Looking to wow your holiday crowd this Easter?  While ham and leg of lamb are always Easter favorites, there is something truly awe inspiring about a pork crown roast and especially if that roast is the always succulent Kurobuta (100% Berkshire) pork from Snake River Farms.

Cut from a 10 or 12 bone rack of pork then trimmed (Frenched) to expose the ends of the bones, the crown roast is the ultimate edible centerpiece for your meal.  It is also perfect for filling with a flavorful stuffing such as the sage sausage and cornbread stuffing in the recipe below for maple-balsamic glazed Kurobuta pork crown roast.

To make your meal even better, we have teamed with Snake River Farms to give away one of these beautiful roasts!  Simply click here to get your entries in and keep your fingers crossed!

MAPLE-BALSAMIC GLAZED KUROBUTA PORK CROWN ROAST WITH SAGE SAUSAGE CORNBREAD STUFFING

Ingredients

1 box cornbread mix (approximately 15oz.), prepared according to instructions

1 lb. Jimmy Dean sage breakfast sausage

1/4 chopped pecans

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 sweet Vidalia onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

14 cup dried cherries, finely chopped

1 apple, core removed and finely chopped

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups Swanson 100% natural chicken broth

1 Snake River Farms pork crown roast, approximately 6 lbs.

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Instructions

Prepare a kettle grill for indirect cooking, placing a disposable aluminum half pan in the center of the grill's charcoal grate then placing pre-heated Kingsford charcoal briquets on either side of the pan.*  Replace main cooking grate, cover the grill, and adjust the bottom vents to bring the grill temperature to 300 degrees.  

Cut the cornbread into 1/2 inch cubes then place on a baking sheet pan.  Set the pan in the center of the grill, cover, and allow the cubes to cook for 15-20 minutes until they are almost completely dried out.  Remove the cornbread cubes from the grill and place in a large mixing bowl.  

Place a medium skillet on one side of the grill directly above the coals and once warm add the pork sausage.  Cook the sausage until completely browned, using a fork or spoon to break it apart as it cooks.  Place the cooked sausage in the mixing bowl along with the cornbread cubes.  Wipe the skillet clean and set back on the grill.  Place pecan pieces in the pan and toast for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned, stirring frequently to keep them from burning.  Remove the pecan pieces and add to the bowl with the cornbread and sausage.  

Add the olive oil to the skillet and once it begins to shimmer add the onion, celery, cherries, and apple.  Saute' until the onion and celery have softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add the mixture to the mixing bowl along with the beaten eggs and chicken broth then blend well.  Add additional charcoal to the grill if needed and place 2-3 large chunks of your favorite smoking wood directly on the coals.  Cover the grill and allow it to heat again to 300 degrees.

Season the pork crown roast liberally with Kosher salt and ground black pepper then add as much stuffing as possible to the center of the roast.  Cover the ends of the bones with foil.  Place the roast in the center of the grill's main cooking grate (note-placing the roast on a small heat resistant pan will help place and remove the roast) then cover the grill and allow it to cook for approximately 30 minutes until the top of the stuffing is nicely browned.  

Cover the stuffing with foil then allow the roast to cook for an additional 1-1.5 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees.  As the roast cooks, combine the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Once it reaches 135 degrees, baste the outside of the roast with the maple-balsamic glaze then cover the grill and repeat the glaze every 5 minutes until it reaches 145 degrees.  Gently move the roast from the grill and onto a platter then allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before removing the foil and the butcher's twine around the center of the roast and slicing.

* If using a gas grill, simply turn off the center burners for indirect cooking.  If using a ceramic grill, place a water filled aluminum half pan on a lower rack (or on top of the diffuser plate) then set the roast on a grate directly above the pan.

Full disclosure:  The roast was provided at no cost by Snake River Farms for recipe testing purposes.  No additional compensation was received.