Chestnut-Stuffed Pork Roast

5-pound boneless double loin roast, tied
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots or onion
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 15-1/2 oz can chestnuts, drained
2 teaspoons drippings
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon brandy
Salt and pepper, to taste

Untie roast, open and pound lightly to even thickness.

Cook celery and shallots (or onion) in butter until tender. Combine with ground pork, parsley, brandy and seasonings. Spread over roast. Lay a row of chestnuts down the center of stuffing.

Chop remaining chestnuts finely and set aside. Roll meat around chestnuts and tie firmly. Roast in a 350 degree F. oven 1 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer reads 155-160 degrees F. Remove roast and let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

Pour off extra fat; measure 2 tablespoons. Stir flour into the 2 tablespoons fat. Add chicken broth, cook and stir until mixture thickens. Add reserved chopped chestnuts, parsley and brandy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve gravy with roast.

Serves 15

Cranberry Mustard Pork Chops

4 pork loin chops with bone
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cranberry juice

In a small bowl, stir together cranberry juice and mustard.

Place pork chops in a shallow dish in a single layer; pour cranberry mixture over pork chops and coat chops evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large frying pan, grease pan with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil and place pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot add pork chops, cover partially and cook 10 minutes. Turn chops and cook another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered. Cook through, but so that the chops are still juicy.

Serves 4

Crown Pork Roast with Apple-Walnut Stuffing

7 lb. crown pork roast
Salt and pepper, to taste

Apple-Walnut Stuffing:
1/3 cup butter
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup red cooking apple, chopped
1 cup green cooking apple, chopped
2 cups white bread cubes, toasted
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp. dried whole leaf sage
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lg. egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Trim fat off roast and season with salt and pepper. Fold a piece of aluminum foil into an 8-inch square; place on rack in roasting pan. Place roast, bone ends up, on foil-lined rack. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour.

Cut a piece of foil long enough to fit around ribs. Wrap foil around ribs and fold over tips of ribs. Spoon stuffing into center of roast; cover with additional foil.

Insert meat thermometer into roast without touching fat or bone. Bake at 325°F for 1-1/2 hours or until meat thermometer reaches 160°F. Remove foil from roast; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Stuffing:
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring constantly, until tender. Combine apples, bread cubes, walnuts and seasonings in a large bowl; stir in vegetable mixture, egg and remaining ingredients.

Crown Roast of Pork with Apple, Fig and Cherry Stuffing

6-7 lb. (16 ribs) center cut loin of pork

2 Tbsp. garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Granny Smith apples

1 cup dried figs

1/2 cup dried bing cherries

1/2 cup almonds, slivered

1 Tbsp. butter

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup Muscat wine, divided

3 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Rub the roast all over with garlic, thyme, olive oil, generously salt and pepper to taste. Saute the apples, figs, cherries and almonds in butter, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in applesauce, dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup wine and stuffing mix; spoon into center of roast. Place rosemary sprigs on top of stuffing. Cover stuffing and exposed ends of ribs with aluminum foil.

Roast pork for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 150 degrees, approximately 2 hours. Transfer the pork to a platter and let stand for 15 minutes.

Apple-Stuffed Pork Loin with Cider Sauce

This roast is also good as part of a buffet. Slice the loin thin, but do not serve the cider sauce. For a more seasonal stuffing during the winter holidays, add 1/4 cup dried cranberries to the apples.

For the stuffing:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped Golden Delicious or other
baking apple
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apples or 1/2 cup
finely chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup apple cider

1 boneless pork loin, 2 1/2 lb.
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup apple cider, plus more as needed
2 tsp. cornstarch

To make the stuffing, in a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the apple and onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the dried apples, raisins and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and boil, stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Have ready 4 pieces of kitchen string, each about 18 inches long.

Butterfly the pork loin by making a slit down its length, cutting just deep enough so that the loin opens up to lie flat like a book. Do not cut all the way through. Spoon the stuffing evenly onto the meat. Close up the loin and, using the strings, tie at even intervals so it assumes its original shape. Push in any stuffing that escapes from the ends. Sprinkle the surface with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the loin in a baking pan and add 1/2 cup of the cider to the pan.

Roast the loin for 30 minutes. Baste with the pan juices and add the remaining 1/2 cup cider to the pan. Continue to roast, basting at least twice with the pan juices at regular intervals, until the meat is firm to the touch and pale pink when cut in the thickest portion, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150°F, about 45 minutes more.

Transfer the loin to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Scrape the pan bottom to dislodge any remaining bits, then pour the pan juices into a measuring pitcher and add additional cider as needed to measure 1 1/2 cups total. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the pan juices and the cornstarch, and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then add the remaining pan juices. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce into a warmed bowl.

Cut the loin into slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve the hot cider sauce on the side. Serves 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Holiday Celebrations, by Marie Simmons (Time-Life Books, 1998).

Crown Roast of Pork With Rice d'Orange

1 (14 to16 rib) crown roast of pork
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry
6 cups hot cooked rice, preferably cooked in chicken broth
2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Season inside and outside of crown roast with salt and pepper. Place, ribs down, in a shallow pan. Bake for about 2½ hours, basting occasionally, or until a thermometer reads 160°F when inserted into meatiest part of roast. Meanwhile, sauté onion in butter until soft but not brown. Add salt, thyme, raisins, orange juice and sherry. Cover and cook over low heat about minutes or until raisins are plump. Stir in rice and half the orange peel, tossing lightly to blend well.

About 15 minutes before the meat is done, remove from oven. Pour off pan juices and reserve to make gravy, if desired. Turn roast, rib ends up. Fill center with orange rice. Spoon remaining rice around roast. Cover with foil to prevent drying of rice and return to oven until meat is fully cooked. Sprinkle with remaining orange peel and garnish with orange sections before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Apple-Glazed Pork Loin
The pork loins are immersed in a saltwater brine before roasting to enhance the juiciness of the meat. The salt penetrates the meat as it soaks, drawing in moisture. Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and helps the meat develop a nice caramelized exterior.

8 cups water
1 cup salt
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 boneless pork loins, each about 2 1/2 lb.
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. brandy

Apple Glaze
2 cups sweetened applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix together glaze ingredients and set aside.

In a large pot over high heat, combine the water, salt, brown sugar and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Let the brine cool completely. Place the pork loins in a large plastic container and add the cooled brine, submerging the pork completely. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or up to overnight.

Soak the terra-cotta lid of an oval roaster according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remove the pork from the brine and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 1 1�? hours.

Season the pork with pepper and sprinkle with the sage. Using kitchen twine, tie the loins together to make an evenly shaped roast.

In an oval roaster over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Brown the roast on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy. Cover and place in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 375°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 120°F, about 1 hour.

Increase the heat to 425°F and uncover the pan. Baste the roast with some of the apple glaze and continue roasting, basting frequently with the glaze and the pan drippings, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 140°F, about 25 minutes more. Transfer the roast to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Skim the fat from the pan drippings, add any remaining glaze and baste the roast with the mixture. Carve the roast and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.