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Learn how to make tender, perfectly crusted Oven-Roasted Rack of Pork! This recipe for pork rib roast is so easy to make, it basically cooks itself. Perfect for the holidays or a gorgeous Sunday dinner, it's sure to awe everyone!
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Pork Rib Roast
If you love hosting dinner and cooking big roasts for friends and family, then this recipe for a rack of pork is made for you! This pork rib roast is the pork version of what bone-in prime rib is to beef. It's tender, juicy, delectable, and about half of the cost - how great is that!
A roasted rack of pork is so easy to make, and you're left with a deliciously seasoned, juicy, flavorful rack of pork ribs with a golden-brown crust! You will quickly find out that this dish is a crowd-pleaser, too - every time I serve it, it disappears in no time.
Bonus: you can roast veggies, like sweet potatoes, right underneath your pork roast for an even more complete meal that's perfect for dinner get-togethers!
I tried this recipe for the first time and couldn't believe how easy it was and how delicious! It will now be a featured regular at our house.
Leslie on Pinterest
Pork Roast Ingredients
- Bone-in pork rib roast: Ideally, the rib roast should be frenched. If you're buying from a butcher, you can ask them to french the roast for you!
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup pairs beautifully with pork for a Fall dinner recipe you won't easily forget. It's sweet, aromatic, and utterly delicious.
- Sweet potatoes: I love to make sweet potatoes alongside the pork, as they soak up all the juices and turn out unbelievably flavorful and tender! But don't feel limited- you can use any hard vegetable, like butternut squash, turnips, or carrots.
- Butter: Butter adds creaminess to the vegetables and a rich flavor. You can also use olive oil if your vegetables complement it more.
Pork Rib Seasoning
- Butter (room temperature): I prefer unsalted butter, as it allows me to adjust the saltiness to my preference!
- Italian seasoning: Italian seasoning is an easy way to pack in tons of herbal flavors. Use my homemade seasoning blend!
- Garlic powder: Because this recipe roasts for quite a while, I like to use garlic powder, not fresh garlic cloves. This prevents the garlic from burning and coming out bitter.
- Dried thyme: If you have fresh herbs, they're even better- but dried thyme will hydrate in the butter and turn out delicious too! You can swap out or add on to the herbs by including rosemary or sage.
- Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper adds just a touch of heat.
- Salt: Don't forget a quality salt! I prefer sea salt or kosher salt for the large flakes and superior flavor. It's critical to drawing out the full flavor of the pork!
- Optional: Paprika, dijon mustard, onion powder
How to Cook Rack of Pork
- Pull pork roast from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Combine rack of pork seasoning together in a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Pat pork roast dry and rub pork roast evenly with pork seasoning on all sides.
- Spray the roasting pan with nonstick spray. Set pork into a roasting pan carefully, and add sweet potatoes to the bottom of your pan.
- Roast pork for 10 minutes at 500°F. This will sear the outside of the meat to a perfect crust!
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and remove roast from oven. In a small bowl combine melted butter and maple syrup. Brush the maple syrup mixture all over the pork roast.
- Place back in the oven at 325°F for another 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of the pork reaches 140°F as read by a meat thermometer. (It will come up to temperature as it rests!)
- Transfer the pork to a carving board and let rest for about 10 minutes. Don't skip this step, as it's critical for the juiciness of the meat.
- Cut between the ribs, transfer the chops to plates, serve and enjoy!
Rack of Pork Recipes Tips
- Don't skip out on the high-temperature sear! It forms a delicious, perfect crust that stores a ton of the flavor of the pork.
- Always rest meat for 10 minutes! Not only does this give the meat time to complete cooking, but it also allows the meat to release and then re-absorb its juices. Not resting meat means it will be measurably dryer!
- You can adjust the seasonings to your tastes. I've made this recipe using Chinese 5-spice and roasted Daikon radish and it was a great twist on the usual!
- Add any veggies that you'd like to the pan! Sweet potatoes are always great, but you can also add a big mix of onions, butternut squash, regular potatoes, cauliflower, or any other fairly hard vegetable.
- Roasting your meat fat-side up will ensure that the fat melts through the meat, making it juicy and moist!
Isabel's Top Tip
Always use a meat thermometer when cooking roasts! Just eyeballing the roast will usually result in overcooked or undercooked meat. Especially when cooking bone-in meat it's critical to use a meat thermometer to ensure the right cook time.
Pork Rib Roast Temps
Just as with pork chops, the ideal pork roast temperature is 145°F. For best results, remove roasts from the heat source at 140°F and allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes until they come to temperature.
I always refer to my Pork Temp chart and use a meat thermometer to ensure I cook my pork rack perfectly.
Rack of Pork FAQ
The rack of pork comes from the rib area of the loin, containing a little more fat which helps make the pork roast more flavorful. You can also see rack of pork referred to as a pork rib roast, or can also be labeled as a center-cut pork loin.
The safe internal temperature for pork is 145°F. This may leave some pork looking pink, but the pork is safe to eat! I recommend using a meat thermometer to check doneness correctly.
Frenching ribs just means trimming off fat, which results in ribs that can be held by the bone for perfect serving. It isn't necessary for the ribs to be frenched for this recipe to work, but it makes for a much prettier meal!
You absolutely can! I have made racks of lamb using the same recipe and it always turns out unbelievable. The minimum temperature for lamb and pork is the same.
Pork Rib Roast Storing and Reheating
- Storing: The leftover roasted pork rib rack can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in foil for up to 3 days. I like to slice the ribs and store the pork in an airtight container or bag to ensure it doesn't dry out.
- Freezing: You can also store leftovers in the freezer stored in a freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover pork roast wrapped in foil in the oven at 325ºF until warmed. If frozen, let the pork thaw in the fridge before reheating. I don't recommend microwaving bone-in meat, as it heats unevenly and can result in a searing hot bone and dry meat.
Side Dishes for Pork Rib Roast
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Almonds
- Sliced Potato Casserole
- Garlic Roasted Carrots
- Yorkshire Puddings
I love pork chops! Check out all my favorite pork chop recipes!
Rack of Pork Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Bone-in pork rib roast - frenched, you have to ask your butcher to French your rib roast for you
- 3 Sweet potatoes - cut into 1-inch cubes, use as many as you'd like
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- ½ stick Butter - melted
- Nonstick cooking spray
Rack of Pork Seasoning
- ½ stick Butter - softened
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - freshly cracked
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pull pork roast from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Combine rack of pork seasoning together in a bowl and set aside.3 pounds Bone-in pork rib roast,2 teaspoons Italian seasoning,1 Tablespoon garlic powder,½ teaspoon dried thyme,½ teaspoon black pepper,½ teaspoon salt,½ stick Butter
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Pat pork roast dry and rub pork roast evenly with pork seasoning on all sides.
- Spray roasting pan with nonstick spray. Set pork into a roasting pan carefully, and add sweet potatoes to the bottom of your pan. Roast for 10 minutes at 500°F.3 Sweet potatoes,Nonstick cooking spray
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and remove roast from oven. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and maple syrup. Brush maple syrup mixture all over pork roast. Place back in the oven for another 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of the pork reaches 140°F on a meat thermometer.¼ cup Maple syrup,½ stick Butter
- Transfer the pork to a carving board and let rest for about 10 minutes. After resting, cut between the ribs, transfer the chops to plates, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Don't skip out on the high-temperature sear! It forms a delicious, perfect crust that stores a ton of the flavor of the pork.
- Always rest meat for 10 minutes! Not only does this give the meat time to complete cooking, but it also allows the meat to release and then re-absorb its juices. Not resting meat means it will be measurably dryer!
- You can adjust the seasonings to your tastes. I've made this recipe using Chinese 5-spice and roasted Daikon radish and it was a great twist on the usual!
- Add any veggies that you'd like to the pan! Sweet potatoes are always great, but you can also add a big mix of onions, butternut squash, regular potatoes, cauliflower, or any other fairly hard vegetable.
- Roasting your meat fat-side up will ensure that the fat melts through the meat, making it juicy and moist!
Gayle says
I made this pork roast for Christmas and it turned out amazing. Very easy to make and the sweet potatoes were yummy too. I will definitely try this recipe again. Thank you so much for your help.
Isabel Laessig says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Gayle! Thank you, and Happy New Year!
Lisa Baechle says
I made this and it was amazing! I added apples, Brussel sprouts, and onion to the sweet potatoes. My roast was 5lbs and it took almost 2hours total to cook.
Isabel Laessig says
So glad you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thank you very much!
Michelle bogusky says
Does the pork need to sit on a metal rack with the veggies underneath like the picture I saw? I don’t have one .Can the roast and veggies just go in the pan with the veggies around it?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Michelle! I do recommend cooking it on a rack over the veggies, because the juices from the pork will drip down onto the veggies and create an overall tastier meal. This also helps the air circulate around the roast. If you don't have a rack, you could roll up aluminum foil and support the roast that way. You may also be able to use a cookie cooling rack in place of the rack I used if you happen to have one. If none of these options work for you, you could also cook it similarly to how I make my eye of round roast (link). I hope you enjoy it!