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Roasted Rack of Pork

By Kevin

published Sep 29, 2022

4.86 from 14 votes

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Rack of pork is crispy, juicy, and fall-of-the-bone tender. Roasted with spicy Dijon mustard, a smattering of herbs and spices, and then covered with breadcrumbs and baked over a bed of vegetables — the results are a delicious feast!

When I entertain, my go-to’s are typically dishes like baked stuffed pork chops or shrimp scampi pasta. And, when I really want to impress, I love serving up unique meals like individual beef wellingtons, fried chicken and waffles or Instant Pot pulled pork sliders. While planning my last dinner party, I knew I wanted to make something that would blow everyone away. 

You’ve likely heard of rack of lamb, but have you ever heard of its lesser-known counterpart, rack of pork? I came up with this recipe after I was strolling the aisles of my local Costco, looking for something unique to serve my guests. I came across an incredible piece of pork, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I could do something great with it! This is a great one for the holidays.

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Pork – Opt for a bone center cut rack of pork that’s 6lbs or more. 
• Dijon Mustard – This recipe doesn’t call for you to marinate the meat before roasting, so you need to add flavor in a different way. A thick layer of spicy Dijon mustard does the trick.
• Fresh Chopped Herbs – You’ll need to add a layer of herbs and seasonings over the mustard. I like to use a combination of rosemary, parsley, and thyme myself. You can play around with the herbs you use, just make sure that they’re fresh and not dried. 
• Black Pepper – Opt for freshly cracked black pepper out of a pepper mill.
• Breadcrumbs – Create a crispy outer layer on the meat by applying breadcrumbs over the entire surface before you pop it in the oven.
• Carrots, Celery & Onion – These add a wonderful flavor to the pork. You’ll also use them to create a quick sauce while the meat is resting.
• Garlic – The same goes for garlic!
• Olive Oil – Use olive oil to coat the bottom of your roasting pan so that nothing sticks.
• Extra Roasted Vegetables – I recommend that you serve up even more roasted veggies alongside the carrots and celery. You can roast them at the same time as the meat. Feel free to simply place a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper over the vegetables of your choice. You can also use my roasted vegetables with honey and balsamic syrup recipe or this fall roasted vegetables with fresh herbs recipe.

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED RACK OF PORK

1. Preheat & Prep. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and coat the bottom of your roasting pan with olive oil. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into the pan. Then, rinse the meat and pat it dry.
2. Garnish The Meat. With the fat side up, place the pork on top of the vegetables. Brush the Dijon mustard over the entire top of the pork. Add your fresh-cut herbs to the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle the mixture over the mustard in order to create a light crust.
3. Roast. Allow the meat and vegetables to roast at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 degrees F and continue to roast for about 2 more hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (Medium Rare ) to 160°F (Well Done). Note that you can add your extra roasted veggies (in a separate pan) during the last 90 minutes of the total cooking time.
4. Remove From The Oven & Deglaze. Take the meat out of the oven and place it on a cutting board so that it can rest for at least 10 minutes before you slice it. Remove the roasted vegetables from your oven and set them aside as well. I recommend that you deglaze the pan with 1 cup of chicken stock in order to create a quick sauce! You can also strain the carrots and celery and add that to the sauce.
5. Cut & Serve. Cut the meat along the bones so that you end up with even portions, and serve alongside the vegetables!

What Cut Is A Rack Of Pork?

Rack of pork is also called pork rib roast. It comes from the rib of pork loin and is filled with delicious fat that roasts up really nicely. 

What Should I Serve With Rack Of Pork?

Serve alongside the roasted vegetables as described on the recipe card. You may also pair it with some roasted mashed potatoes or wild rice pilaf.

What Temperature Should You Cook Pork In The Oven?

I like to start at a high temperature (450°F) for the first 15 in order to brown the meat. Then, bring the heat down to 325°F. You want to make sure that the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (Medium Rare ) to 160°F (Well Done), depending on your preference.

This recipe post, originally published on Kevin Is Cooking January, 2014, has been updated with new content, photos and/or video in September, 2022.

Roasted Rack of Pork

4.86 from 14 votes

Rack of pork is made with a center cut of pork that’s rubbed down with flavorful mustard and herbs, and baked over a bed of veggies!

Servings: 8 servings

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 -7 bone center cut rack of pork (6lb +)
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ Dijon mustard
• ▢ freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢ fresh chopped herbs rosemary, parsley, thyme
• ▢ breadcrumbs
• ▢ 2 carrots rough cut
• ▢ 2 stalks of celery rough cut
• ▢ 1 large onion halved cut with skins
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic smashed
• ▢ Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Coat bottom of roasting pan with olive oil and add your to onion halves and spread the rough cut carrots, celery and garlic around them.
• Rinse the rack of pork and pat dry.
• Place rack fat side up, on top of cut veggies and garlic, resting on the onion halves. Brush mustard over the entire top of rack of pork.
• Sprinkle the herb mixed breadcrumbs over the mustard base, forming a light crust.
• Roast in oven at 450°F for 15 minutes, after 15 minutes reduce heat to 325°F and continue to roast for approximately 2 hours or until internal temperature has reached internal temperature of 145°F (Medium Rare ) to 160°F (Well Done), depending on your preference.
• During last 90 minutes of roasting add your other sheet pan of seasoned and oiled cut vegetables to roast.
• Remove the rack of pork from the oven and place on cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing the meat. This will allow all the juices to remain in the rack, rather than have them run all over the plate, making the meat dry.
• While the rack is resting, remove the roasted vegetable from the oven and set aside.
• Feel free to deglaze the rack of pork pan with some 1 cup of chicken stock for a quick sauce, loosening the browned bits on the bottom of the roasting pan. You can strain the cooked down vegetables the rack sat on during roasting or mash into the gravy.
• Cut the rack along the bones, making even portions of the pork, serve with your roasted vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 688mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2090IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.2mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: American, Western

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

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