Entree / Pork: Crown Roast with Stuffing

From Jackie Schuler

Ingredients
1 15 rib pork crown roast (7-8 lbs)
1 Tablespoon salad oil
dash Salt
dash Pepper
Stuffing ingredients
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
½ cup water
2 Tablespoons salad oil
4 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped carrots
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, crushed
7 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 lbs)
1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 475. Brush roast with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap bones with foil to prevent burning. Insert meat thermometer into meat, not touching bone. Place in shallow roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes, reduce temp to 325 degrees and roast 1 ½ hours longer. Remove roast from oven. Fill center with stuffing, mashing slightly. Wrap extra stuffing in heavy duty foil and bake with roast. Roast 45 minutes to one hour, or until thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Stuffing: If necessary, remove sausage from casing. In heavy skillet over medium heat cook sausage with ½ cup water, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until water is evaporated and sausage is well browned. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Chop into fine pieces. Add oil to drippings in skillet. Saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic over medium heat until carrots are tender 15-20 minutes. In medium saucepan, boil potatoes in water to cover with ½ teaspoon salt until tender. Drain. In large bowl combine sausage, sautéed vegetables, potatoes, parsley, fennel, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix makes 9 cups.