Roast and trimmings

Sunset, Nov, 1992 by Betsy Reynolds Bateson

SELECT TWO CENTER-CUT PORK LOIN ROASTS TO MAKE A BROWN LARGE enough for this recipe. At the market, have roast backbones (but not the meat) cut with a saw (cracked) before the roast is shaped so it will be easy to carve. The well of the cooked roast makes a cozy serving container for the brown rice filling, which cooks separately. The tomatoes bake in the oven with the roast.

Pork Crown Roast with Brown Rice Filling and Baked Tomatoes

1 center-cut pork loin crown roast (9 to 10 lb.), fat trimmed and backbone cut for carving Soy-wine marinade (recipe follows) Brown rice filling (recipe follows) Baked tomatoes (recipe follows) 1 or 2 green onions, ends trimmed Salt and pepper

Rinse pork and pat dry. Pour marinade into a deep bowl, about 3-quart size, add pork, and rotate to coat with marinade. Cover and chill at least 3 hours, or up to a day; baste occasionally with marinade.

Lift roast from marinade; save liquid. Set roast, narrow end up, on a rack in a roasting pan about 11 by 14 inches. Bake in a 350|degrees~ oven until a thermometer inserted against bone in thickest part of meat registers 155|degrees~, about 1 3/4 hours.

Meanwhile, bring reserved marinade to a boil, let simmer 1 to 2 minutes, then set aside to season rice.

With wide spatulas, transfer roast to a platter. Mound hot rice filling into center of roast; put remainder in a dish. Surround roast with tomatoes; garnish with onions.

Cut between ribs to serve; allow 1 or 2 ribs per portion. Spoon rice and tomatoes onto plates with sliced roast. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Per serving with rice: 516 cal. (33 percent from fat); 39 g protein; 19 g fat (6.4 g sat.); 44 g carbo.; 791 mg sodium; 113 mg chol.

Soy-wine marinade. Combine 1/2 cup each soy sauce and dry red wine; 1/4 cup honey; 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed; and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Brown rice filling. In a 4- to 5-quart pan, combine 3 cups short-grain or long-grain brown rice, 3 cups each water and regular-strength chicken broth, and 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger. Cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer gently until rice is tender to bite, about 45 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved boiled soy-wine marinade. (If cooking ahead, drain and save any liquid. Cover rice and liquid; chill up to a day. Return rice and liquid to pan. Stir often over medium-low heat until hot; or, in a microwave oven, heat at half-power--50 percent--in a microwave-sale bowl, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes until hot, 10 to 15 minutes.) Mix in 1 1/2 cups sliced green onions. Use hot.

Baked tomatoes. Rinse 10 to 12 large (about 2 lb. total) firm-ripe Roma-type tomatoes; cut in half lengthwise. Set cut side up in a 10- by 15-inch pan. Mix together 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle mixture evenly onto tomatoes. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (total) over tomatoes.

Bake in a 350|degrees~ oven (on rack beneath the pork) until tomatoes begin to soften slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Per serving: 42 cal. (51 percent from fat); 2 g protein; 2.4 g fat (0.8 g sat.); 3.7 g carbo.; 69 mg sodium; 2.6 mg chol.