which is what I like my pork cooked to) while
simultaneously crisping the exterior.
Luckily, we’ve already studied this very same
engineering problem applied to prime rib (see “How to
Roast Beef,” here). Remember: the hotter your oven
temperature, the more uneven your roasting will be. So, for
example if you cook a crown roast in a 400°F oven, by the
time the very center is at 140°F, the outer layers of the meat
are well past the 165° to 180°F mark. Roast it in a 250°F
oven, and you can get the entire thing pretty much exactly
at 140°F from edges to center. Then all it takes after roasting
is a rest and a quick bang into a 500°F oven to crisp up the
fat on the exterior.
Q: Neat! And what about flavoring?
If you want to be all fancy-pants about it, you can add other
seasonings to the exterior in addition to the kosher salt and
black pepper I opt for. Herbs stuffed into the center would
be nice, as would be garlic, shallots, citrus fruit—whatever
tickles your fancy (pants). Some folks even like to fill the
center with sausage or bread-based stuffing (like the Classic
Sage and Sausage Stuffing here. It’s a fine thing to do if you
have tons of guests to feed, and a solid stuffing like that will
actually improve the cooking qualities of the pork, as it acts
as an insulating barrier to heat. Do note, though, that it will
dramatically increase cooking time—count on up to an hour
more. Or, better yet, count on your thermometer.
Q: I’m the kind of person who likes to wear a hat just to
go pick up the mail. What would you suggest for someone