This Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork recipe is a surprisingly easy meal that's fancy enough to serve at Christmas, Easter, or any special-occasion dinner. The pork rack gets carved into gigantic juicy chops that are sure to impress your guests.
Why I love rack of pork?
Rack of pork (a.k.a. bone in pork roast) is the pork version of what bone in prime rib roast is to beef. It's soooooo succulent, tender, and juicy.
BUT, at about a half of the cost. How great is that?
In my opinion, pork is vastly underrated. Besides the lower cost, it has awesome flavor and always seems to come out juicy.
Not to mention that it is healthier as most cuts are leaner. As the saying goes, "Pork. The other white meat."
I strongly recommend the Costco rack of pork. They seem to always have it in stock, the price is cheap, and the quality is superb. I've accidentally overcooked one of these roasts and it still came out tender and juicy.
Continue reading for step by step instructions for how to cook one of these bad boys!
Spoiler alert - It's surprisingly simple!
Pssst...If you change your mind and decide against pork, check out these other proven winners:
- Greek Marinated Lamb Chops
- Prime Rib Roast
- Reverse seared: Ribeye, Filet Mignon or Tomahawk Steak
- Roast Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorn Sauce
How to cook rack of pork
Although cooking a rack of pork may seem intimidating, you will see how easy it really is. Not to mention how flavorful your meat will be!
Make the herb-mustard rub
This rack of pork recipe starts with a flavorful rub of dijon mustard, garlic, minced rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Simply mix all the ingredients into a bowl.
Prepare the pork rack
Pull the pork rack from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Rinse thoroughly, then dry the roast with paper towel.
Be advised that many wholesale clubs, including Costco, vacuum-pack the rack or pork in brine. You want to be sure to rinse this off, because it contains sulfates. Stinky-poo, yuck!
Next, score the top and bottom of the meat by making criss-cross cuts with a sharp knife: about ¼" deep is perfect.
Then, rub the meat with the mustard-herb mixture. Make sure to rub it into all the criss-cross cuts!
Place into oven
Set the herb-rubbed pork rack (bone side down) into a roasting pan. Then place in a 400º oven for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 350º and continue roasting.
Rack of pork cooking time
Plan to roast approximately 15 minutes per pound. The total roasting time for a pork rib roast rarely exceeds 1.5 hours.
When is rack of pork done?
A meat thermometer has the final say about when the roast can come out of the oven.
Although the recommended final internal temperature for pork used to be 160º F, the USDA relaxed these guidelines. It now recommends cooking pork to a final internal temperature of 145º F.
RELAX. It's delicious and safe.
The pork rack will succulent, not dry at all—and yes, even a bit on the pink side.
Remove the roast when its internal temperature reaches 5 degrees below your desired final temperature (i.e., 140° F). Finally, tent with foil and rest 20 minutes.
The temperature of the roast will continue rising during this resting period. This is called carryover cooking.
All that is left now is to carve the Flintstone-sized pork chops and serve.
What to serve with rack of pork
- Easy Microwave Asparagus
- Easy Microwave Broccoli – Served 3 Ways
- Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze
- Perfect Meal-Prep Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Skin-On Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish
- Easy Microwave Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet and Sauerkraut – Cabbage Bacon Onion Saute
- Easy Dinner Rolls
Leftover Pork Roast Recipes
A favorite use of leftover pork is to cut the meat as thin as possible and use it in our Cubano Quesadillas.
We also love cubing up pieces of leftover pork roast and adding it to our ramen soups.
Pork-Miso Ramen Soup with Soy-Marinated Egg
Easy Ramen Soup
Pantry Creamy Chicken Ramen Soup (yes, it says chicken, but pork is also awesome in this)
Where to buy rack of pork
Right around the holidays, this beautiful roast appears in wholesale clubs.
Costco rack of pork (Kirkland brand) is excellent in quality and turns out juicy and delicious every time (but do be sure to give the roast a good rinse, as I mentioned earlier). The price is always great too, usually around $5.99/lb.
I always buy an extra pork rack to freeze for spontaneous special-occasion meals.
Tip: rack of pork (and other great roasts like prime rib) are often on sale after the holidays: this is a great way to score fantastic meat at a great price!
Bon appétit!
Check my herb-mustard crusted rack of pork on Pinterest: you can see photos and comments from people who have made it.
I hope your family loves this festive, show-stopping roast. Happy Holidays!
—xoxo Michelle
P.S. If you need some ideas for how to use up your leftovers, check out my post on Using up Leftovers!
Linkies
- #CookBlogShare (coming soon!), a great food blogger recipe-share hosted this week at Everyday Healthy Recipes.
- #CookOnceEatTwice, for recipes that are just as good left-over as they are when you made them, hosted by Searching for Spice.
- The What’s For Dinner Sunday Linkup (coming soon!) at The Lazy Gastronome.
- Delicious Dishes Recipe Party, a weekly link party where bloggers share their most delicious recipes and check out other bloggers’ amazing recipes, hosted by Walking on Sunshine.
Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork
This is an easy meal that's fancy enough to impress at Christmas, Easter, or any special-occasion dinner. The roast is cut into gigantic chops that are more than enough for one person (I usually eat half of one). Delicious served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, or even with a simple house salad.
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in pork rib roast (minimum 6 bones), excess fat removed (leaving a thin fat layer on top)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tsp. coarse salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Carefully rinse the pork and pat dry with paper toweling. Score the fat (make shallow cuts in a criss-cross pattern). Mix the remaining ingredients and rub the mixture evenly over the meat, down into the score cuts, and in between the rib bones. Place roast (fat side up) on a rack set in a roasting pan with ½" of water on the bottom. Place the roasting pan in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350º F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the meat) reads 5–8 degrees below your final desired temperature, 45 additional minutes to an hour (See Recipe Note #2).
- Remove the roast to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for at least 20 minutes (the temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests—leave the thermometer in the meat and wait for the temperature to stop rising before you cut).
- Slice into chops, using the rib bones as guides. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Notes
- Wholesale clubs (e.g., Sam's or Costco) often sell these pork roasts around holidays. The roasts I've found are already Frenched: the bones protrude without any meat in between. You can ask the butcher to do this for you if necessary.
- Note that there may still be some pink in the pork roast. This is okay. As long as the roast reaches an internal final temperature of 145º F after it rests, the USDA says that this is fine. If you prefer your meat well-done, leave the roast in the oven until the meat reaches 152–155º F so that it reaches 160º after resting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 chopAmount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 832mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 17g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate: if you are tracking this information for medical purposes, please consult a trusted external source. Thanks!
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About Michelle F, PhD
Hi there! I'm Michelle, a former scientist turned food blogger and consultant. Throughout my career, I have run up against the challenge of cooking food in as little time as possible during stressful times. I have learned strategies that help me cook good food without the stress, and I'd like to share them with you! Plus, I draw upon my science background (PhD in Physiology, with lots of lab-rat work in biochemistry and microbiology) to inject my writing with nutritional/ biochemical geekery.
Karen Tuley says
I’m roasting 2 8-rib roasts in the same pan. Together they’re 13#. Do I increase the cook time?
Phil F says
This can vary, but estimate an extra 20-30 minutes cook time. This is assuming you leave at least an inch space between the roasts. Ultimately, it's your meat thermometer that makes the final call. Thanks for the question!
Viola says
This was delicious! I was so wary, thinking it could never cook in such a short time but I had no reason to doubt!
Michelle says
Wonderful, Viola! I'm thrilled to hear that the roast turned out deliciously. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Deborah says
I WAS going to make prime rib for my parents on Christmas, but changed plans after my dad informed me that it wasn’t really a favorite. So we landed on this recipe. Holy smokes, was it GOOD! The meat was perfect, succulent, and juicy. The whole cook time was low maintenance. In fact, the roast was low enough maintenance that I was able to make dressing with cranberries (also your recipe) and green beans with bacon and onions (your recipe!). This was a smash hit. Thanks for helping to make our holiday brighter in a tough year that NEEDED it. ?
Michelle says
Oh, wonderful Deborah! I'm so happy to hear that your Christmas dinner was a hit! Have a great New Year!
Biana says
Looks delicious and so flavorful! A perfect main dish for a winter dinner.
Michelle says
Thank you, Biana! It's almost always either this or prime rib roast for Christmas at our house!
Lindsay Fuce says
This is such a fantastic idea! Especially for this time of year.
Michelle says
Thank you, Lindsay! I hope your holiday season is safe and wonderful.
Corina Blum says
This meal really is a showstopping way to serve pork. It sounds absolutely delicious and that pork looks perfectly cooked too. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Michelle says
Thank you, Corina! We're huge pork fans over here, so this one never disappoints!
Lois Christensen says
This looks amazing! Looks perfect for the holidays! Love your "vulture" story! Thank you for sharing with our Delicious Dishes Recipe Party. Merry Christmas!
Michelle says
Thanks so much, Lois! And Merry Christmas to you!! 🙂
Corina Blum says
This sounds delicious and such an easy recipe to feed a crowd with for a special occasion!
Michelle says
Thank you, Corina! I've found that a lot of people have never eaten pork served this way, so it's extra special!
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says
Your recipe looks so good! Love that it only has 5 ingredients and it looks so delicious! Can't wait to try it soon!
Michelle says
Thanks, Neli! Hope you love it! 🙂
linda spiker says
Beautiful recipe! Perfect for the holidays but I'd make it any time!
Michelle says
Thanks, Linda!
Patty @ Spoonabilities says
This roast pork really looks so beautiful and festive. And delicious! What a wonderful meal to share with family and friends 🙂
Michelle says
Thank you, Patty!
Debra C. says
I love holidays when you can break out all the stops, what a fabulous meal!!
Michelle says
Thanks, Debra! I feel the same way!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
Using a thermometer really helps gauge when meats are done, and makes such a difference! I am sure this pork is wonderful when cooked right!
Michelle says
Yes, it certainly does! And it is! 🙂
Prasanna Hede says
I have never tried pork before,but this recipe sounds good to me! I wish I can try with chicken!