Snake River Farms Kurobuta Crown Roast of Pork and A Food Gal Giveaway
How’s this for an alternative to the usual turkey for Thanksgiving?
Tired of turkey for Thanksgiving?
Or tired of it being dry and a total letdown?
Then, give the bird the heave-ho and turn your attention to the pig instead.
Ham is too predictable. But a crown roast of pork? Now, that’s not only an unexpected pick, but a dramatic one to boot.
Now, imagine one from heavily marbled Kurobuta pork. Now, we’re really talking.
Recently, Snake River Farms sent me a sample of its crown roast to try. It’s the first one I’ve ever cooked. Now, I’m wondering: What took me so long to discover this show-stopping hunk of pork?
It’s a 10- to 12-bone pork rack arranged and tied in a circle, with its bones frenched and exposed.
You can fill the center of it with fruit or stuffing. But truth be told, the interior space is not very large. So, if you’re going to make stuffing, as I did, you’re better off cooking it separately in a pan. Then, before serving, transfer some of the stuffing to the center of the crown roast and arrange the rest around its perimeter.
All I did was salt and pepper the crown roast. That’s all it needs. My husband cooked it in his Big Green Egg, imparting a lovely smokiness rivaling almost that of bacon.
To serve, just remove the butcher’s twine that holds the roast together, then slice in between the bones to separate the chops, serving one per person.
The pork is blissfully juicy and naturally sweet. You need no other sauce or embellishment on it. There’s a luxurious little fat cap around the exterior of each chop. I know you’re thinking you should cut it off and discard it. But honestly, it’s just a little bit of fat and it tastes so profoundly porky that it would be a crime not to eat it. After all, the holidays are all about indulging. Think of this as your little gift to yourself.
The Kurobuta crown roast is $139. It ships frozen or partially frozen, so give it a few days in the fridge to thaw out; or place it in a cold water bath, changing the water about every 40 minutes until it is thawed.
Think your guests will be upset with no turkey? Not with this baby.
All eyes will be on this at the holiday table.
CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a Snake River Farms Kurobuta Crown Roast of Pork in time for the Thanksgiving table. Entries, open only to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Nov. 15. The winner will be announced Nov. 17.
How to win?
Tell me a favorite memory about pork. Best answer wins.
Here’s my own response:
“Pork was nothing ever so fancy as a crown roast when I was growing up. It was routinely on my family table, often in the stir-fries my Mom would make. Or of course, in the form of char siu (as in barbecued Chinese pork) that we’d buy at the Chinese market. But my favorite taste of pork that lingers to this day? It’s so old-school, so pedestrian and probably so out of favor now that I’m almost afraid to disclose it. It’s Shake ‘N Bake. On weekends, my Dad would buy bone-in pork chops, plop them in the plastic bag of seasoning, and shake, shake, shake so that I could almost hear the sound all the way in another room in the house. I’d listen for the sizzle of the chops cooking in the oven, all the while counting the minutes until they would be ready. Then, we’d sit down with knife and fork, and dig in. But the best part? Oh, that came after the knife did its work, and all that was left to do was to pick up that bone with your fingers. I’d gnaw on it, savoring all the little bits of crunchy bread crumbs that clung to it. Then, I’d hone in on the last morsel of fat hiding in a nook in the bone. You know which one I mean. I’d bite into it, as its oily goodness fairly squirted down my chin. It wasn’t lady-like at all. But at that moment, I didn’t care whatsoever.”
Coming Wednesday: Fig-Pistachio Stuffing For Thanksgiving
That does look pretty. Reminds me of rack of lamb, and you need to put those little white caps at the end of the bone and it’ll look like something from the 50s! 😉
Pork growing up was a necessary evil. Always overcooked, never moist and usually served with some side that I could never figure out which was worse. When I became an adult and could feed myself, I went to the pork tenderloin and it was good but still seemed to be overdone, crispy on the ends and just OK. Fast forward to my first experience with Kurabuto Pork. It was purchased at a local butcher shop in the form of bone in loin chops. I remember the layer of fat on the outside was thick. At the time I had an electric grill and while I didn’t like the idea of cooking on it, it’s all I had.
After a slow and low cook on the electric grill, the fat looked like it was cooked to perfection. I still remember that first bite, 1/2 meat and 1/2 fat. Ohhhh, it was so good. tender, juicy, flavorful and a one of a kind flavor. That was my best memory of pork!
Growing up, the fear of getting sick from eating undercooked pork caused everyone to cook it until it was shoe-leather. I loved the flavor, but hated how tough it was. When I moved into my first apartment, I decided to give it a try. I picked up a couple thick cut chops, and pulled it off the heat when it was medium. These two things gave me the first bite of pork the way it is supposed to be – luscious, moist, and tender. From that point on I’ve never looked back and pork continues to be one of my favorite proteins! These days I’m just as likely to cook it on the grill and add the smokiness you were talking about, enhancing the flavors even more. I would love to have a Snake River roast – any my family would be thrilled!!
Thanks for the opportunity Carolyn 🙂
My favorite memory about pork is related to bossam, a Korean pork belly dish that is boiled, sliced and served with garlic, ssamjang, sliced radish kimchi and fermented shrimp. I was always told I had my dad’s taste buds and pretty much confirmed it as an 8 year old who loved to eat this bossam dish, ESPECIALLY the fermented shrimp. My parents typically only had this when they were throwing a party and it was really the main event for the dads who would be drinking soju for many hours. I wasn’t even able to eat my beloved bossam on the nights of the parties. However, the next day, when I would wake up, I would open the fridge to find all the bossam components in this compartmentalized tupperware. Just seeing the container made me so giddy. I would stand in front of the fridge and assemble the first one right there with my fingers and delight in a mouthful of bossam!! My husband does not like bossam so when I fly home to my dad’s house, he now prepares it for me and pours me a shot of soju to wash it down. Forever a daddy’s girl!
After I had my first baby, my next door neighbor brought us over a big batch of pulled pork. It was delicious and exactly what I need in my omg-we-have-a-newborn state of shock. Such a blessing to not have to cook as well! 🙂
When I was 7 we went to a family reunion in Wisconsin where my Dad grew up. We visited the farm his grandparents owned and it was so exciting to see the cows, and barn cats, and the scary bull, but I particularly liked the pigs. My great Uncle would stand with me outside the pen and showed me how to rub dried corn off the cob which the pigs would greedily eat. One day he lifted me over the railing and said he was going to take me to call the pigs. We walked hand and hand across the pen and up the hill. From the top of the hill I could see all the pigs grazing and lounging under apple trees. My Uncle taught me how to yell “soo-ee” and we called the pigs. The pigs heard our call and their ears pricked up and they started to run towards us. My Uncle looked at me and yelled “run!” I frantically began running down the hill and towards the fence. As I got there my Uncle lifted me up and tossed me over to safety and jumped after me and the pigs barreled into the troughs. I decided I liked being outside of the pen much better with the pigs on the inside. It’s only good to be quite so close to a pig if it’s ready to eat. The live ones I still would rather keep my distance from.
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