Christmas Crown Pork Roast

I adapted the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.  The recipe is for herb marinated loin of pork, but the marinade can be used for pork or even chicken.  For Christmas, I decided to use the recipe for a crown pork roast.  The family loved the deliciously, tender meat and the flavor was excellent.

Ingredients:

Pork rib roast – (7lbs.)
Grated lemon zest- 1 lemon
¾ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
kosher salt
fresh black pepper

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, and mustard in bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until mixed.  Pour the marinade over the pork and then salt and pepper the pork well.  Let the roast marinate for several hours in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to cook the pork, remove the meat from the marinade and place the roast in a roasting pan.  

Cook the roast uncovered at 325° until it reads 160°on a meat thermometer.  Pull the pork from the oven and then cover and let rest for several minutes before slicing. 

Serves 10