Rack of Pork

This is my first recipe for Forrest's Food Spot. I made this dish shortly after returning from Alabama and watching Auburn whoop up on Virginia in the Peach Bowl. However, now that college football is over I am going to start diving into the next best thing: Making awesome food.

Alrighty here goes.......

I started with about a 4 pound rack of pork, or pork rib roast. The roast will usually have about one rib per pound. 4 pounds is more than enough for two people, but the next day the leftovers make excellent sandwich's.

The first step in preparing this dish is to "French Cut" the rack of pork. You can ask your butcher to do it for you or you can wing it like me. During this step it is also important to score the fat layer. Use a sharp knife to cut a criss-cross pattern. Be extra careful not to penetrate the fat layer and cut the meat. This can cause precious meat juices to seep out during cooking. By scoring the fat, it allows more surface area for the heat. The more surface area for the fat creates more juices and therefore produces a much more tasty and tender meat. Mine definitely doesn't look professional, but I don't think its the worst attempt in the world.



After the French Cut and fat scoring is accomplished, you must season the meat. Seasoning and marinating are my favorite part of cooking any dish. It allows me to get creative by combining different aspects of the taste spectrum to create a new and exciting taste. For this dish I used a homemade herb dry rub. In a small dish I mixed a generous amount of thyme, rosemary, salt, and crushed black pepper. Once mixed, I rubbed the pork with olive oil to help secure the dry rub and give the meat that awesome distinct olive oil flavor. Generously apply the rub on all sides of the meat. Cover the meat and place in the refrigerator for approximately an hour.



Once the meat has been nice and saturated in the dry rub in refrigerator, it is time to sear the meat. This step is essential because it forms a nice crust on the outside that will help to retain the tender juices inside throughout the cooking process. Put enough olive oil in a large frying pan to cover the bottom. Once the oil is heated, place the meat in the frying pan. Cook on all sides until there is a light brown crust.



Finally it is time to cook. I prefer to cook on the grill if I can, but due to time constraints I am often forced to cook in the oven. I've found that any meat tastes better smoked all day or with the distinct charcoal flavor, however, the oven serves just as good in most situations. The slower cooked the more tender and flavorful the meat will be be. I cooked mine on a broiler pan at 200 degrees for close to two hours. The FDA has recently approved of an internal temp of 145 degrees for pork opposed to the previous 165 degrees. I prefer mine in between those internal temperatures, usually about 155 degrees. Be careful not to overcook the meat.


Once your Rack of Pork has reached your desired internal temperature, remove it from the oven. As with all meat, the pork will continue to cook once removed from the oven. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut in between the ribs to produce a medallion like chop with rib attached. I prepared mine with caramelized onions, sauteed squash, and zucchini along with homemade mashed potatoes. Serve up and enjoy!