pounds)
- ☐ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ☐ 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- ☐ 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- ☐ 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- ☐ ½ teaspoon juniper berries
- ☐ 1 small bay leaf
- ☐ ¼ cup olive oil
- ☐ ½ cup granulated sugar
- ☐ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- ☐ 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- ☐ 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
- ☐ 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
- ☐ 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- ☐ 1 cup dry white wine
- ☐ 2 cups apple cider
Steps
- Put the pork on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of pepper; set aside. Put the fennel, allspice, whole peppercorns and juniper berries in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until the fennel begins to turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the toasted spices to a blender, add the bay leaf and blend until coarsely ground. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt and process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute. Spread the paste over the pork, making sure to get it into all the nooks and crannies; use a spatula to scrape up all the paste from the blender. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the pork on a rack set in a large roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees F, about another 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, sage, thyme, apples, onions and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large bowl until well coated. Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add half of the apple and onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onions are dark
- Return the skillet to high heat and add the wine. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add the cider and cook until thickened and glossy, about 8 minutes; you should have about 1/3 cup of glaze. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside. Once the pork reaches 135 degrees F, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and brush the pork all over with half the glaze. Return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze and continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F, about another 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 30 minutes. Serve with the apples and onion