Christmas Foods - Seasons Greetings!

• 1 serving cooking spray
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 2 medium onions or large shallots, chopped [about 1 cup]
• 2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, coarse
• 3 lb. lean pork loin; boneless roast
• ½ cup fresh spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Coat broiler pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cranberries with cider. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Set aside.

Meanwhile heat canola oil in skillet over medium-low heat; cook shallots and sage for about 5 minutes or until shallots are softened.

In a large bowl, mix together bread crumbs, cranberry mixture and shallot mixture.

Place pork on cutting board. Cut loin almost in half, but not all the way through. Open like a book so loin lies almost flat. Place spinach leaves over one half of loin. Place stuffing on top of spinach. Close the other half of loin on top of “filled” half and tie loin with cooking string to secure.

Place pork on broiler pan and roast until golden, about 1 hr. 20 min… Cover with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Carve into 1” thick slices. Remove string and serve.

• 1 bone-in smoked ham (8 ½ lbs.)
• 1 can (20 oz.) sliced pineapple in syrup
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• ½ tsp. ground all spice
• Whole cloves
• Maraschino cherries

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Remove rind from ham. Place the ham on a rack in open roasting pan, fat side up. Insert meat thermometer with bulb in thickest part away from fat or the bone. Roast ham in oven for about 3 hours.

Drain pineapple, reserving the liquid. In a small saucepan, combine syrup, preserves, mustard and allspice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven, but keep oven hot. Stud ham with cloves; brush with glaze. Using wooden picks, secure pineapple and cherries to ham. Brush again with the glaze. Return the ham to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes longer or until thermometer registers 160 degrees (about 25 minutes per pound total cooking time). Brush with glaze 15 minutes before ham is done. Let the ham stand for 20 minutes before slicing.

To Corn the Roast:

• 2 gallons water
• 1 lb. pickling salt
• 1 tsp. saltpeter
• 8 lbs. boneless pork butt, tied
• 2 bay leaves
• 15 whole peppercorns
• 5 whole allspice

In a large stainless steel pot or pickling crock, mix the water, pickling salt, and saltpeter together until dissolved. Untie the pork roast and place in the pickling solution. Place a heavy plate on top of the pork so that it will remain submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 10 days. Check occasionally to be sure the pork is covered by the liquid.

After 10 days, remove the pork and retie it into a roast. Rinse well with fresh water. Place the roast in a large kettle, cover with cold water, and simmer 2 hours and 15 minutes. Slice the pork and place on a large platter.

• 1 crown roast of pork
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. dried sage, whole
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme, whole
• 1½ cups dry white wine for basting
• Salt to taste

Dressing for the Pork
For this dish you must find a real, live butcher. Have him cut and tie a crown roast of pork for you.

Rub the roast with freshly ground pepper, and the sage and thyme. Wrap the ends of the ribs with foil so that they do not burn during roasting. Place a ball of crumpled piece aluminium foil in the center of the roast. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake in a preheated 325ºF oven for about 25 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer and roast the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Baste from time to time with the wine. Allow the roast to sit a few minutes before you carve it. When ready to serve, remove the foil and place a large bouquet of parsley in the center of the roast. You may also fill the center with dressing. Salt to taste.
Stuffing for Crown Roast of Pork

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lb. cooked breakfast sausage, coarsely chopped
• 1½ tbsp. dried sage, whole
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a large frying pan and add olive oil, butter, garlic, onions, celery, and parsley. Saute until the vegetables are tender. In a large bowl, combine the dried bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, and all the remaining ingredients. Mix together until everything is evenly incorporated. Bake in a covered casserole at 350ºF for 1 hour. Fill the center of the cooked crown roast with the cooked dressing.