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.
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. On of my favorite “showy meals” along with my recipe for Rack of Lamb with Pistachio Crust. Both are no fuss recipes where the meat is simply seasoned. For this rack of pork, we’re using 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 roast rack of pork recipe 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, How To Cook A Rack of Pork
- 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.
- 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 ½ 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.
- 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. You can also carve by removing the meat frm the ribs before slicing. Using a sharp knife, stand the roast up and carve next the ribs bones, following the shape of the ribs. Remove the meat and then slice. Serve immediately.
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.
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.
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.
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 Rack of 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.
- You can also use Peach BBQ Sauce in place of the peach jam.
More Showy Dinner Meat Recipes For Entertaining
If you’re looking for a showy pork roast dinner, take a look at this recipe for Wine Braised Instant Pot Pork Roast. It’s an easy pressure cooker dinner that will impress.
- Italian Steak, Beef Tagliata
- Boneless Prime Rib Roast
- Oven Roasted Veal Chops
- Bone In Prime Rib Roast
- Mustard Glazed Pork Loin Roast
And if you’re looking for more pork recipes, don’t miss my pork category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including one of the most popular on my site for Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs. A fix and forget meal that’s big on flavor.
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Roast Rack of Pork with Peach Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 bone in Pork Rack Roast About 4.5 pounds, frenched.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil canola or vegetable
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic smashed, peeled, rough chopped
- 1 cup Peach Jam
Instructions
- Season the bottom side of the rack of pork with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or even better, overnight uncovered in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large fry pan, heat oil until shimmering.
- Place the pork rack fat side down and sear until browned. About 8 minutes.
- Turn the pork over, season with more salt (smoked salt is good here) and pepper and place in a roasting pan with a roasting rack fat side up. Top with the rosemary and thyme and smashed garlic.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes more. But don't trust the oven time. Use a meat thermometer inserted into a meaty section in between ribs to determine an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
- During the last 20 minutes, (after about an hour of cook time) baste the tops and the sides of the pork rack with the peach jam twice, every 10 minutes.
- Once the thermometer indicates the roast is at 140 degrees, turn the oven to broil. Broil until the top of the pork is browned and thermometer reads 145 degrees. This should take about 3 – 4 minutes.
- Remove the roast to a cutting board and loosely tent it with foil. Let is rest 20 minutes.
- Cave the meat between the bones to make individual ribs. Once carved, serve immediately over polenta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Season the meat generously, even if you’re using just salt and pepper. And if you season the night before cooking, you’re basically administering a dry brine. 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. Then lower the temperature to 325 degrees.
- 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 20 minutes. Not only do you capture those flavorful juices inside the roast, carving becomes much easier.
- 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. Insert probe in the meaty part of the roast at the opposite end of the exposed ribs.
Nutrition
Oven Roasted Rack of Pork …. It’s Whats For Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Happy Easter I am making rack of pork for dinner today with potatoes and asparagus. It will be in the 80 today. Loving that it spring.
Looks really good Chef. I often do boneless loin roast but need to do a bone-in one just for presentation.