This recipe  makes for a very festive roast with original flavours without taking too much time to prepare. I seem to find this cut of pork easily around Christmas and Easter locally but any good butcher should be able to cut one for you. You will need one bone, that is one chop, per person as a rule. Of course, it is not possible to stuff a crown roast so instead you can  infuse it through the fat with a paste of lemon and herbs. It will create a crispy edible crust.

First step is to place the roast in a  large greased roasting pan and to start a lattice pattern of cuts into  the fat on the  flat bone side of the chops. The cuts don’t have to be very deep but close together. Basically the finest grid you can do with a sharp knife.

Then, make a paste in the food processor or by hand, with the juice of a lemon, 8 leaves of sage, a tsp of oregano, a tsp of thyme, a few leaves of Rosemary, one or two cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of BBQ sauce, one tablespoon olive oil  and the rind of 1/4 lemon. Apply on the meat and cover thoroughly.

Roast at 425 no convection for 20 minutes or as soon as nicely brown, then turn down to 325  for 20 minutes. At this point, throw out all the fat at the bottom of the pan and add a 1/2 cup of water. Put back in the oven for another 20 minutes with the oven off. The meat will be very tender this way. Carve and serve on hot plates. You can eat the crust and the jus at the bottom of the pan as most of the fat has melted and has been thrown away. If the meat does not feel hot enough after carving, turn the oven back on for 3 minutes on 350.

This recipe was inspired from my friend Sharon’s Easter leg of lamb done more or less in the same fashion. Lamb can  be  enhanced with mint and rosemary instead, or thyme and oregano. Garlic  called for  in all variances.

This could be an easy  recipe for occasional cooks  to impress on Mother’s day! Hint, hint!