Oscar night, on Sunday, comes a month earlier than usual. So, with holiday parties barely over in my restaurants, my team and I had to start planning immediately about how we were going to feed all those hungry movie stars streaming into the Governors Ball after the Academy Awards.
It makes me feel something like the master and commander of a major campaign. Under my admirals, 200 cooks divided into six teams will toil to serve a four-course meal in an hour and a half to more than a thousand people.
Cooking for your own Oscar party at home can feel like a major undertaking in and of itself, even if it’s just dinner for four. That is why for this once-a-year event I recommend one of my favorite do-ahead recipes, a bone-in pork roast served with sliced onions that have been cooked until caramel-brown with maple syrup, apple cider and mild sweet spices.
The roast and its onion accompaniment can be partially prepared in advance, with the meat seared in its pan and the onions sauteed several hours ahead. The bone-in pork rack, from the center loin, promises juicy, tender meat and it doesn’t take much longer if you double or triple the quantities for a larger crowd because that won’t change the roasting time. Once you get it into the oven, there’s very little left to do, so you can enjoy all the red-carpet arrivals with your family and friends. When the roast is done, with an internal temperature of 150 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer, remove it from the oven. Let it rest covered with aluminum foil for about 15 minutes so that the juices settle into the meat, and slice between the bones into chop-style portions. You’ll have dinner on the table in a record time worthy of Seabiscuit.
To complement the pork, pick good-sized, mild yellow onions, cutting them into 1/4-inch slices. Use a good, sharp knife and cut parallel to the equator of each onion. That way, the slices will separate out easily into perfect circles.
Prepare a simple mixed green salad to start the meal and mashed potatoes or rice with the pork to soak up its juices; and offer assorted store-bought sorbets and biscotti for a light, but satisfying dessert. Then, sit back and enjoy yourself as the compliments for your stylish entertaining flow.
Roast rack of pork with caramelized maple onions
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 rack of pork, 4-bone, about 2 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, crushed
1 each: cinnamon stick, whole star anise
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups apple cider
1. Season rack of pork with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook on all sides until browned, 10 minutes. Remove pork; set aside.
2. Discard fat from pan; reduce heat to medium. Heat butter in pan until melted; add the onions, ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes; stir in maple syrup. Cook, stirring, until the onions are a deep caramel color, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high; stir in the cider, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 15 minutes; discard ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Set aside; keep warm.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork in a small roasting pan; cover with half of the onion mixture. Roast 25 minutes; spoon remaining onion mixture over the meat. Roast until pork registers 150 degrees (for medium) on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat not touching bone, about 35 minutes. Or, cook to desired degree of doneness.
4. Remove pork from oven; cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut between the bones into individual chops; transfer chops to serving plates. Spoon onions and juices from the roasting pan over the meat.
Nutrition information per serving:
572 calories, 50% of calories from fat, 32 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 104 mg cholesterol, 39 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein, 957 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
