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Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork

December 13, 2018 By Michelle 17 Comments

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Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork 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). 

Golden-brown Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork resting after coming out of the oven.


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Near the holidays, one of my favorite roasts appears at wholesale clubs. Rack of pork, a.k.a., pork rib roast. These roasts inevitably turn into one of my favorite easy, fancy-pants meals: Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork. This is a very hands-off meal because the oven does the work for you. The roast gets cut into gorgeous individual servings consisting of brontosaurus-sized chops (I exaggerate…slightly). I can never polish off an entire chop myself, but I never have to worry: Phil is always there to “help me.”

As a side note, I also turn into a vulture around holidays. By this I mean that I start watching meat specials at the supermarket and my favorite wholesale club, not only noticing what’s on sale, but also taking note of the sell-by dates on my favorite cuts of meat. I revisit the store a few days before said sell-by dates and I almost always score some really good meat at a truly fantastic price. It’s a great trick that I learned only very recently.

Herb-Roasted Rack of PorkBack to that Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork. These roasts are usually sold vacuum-packed in brine, already Frenched.

I always rinse the pork well before roasting it because the brine usually contains other stinky things like nitrates and phosphates. We want as little of that as possible in our roast. I score the meat so I can rub my herby-garlicky-mustardy mixture into the fat cap and the meat itself. After that, the total roasting time rarely exceeds 1.5 hours.

Another aside here: I used to hate pork because it was almost always overcooked and dry. That’s because the recommended cooking temperature used to be 160º F. At this temperature, pork adopts a sad, grey color and a consistency that approximates shoe leather. But a few years ago, the USDA relaxed these guidelines: it now recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145º F: the pork is still succulent—and yes, still a bit on the pink side. RELAX. It’s delicious.

Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork sliced into huge chops on a cutting board.

When the meat has rested sufficiently, I cut the herb-roasted rack of pork into chops, using the bones as guides. I love to serve these chops with stuffing (I added cranberries to this recipe), although I’ve also gone with Meal-Prep Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Irish Colcannon with Cabbage and Leeks, or even a salad (like my Arugula-Shaved-Fennel Salad). Bon appétit!

If you have leftover Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork, slice it up thinly and use it in my decadent Cubano Quesadillas!

I hope your family loves this festive 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.



RECIPE

5 from 6 votes
Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork
Print
Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 25 mins
Resting Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
 
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.
Course: Entree
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6 -8
Author: Michelle
Ingredients
  • 1 ~3-lb. bone-in pork rib roast, Frenched*, excess fat removed (leaving a thin fat layer on top)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400º F.

  2. 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 (line the pan with aluminum foil first if you want an easier clean-up). 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 137º F (~45 additional minutes to an hour)**.

  3. 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.

  4. Slice into chops, using the rib bones as guides. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Recipe 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 temperature of 145º F (which it will when it rests), the USDA says that this is fine.


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Filed Under: French, Recipe, Special Occasions Tagged With: Christmas Dinner, Easter Dinner, herb-roasted rack of pork, pork rib roast, rack of pork, Thanksgiving Dinner

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Corina Blum says

    December 18, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      December 18, 2018 at 4:33 pm

      Thank you, Corina! We’re huge pork fans over here, so this one never disappoints!

      Reply
  2. Lois Christensen says

    December 18, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    This looks amazing! Looks perfect for the holidays! Love your “vulture” story! Thank you for sharing with our Delicious Dishes Recipe Party. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      December 18, 2018 at 4:33 pm

      Thanks so much, Lois! And Merry Christmas to you!! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Corina Blum says

    November 5, 2017 at 2:42 am

    This sounds delicious and such an easy recipe to feed a crowd with for a special occasion!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 5, 2017 at 7:05 am

      Thank you, Corina! I’ve found that a lot of people have never eaten pork served this way, so it’s extra special!

      Reply
  4. Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says

    April 14, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    Your recipe looks so good! Love that it only has 5 ingredients and it looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try it soon!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 15, 2017 at 7:41 am

      Thanks, Neli! Hope you love it! 🙂

      Reply
  5. linda spiker says

    April 14, 2017 at 7:30 pm

    Beautiful recipe! Perfect for the holidays but I’d make it any time!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 14, 2017 at 7:31 pm

      Thanks, Linda!

      Reply
  6. Patty @ Spoonabilities says

    April 14, 2017 at 6:53 pm

    This roast pork really looks so beautiful and festive. And delicious! What a wonderful meal to share with family and friends 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 14, 2017 at 6:54 pm

      Thank you, Patty!

      Reply
  7. Debra C. says

    April 14, 2017 at 6:41 pm

    I love holidays when you can break out all the stops, what a fabulous meal!!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 14, 2017 at 6:52 pm

      Thanks, Debra! I feel the same way!

      Reply
  8. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says

    April 14, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 14, 2017 at 6:05 pm

      Yes, it certainly does! And it is! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Prasanna Hede says

    April 14, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    I have never tried pork before,but this recipe sounds good to me! I wish I can try with chicken!

    Reply

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About Michelle

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. Read More…

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