Roasted Bone-In Pork Rack With Thyme

Robin Bashinsky
Updated
Get the recipe for Roasted Bone-In Pork Rack With Thyme.

This simple salt and pepper-seasoned roast makes for an impressive presentation fit for a crowd. A generous pork loin rack gets browned, then roasted over a bed of vegetables so just one pan gets dirty. To make your job even simpler, ask your butcher to french your rack for you (i.e. tidy up the bones so they’re free of any meat); and be sure to specify you want the backbone removed because you’ll be slicing it into chops. Although the recipe calls for small multicolored carrots, cauliflower, and fennel bulbs, most vegetables you have on hand would be tasty, too. Think: Brussels sprouts, green beans, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, or beets for earthy flavor.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 5½-lb. bone-in pork loin rack (8 ribs), frenched

  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • 3 teaspoons black pepper, divided

  • 12 ounces small multicolored carrots with tops, trimmed

  • 3 cups bite-size cauliflower florets

  • 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into wedges

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

  • Flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving

Nutrition

Calories 456.58

Fat 31.83g

Sat Fat 9.76g

Protein 35.60g

Carbohydrate 8.81g

Fiber 3.21g

Sugar 3.90g

Cholesterol 117.88mg

Iron 2.11mg

Sodium 1154.23mg

Calcium 105.99mg

Directions

  1. Pour 3 tablespoons oil into a heavy roasting pan. Transfer pan to oven and preheat to 400°F.

  2. Season pork all over with 3 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Remove roasting pan from oven and carefully place pork, fat side down, in hot oil. Return to oven and roast for 15 minutes.

  3. Toss carrots, cauliflower, and fennel with thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper; scatter around pork. Return to oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 145°F, about 1 hour. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, continue to roast vegetables until tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes more.

  5. Slice pork between ribs into 8 chops, reserving any juices. Serve chops with vegetables and any reserved juices, topped with parsley.

Yields: 8