When you want to cook up deliciousness in your kitchen for the holidays or a special Sunday Dinner, my Oven Roasted Rack of Pork will definitely be a crowd-pleaser. It’s easy to make and can be in your oven, roasting to perfection in less than 10 minutes. It will actually take longer to preheat your oven than it will to prep this lovely pork rib roast.
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Cooking pork is really pretty easy, and since the days of overcooking pork to make sure it’s safe to eat are behind us, you can now cook your pork a little less, serving it pink, juicy and delicious.
Of course, my recipe keeps your well-done pork roast just as tasty.
Ingredients for Roasted Rack of Pork
Other than the pork rib roast, the ingredient list is short. Here we have the ingredients (mise en place) for the roasted rack of pork, which includes the vegetables for the bottom of the pan and my favorite seasoning for meats, Montreal Beef Seasoning.
I prefer to use mustard with my rack of pork, and for this roast, I’m using stone ground mustard; Dijon mustard or olive oil can be used instead.
How do I season a Pork Rib Roast?
Rub meat down with extra virgin olive oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle liberally with Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper (or use Montreal Beef Seasoning)
Coat the top of the roast with Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard. Sprinkle liberally with Montreal Beef Seasoning.
- Place rough-cut onion, celery, and carrots (including skins and leaves) in the bottom of your roasting pan.
- Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan before roasting. You can use stock or a combination of stock, wine, or water.
- Add roast to a baking pan (the rough-cut vegetables underneath the pork will keep the roast off the bottom of the dish to allow air to circulate more freely around the roast).
The veggies add flavor to the pan drippings.
How do you cook a pork rib roast?
There are a few simple rules for roasting meats.
- Let the roast come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Roast at a high temp 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes (30 minutes for roasts larger than 10 pounds).
- Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and cook approximately 15 minutes per pound till the desired doneness. All ovens are different, and this is an estimate. Use a meat thermometer to ensure cooking to the desired temperature.
- Cook the meat uncovered in your roasting pan
- Always roast with the fat side up
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the roast is at the temperature you desire. Remember, your roast will increase in temperature by approximately 10 degrees after removing it from the oven.
- Remove the roast from the oven: Medium Rare 135 degrees F; Medium 145 degrees; Well Done 155 degrees F.
Should I cover my roast when cooking?
The answer is no. And the reason is that the coating of seasonings will help keep the roast moist. If you feel better covering the roast, do it only for the first 45 minutes of cooking, uncovering for the rest of the cooking process.
What Should I Serve with a Pork Rib Roast?
I was in the mood for garlic mashed potatoes, and although Lisa does like garlic, it has to be worked into the dish and not overpower it.
I thought that roasting the garlic would be the best choice to add flavor while still keeping it from getting too strong or overpowering the mashed potatoes.
The garlic worked perfectly, with its creamy butter-like pieces blending into the mashed potatoes perfectly. And to add even more flavor to this dish, we needed gravy. Okay, no one really needs gravy, but it makes things so much more delicious.
Serve your favorite vegetable, and don’t forget the applesauce for those friends who can’t eat pork without it.
Important Tips for Roasting:
Years ago, I used to serve two bone racks of pork in my restaurant. I would cook the larger full rack and then cut them to order later in the evening after they were cooled. You have to think of these delicious pieces of roasted pork more along the lines of Prime Rib of Pork, and when you serve them, they don’t have to be steaming hot. You want them to be fairly hot, but then serve them with the almost-boiling pan gravy to give it that little bump. The pork will be tender and juicier than you have ever had before.
The other important factor in having this pork come out so tender and juicy is in the roasting.
Using very high temperatures for a short time will sear and seal the meat, keeping the juices inside. You want to make sure to reduce the heat of the oven to finish the slow roasting process, which not only ensures a juicy cut of meat but also helps reduce the shrinkage of the product.
You also want to remember to cook the meat with the fat side up so the fat runs through the meat as it roasts rather than just into the pan. Don’t worry about trimming any extra fat away before roasting. You can always remove it before serving. The fat does add flavor!
This was the most flavorful, tender piece of pork I think I have ever had. It even surprised me. I hope you do try this if you can find a good rack of pork. Believe it or not, I found this rack at Costco and Sam’s Club for under $25.00. Who knew? I can’t wait to cook this again, but I will definitely invite some friends over to enjoy this magnificent piece of pork!
Recipe FAQ’s
Rack of Pork is also referred to as a pork rib roast (it may also be labeled center-cut pork loin). This cut comes from the rib area of the loin, so it contains a little more fat which helps make it more flavorful.
The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer.
Pork can be a little pink. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered the recommended cooking temperature of pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. That may leave some pork looking pink, but the meat is still safe to eat
More Pork Recipes You’ll Love!
Oven Roasted Rack of Pork {Pork rib Roast}
Ingredients
- 1 7-8 bone center cut rack of pork the weight on this roast will vary. Using a meat thermometer will ensure its cooked properly.
- ¼ cup dijon mustard, stone ground mustard or olive oil
- ¼ cup sea salt & black pepper I used Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 2 carrots -rough cut
- 1 small onion-rough cut and include skins
- 2 stalks of celery- rough cut
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
Copycat Montreal Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon dill seeds
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
Instructions
- preheat oven to 450 degrees
- In a roasting pan add your rough cut vegetables and garlic
- rinse the rack of pork well and pat dry
- place rack fat side up, on top of cut veggies
- apply a liberal amount of mustard (or olive oil) rubbing it into the top of the roast
- sprinkle entire rack with sea salt, pepper, garlic, and onion or just use my personal favorite Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of the other seasonings.**Add one cup of water to the bottom of the pan before roasting.
- place pan in preheated 450 degrees F oven for 15 minutes.
- after 15 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue to roast for 1½ – 2 hours or until internal temperature has reached 160 degrees for well done or 145 degrees for medium.
- Remove the Rack from the oven placing on a cutting board and allow to rest for 10- 20 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, place 2 cups of water in the roasting pan and place on the stovetop on medium heat (or back in the oven) and with a spoon loosen all the baked-in meat scraps from the pan, making your pan gravy.
- Strain out all of the vegetable pieces and any residue
- Cut the rack along the bones, making even portions of the pork, serve with your pan gravy and your favorite sides!
Video
Notes
- Let the roast come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Roast at high temp 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes (30 minutes for roasts larger than 10 pounds)
- Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and cook approximately 15 minutes per pound till the desired doneness.
- Cook the meat uncovered in your roasting pan
- Always roast with the fat side up
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the roast is at the temperature you desire.
- Remember, your roast will increase in temperature approximately 10 degrees after removing it from the oven.
- Medium Rare 135 degrees F; Medium 145; Well Done 160 degrees F.
Bill says
Pork loin rib roast is my favorite cut and best value for dollar You can often find it at sale prices and its wise to buy an extra for the freezer – I’ll pay about $1.25 CDN per rib. I typically bbq slow cook it but it was late in the day so I looked for a simple oven recipe to change things up.
Fantastic. The garlic, mustard, montreal steak spice combo combined with the pan gravy(I used some powder with the water in the pan) is a great combo. The flavor of the crust is strong so you only need a little bit to blend with the gravy and ample portions of meat that come with a pork rib roast.
Recipe is east to remember and going into the regular rotation. Looking forward to sampling more of your recipes.
Thanks for sharing chef
Beth B says
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Chef Dennis! I have been cooking for 30+ years and this was the best pork roast I ever put on my table. So simple but SO delicious! Everyone loved the sear on the crust. I will definitely use your method from now on.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome Beth, that roast has been a favorite in our home for years! I hope you find more recipes to try
Joy says
This was absolutely amazing! So tender and delicious! We followed your advice and used Montreal Steak Seasoning and used a half and half mix of dijon mustard and stone ground mustard. Yummy! I will definitely make this again!
Peggy Sharp says
Pork roast has always been on my go to list for entertaining. Can’t wait to put this baby in the oven! Will let you know where it ranks on the list!
Rachel says
Super tender and delicious!!! Definitely a keeper!
czytaj wiecej says
its good as your other blog posts : D, regards for posting .
Beth says
This was great! Loved every bite.
Sean says
Where are you finding these bone in roasts?
Chef Dennis Littley says
They are seasonal roast at many stores. You can ask the meat manager if they have any on hand. More upscale stores will usually stock them (crown roast)
Jamie In Wyoming says
We butchered our own hog not long ago and this was the first recipe we used. It is absolutely delicious! The whole family agrees that this recipe is a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Mary0519 says
Made this tonight. I have Rosemary bushes in my yard, I cut around 7 branches to use to rest the rack on along with the veggies. I rolled garlic cloves in sea salt the cut slits into the roast and put the garlic in the slits; I also used a mix of Dijon and course ground mustard. It was so aromatic in my house. This recipe is one to save!! I got high points from my family. Moist and flavorful – can’t ask for more!
james says
Very very moist and delicious flavor!
Leslie says
I covered roast with 3 Tbs mustard & 1 Tbs olive oil. I minced sage, rosemary & garlic & presses into roast.
When cooking gravy, added 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken. My husband said it was the best pork roast he ever had!
GR says
I’m a little confused. There are a notes and tips, then the recipe, and also the video. One part says to add very hot stock to the pan, the recipe states to use water and the stove top, and the video shows adding water and putting back in oven. If adding hot stock for the last 15 minutes, do you still add the 2 cups water after removing the pork? Is the stovetop or oven used for the gravy?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m sorry for the confusion. Add one cup of water to the bottom of the pan prior to placing the roast in the oven. Then add two cups of water to the pan after removing the roast to make the pan juices. The easiest way to extract the juices is to place the pan on the stovetop or in the oven. I’m not sure where you see adding the hot stock to the pan.
Omnivore says
Chef Dennis, it is in the prose section. In the last bulletpoint above the “What ingredients do I need to make a roasted rack of pork?”, it says, “ When Roast is almost done add 1 cup very hot stock to the bottom of the pan. I use a combination of beef and chicken.”
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks for pointing that out, for some reason I just couldn’t find it. I changed that process to adding the stock or water at the beginning before roasting. You still add water or stock when the roast is done to make the pan gravy.
Bonny says
Made for Mother’s Day, and it was PERFECT! So juicy and flavorful. My mother couldn’t get enough of it. Definite winner — will make again.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear the roast was a hit for Mothers Day! Thanks for the great review
Victoria says
I have a question, I put my veggies in the bottom of my roasting pan under my rack of pork, which was larger than my glass dish, can i put beef broth in the bottom to help cook the veggies?
Chef Dennis Littley says
absolutely, it will help flavor the pan gravy that you’ll get from roasting the pork