Roast Rack of Pork with Peach Glaze

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

A beautifully cooked rack of pork, makes an impressive centerpiece for a special occasion meal. A simple recipe that comes with a fancy feel and so easy to make it almost cooks itself. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to prepare.

Roast rack of lamb rib served over polenta

Preparing big showy cuts of meat can be intimidating for some. However, they can be some of the easiest cuts to cook. You just have trust your oven and your digital read thermometer.

Take for instance this rack of pork. This is a no fuss recipe where the meat is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, sprigs of rosemary and thyme and smashed garlic. Then roasted in the oven and finished with a peach glaze.

What Is Rack of Pork?

A rack of pork is actually a pork rib roast. It may also be labeled as “center cut pork loin” It comes from the rib area of the loin. It contains more fat than the pork loin which makes it a more flavorful piece of meat once cooked. Source: National Pork Board.

A rack of pork is pork’s equivalent to a standing rib beef roast, or a rack of lamb. It’s also a simpler version of a pork crown roast, which is a pork rib toast tied in a circle.

A French cut rack of pork is a show stopping dinner entree that’s not only easy to make but big on flavor and oh-so tender and juicy. Seasoned with rosemary and thyme and finished with a glaze of peach jam, you’ve got an impressive centerpiece for that special occasion meal.

This pork rib roast recipes comes from a method I learned from our Chef du Cuisine in Culinary School, let’s take a look.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Fresh Sprigs, Rosemary and Thyme
One Eight-Rib Rack of Pork
Peach Jam
Garlic Cloves
Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Ingredient Substitutions

Herbs: Dried Rosemary and Dried Thyme Sprigs.
Jam: Apricot Jam or Orange Marmalade are good choices here.
Seasoning: Along with salt and pepper, add some Montreal Steak Seasoning. I also added Smoked Sea Salt.

Pro Tip: When substituting dried herbs for fresh, a good rule of thumb is 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs. Some herbs season better when used in dried form. Oregano is a good example.

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

Searing rack of pork in a large fry pan.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season the underside of the rack of pork with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons neutral oil in a very large fry pan. When the oil is hot, place the pork, fat side down in the pan.

Sear the pork until well browned. This will take about 7 – 10 minutes. You’ll know when it’s reaching golden brown stage, as the meat will release easier from the pan. Olive oil isn’t recommended because the smoke factor is lower. You’ll get a better sear by using canola or vegetable. oil. Turn the pork over and season the seared side with more salt and pepper.

Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.

Seared rack of pork topped with fresh rosemary, thyme and smashed garlic.

Step 3: Place the pork seared side up on a roasting rack on a roasting pan. A rack is important because it will allow air to circulate around the meat while it’s roasting. Top the roast liberally with the fresh rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs and smashed garlic which has been rough chopped. You can also smear Dijon mustard on the pork like I’ve done in this recipe for Tri-Tip Roast. It will simply add another layer of flavor.

Step 4: Cook oven roasted pork, uncovered, at 425 degrees for fifteen minutes. This will help the outside of the meat brown. Then turn down the temperature to 325 degrees and cook until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. This will take at least an hour to 1 1/2 hours. To finish, during the last twenty minutes of cook time, baste twice with the peach jam, basting ten minutes apart. Turn the oven to broil and cook until temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven and tent loosely with foil for twenty minutes.

Tip: To test internal temperature, insert digital read thermometer into a meaty spot at the thick end of the roast (away from the Frenched bones), and in between the bones. Bones cook hotter than the meat, so if you get too close to one of the bones, you won’t get an accurate reading.

For a project like this, use a digital read thermometer that has a probe and a long cord. These types of thermometers can be inserted at the beginning of cook time. The probe monitors the temp of the meat and the external units alerts you when the meat reaches the desired temperature. They’re wonderful and they take the guess work out of oven roasting meat.

Carving rack of pork on a cutting board.

Step 5: Once the meat has been tented, move the pork to a cutting board and carve into separate ribs, by carving in between each rib. Serve immediately.

How Do I Find A Frenched Rack Of Pork?

I’ve never seen a Frenched rack of pork available at my local grocery store. I can sometimes find it a Costco. And check your local specialty meat market or Whole Foods. If they don’t have it, ask them to order one for you. And make sure you ask them to “French” it.

What Does Frenched Mean?

Frenched is a culinary term for the process of cutting away fat and meat from the bone of a rib, such as a rib chop, a rack or pork, or a rack of lamb.

How Many People Will A Rack Of Pork Serve?

Unsure of how large of a roast you need? Since there are bones involved, as a rule, plan on one pound per person. In this case, the roast I purchased contained eight ribs. Slicing the roast between the ribs resulted in eight ribs serving eight people.

Should I Cover The Roast While It Cooks?

No. The seared outer crust and the method of cooking this roast fat side up will keep it nice and moist. The fat will drip down on the meat as it cooks. Covering it with a lid will only steam the meat and soften that outer crust.

What To Serve With Roast Pork

I served this rack of pork over Polenta Cacio de Pepper, (polenta with pepper and cheese) I like this recipe from Bon Appetit where polenta is cooked in the Instant Pot. So easy!

You can also serve this over mashed potatoes, or with Baked Potatoes with a Simple Tossed Salad.

Tips for success:

Season the meat generously, even if you’re using just salt and pepper. And if you want season the night before cooking. This will give the seasoning time to permeate the surface of the meat. Use your hands to rub the salt and pepper over the meat and then let it sit in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.
Culinary school taught me to let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. Placing meat straight from the refrigerator into the oven will cause the meat to cook longer and unevenly. With a big cut like this rack of pork, plan on it sitting at room temperature for one hour.
When preparing a roasted piece of meat, everyone looks for that sought after “crackly crust”. To achieve this, sear the meat first and then start cooking the meat in the oven at a high temperature like 425 degrees before lowering oven temperature to 325 degrees to finish cooking.
Let the roast rest before carving. And when it comes to big cuts of meat like this rack of pork, that ten minute rest that you allow for your steaks or burgers will not be enough. Let it sit tented for twenty minutes. Not only do you capture those flavorful juices inside the roast, but carving also becomes much easier.

More Showy Dinner Meat Recipes For Entertaining

And if you’re looking for more pork recipes, don’t miss my pork category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili with Pork.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.