Alton Brown's Strange Use For A Bundt Pan Just Saved Christmas Dinner

One of the most beloved holiday dinners, the mere utterance of "crown roast of pork" may make your mouth water.

It may also make your brow sweat when you think about finding that roll of kitchen twine, and then wrapping your masterpiece to snug, secure perfection. Well, fear not, Alton Brown is here to help. As the host of Good Eats: Reloaded revealed in a recent Instagram post, you can skip the twine and added labor.

"Want a pork crown roast but don't have twine? If you have a bundt pan, no problem," he wrote, accompanying a photo of a crown roast of pork tucked into a standard bundt pan.

Fans clearly took to Brown's piece of advice, with comments ranging from "Dude! A.B., this is amazing. I love your life hacks!" to "Should have some nice crispy bits where it's touching the sides too!" Who's ready to take a stab at this clever trick?

No surprise here, but Brown's Instagram feed is also an all-around vortex of genius cooking tips and culinary inspiration, like this kielbasa and vegetable soup you'll probably want to make pronto.

How To Ask For A Crown Roast Of Pork From A Butcher

Another way to save yourself some time is by asking your butcher to prepare your crown roast of pork for you. Ask your butcher to tie up the roast, if you aren't going the bundt pan route, and to cut 1 1/2-inch-long slits (about 3/4 of an inch deep) between each rib bone to "french" or trim the bones on the bony side of the roast. Ask your butcher to tie the roast with kitchen twine at the bottom, in the middle, and around the bones to secure. Make sure to plan for about one pound or two chops per person you are serving.

Step-By-Step On How To Prepare A Crown Roast Of Pork

If you are preparing your own roast, here's the step-by-step how-to guide. No twine? No problem. Just use Alton Brown's bundt pan trick.

1. Trim fat on roast to 1⁄4 inch thick.
2. Place roast on work surface, meat side down with ribs curved up.
3. Cut 1 1⁄2-inch-long slits (about 3⁄4 inch deep) between rib bones on the bony side of the roast.
4. Stand rack with ribs pointed up and slits facing away from you.
5. Curve rack so that ends meet and form a crown.
6. Tie roast with kitchen twine at the bottom, in the middle, and around the bones to secure.
7. Wrap the top of each rib bone, individually, with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
8. Chill your roast overnight to allow the surface to dry so that a good crust will form as the meat cooks.

Check out our full pork crown roast recipe for more.