Ingredients: 

• 2 8-chop racks of pork (about 4 pounds each)
• Pork Shank Portion Ham
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lightly packed finely chopped fresh sage, plus sprigs for garnish
• Grated zest of 1 orange (about 1 tablespoon), juice reserved
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kumquats or other small citrus fruits, halved, for garnish (optional)

Chestnut-Rye Stuffing

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon lightly packed finely chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 loaf rye bread (preferably seeded), sliced, lightly toasted, and torn into 1-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
• 1 cup jarred roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup lightly packed chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Reserved juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Gravy

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Direction:

1. Place pork racks, fat side down, on a work surface. Cut a third of the way through flesh between each rib bone. This will allow racks to fan open into a crown shape.

Position racks as shown, fat sides touching and bones upright. Thread a trussing needle with cotton kitchen twine and horizontally run it through meat just below last rib bone on 1 rack and straight through meat of opposite chop.

Tie chops together as tightly as possible to form a half circle, or half of the crown. Then repeat process on other end of racks to finish the crown. (You can also use this technique on racks of lamb.)

Where racks are joined, tie rib bones together. At this point, you can store the crown roast, uncovered, in the refrigerator 1 day. Bring to room temperature before continuing, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in lower third. Place roast on a flat rack set in a roasting pan; season with salt. Stir together garlic, sage, orange zest, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; spread all over roast. Let stand 30 minutes; prepare stuffing.

Fill with 6 cups stuffing; roast 30 minutes. (Tent with foil once stuffing browns.) Reduce heat to 375 degrees; roast until a thermometer inserted down between bones into thickest part of flesh reaches 140 degrees, 1 hour. Transfer to a board; let rest 20 minutes.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and celery with salt until translucent, 3 minutes. Add sage and wine; boil to reduce by half, 2 minutes. Toss with bread, chestnuts, parsley, broth, and juice. Fold in eggs. Stuff crown with about 6 cups roast. While cooked roast rests, bake remaining stuffing at 375 degrees in a buttered baking dish until brown, 20 minutes.

Tilt roasting pan; skim fat from drippings. Place pan across 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Add 1 1/4 cups broth; return to a boil. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup broth and flour, and pour into pan, whisking, until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter and accumulated juices from roast, and strain.

After the crown roast has rested, transfer to a serving platter. Remove all twine. Garnish with sage and kumquats. Use a carving knife to cut roast between each rib for individual chops, and serve with stuffing and gravy. Store any remaining crown roast whole (sliced chops dry out faster) in refrigerator up to 3 days.