Roast Rack of Pork with Peach Glaze

Roast rack of lamb rib served over polenta

Roast Rack of Pork with Peach Glaze

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.

Course Main Course Pork

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Resting time 20

Servings

Calories 168kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

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

Tips for Success:

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