Move over, Thanksgiving turkey! The Pasture Raised Pork Cracklin’ Roast with Spiced Apple Chutney is about to steal the show this holiday season. This classic pork roast features a four-rib section of pasture-raised pork loin chops, with skin attached and expertly scored by our butchers to create that irresistible crackling texture. The bones are Frenched for a gorgeous presentation, and the roast is tied snugly with butcher’s twine to ensure even cooking. Paired with a warm, spiced apple chutney and creamy mashed potatoes, this flavorful, festive centerpiece is sure to be the star of your holiday table. Huge applause for our incredible team at The 1915 Meatery for making it possible to share these special craft cuts with you this season!

INGREDIENTS

• One 1915 Farm Pasture Raised Classic Frenched Pork Cracklin' Roast
• Kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 head of garlic, sliced in half crosswise & drizzled with a touch of oil
• Handful of fresh thyme and/or rosemary, additional thyme for garnish

For the Spiced Apple Chutney –

• 4 tart baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• Big pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tsp mustard seeds or mustard powder
• 1 to 2 star anise pods (clove would also be nice here)

For the Mashed Potatoes – 

• 4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 4 sprigs thyme
• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
• Freshly ground black pepper 
  
  

INSTRUCTIONS

Dry Brine – A day or two before you plan to roast the pork, remove from packaging and dry completely with paper towels. Place the roast on a wire rack lined sheet tray, or on the rack inside of a roasting pan. Do not salt the top of the roast where the crosshatched skin is – just the sides and bottom where the meat is visible. Use plenty of kosher salt here – this is a big piece of meat and it'll have 24-48 hours to soak in all this salt, seasoning it throughout via reverse osmosis (moisture is first drawn out of the cells, then reabsorbed within a few hours, bringing that flavor and returning moisture into the meat).

Transfer to fridge, uncovered, for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours.

Prepare to Roast – Remove the roast one hour before cooking to let the chill come off and contribute to more even cooking. Preheat oven to 475°F

Keep the pork on the the same wire rack fitted sheet pan or roasting pan. Place halved garlic head and small bunch of herbs just under the meat section where it curves up to the Frenched bones.

Salt the Skin for Cracklin' – Just before the roast goes in the oven, drizzle some olive oil over the crosshatched skin, followed by a generous amount of flaky salt. The reason we don't want to salt the skin too far in advance is because salt draws out moisture which is the enemy of crispy cracklin'! 

Roast at High Temp – The first leg of this cook is all about that crispy cracklin so we're blasting with high heat for 30 minutes. Once the skin is puffed up and majorly crispy, remove roast from oven and insert an oven-safe thermometer probe into the middle of the roast, ensuring you're not too close to a bone – or plan to check internal temp periodically using a regular probe thermometer.  

Finish Roasting at Low Temp – Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and return roast to the oven, cooking until just shy of your desired internal temperature is reached. This took about 1.5 hours for me, but keep a close eye on your internal temp. We like to remove from oven at 135°F and let carry over cooking get it up to about 140°F. 

Make the Spiced Apple Chutney – while the pork is roasting, combine all ingredients for the apple chutney in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples are soft and most of the liquid is reduced. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Make the Mashed Potatoes – while the chutney simmers, scrub, peel, and quarter the potatoes. Dice them into similar sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. Fill a large pot with cold water to cover potatoes by an inch or so. Add 1 tbsp. kosher salt, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until a fork easily glides through a piece of potato.

Meanwhile, heat butter, milk, and thyme sprigs over low heat until butter is melted. Stir to combine.

Drain potatoes and return to pot over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly to dry potatoes out. This will help them to absorb milk and butter resulting in a smoother final texture.

Pass hot potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl (alternatively, use a masher. A potato ricer makes for an incredibly silky puree like mashed potato and is highly recommended). Note – if potatoes are allowed to cool, they will become gummy.

Remove herbs from milk and butter mixture, and gradually add to the potatoes while stirring vigorously. Seasoning with large pinches of kosher salt and pepper along the way. Potatoes need salt, so don’t be shy! Cover bowl with foil to keep warm while preparing to serve. 

Remove Roast from Oven and Rest – once the pork is close to your desired internal temperature, remove from oven and let rest, UNCOVERED, for 30 minutes. If you have family lurking nearby, you may need to stand guard, to ensure no foil tenting happens by a well-intentioned aunt. Protect the cracklin' at all costs!

To Serve – once the roast has rested, use a sharp serrated knife to slice through the crackling, then into the pork between the bones. Alternatively, slice meat into preferred portions (4 very large chops, or about 6-8 slices). To plate, spoon mashed potatoes first, arranging a pork chop or slice on top, followed by the warm spiced apple chutney and a few fresh thyme leaves to garnish. Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! If you’d like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you love our delicious grassfed beef – consider subscribing to the Grassroots Meat Club (ships free in TX, reduced in other states) where you can always add on extras like our seasonal holiday cuts, premium steaks, or whatever you'd like! Each Grassroots Meat Club box includes a variety of hand-selected grassfed and pasture raised meats, such as chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leg quarters, wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, ground beef, kabobs, stew meat, stir fry, cutlets, London broil (top round), beef roasts, beef ossobuco, short ribs, various sausages, pork roasts, pork chops, bacon, ground pork, fajita meat, country style ribs, spare ribs, and bacon!

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats