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Slow Roasted Rack of Porkby Dawn T in Rouxbe Certified Tender and juicy rack of pork is the perfect Sunday night dinner. In fact this is so easy to make that it makes a great dinner any night of the week.
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Step 1: Making and Brining the Pork (optional)
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To make the brine, place 4 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil add the salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Once the salt and sugar have fully dissolved, turn off the heat and let this steep for at least 10 minutes or so. Next, pour the brine into a container, bowl or pot large enough to hold the remaining water and pork. Then add the remaining cold water and ice. The brine must be completely cold before you add the pork. Next, place the pork into the brine and place into the refrigerator and let brine for at least 2 to 3 hours or preferably overnight. Note: If you do not have a container big enough for the pork you 2 large resealable bags. However, do not use garbage bags as they are not food safe.
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Step 2: Drying Pork After Brining
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Once the pork is ready remove from the brine and discard the brine. Then using paper towel, completely dry the pork. Then place onto a baking tray that is lined with a cooling rack. If you have the time and you have planned far enough ahead, you can place this into the refrigerator for a few hours to air-dry. This will allow the pork to sear nicely, as it will be good and dry. If you don't have the time, just make sure it is good and dry before you begin cooking. Otherwise the meat will steam on the outside rather than get a nice golden crust. Before you start cooking let the pork rest on the counter for about 1/2 an hour. This will allow it to come closer to room temperature before you cook it, which means it will cook more evenly.
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Step 3: Preparing the Pork for Cooking
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Preheat the oven to 250°F or 120°C. If you are short on time, you can cook the pork at 350°F. However, slower and lower cooking results in more tender and juicier meat. To prepare the pork for cooking, first score the thick fat (if there is any), into a criss-cross pattern. Be sure to only score the fat and not deep enough to cut into the meat at all. Scoring exposes more fat to the heat, which will result in more fat being rendered during the cooking process. This will result in meat that has more flavor and moisture . Next, rub the oil all over the pork and season with salt and pepper. Don't go too heavy on the salt if you have brined the pork.
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Step 4: Searing the Pork
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To sear the pork heat a large heavy-bottomed fry pan over medium high heat. Once the pan has been properly heated add the oil, followed by the pork. See the "water test" for how to determine if you pan is hot enough. Sear the meat on all sides until golden brown. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes to form a nice crust.
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Step 5: Roasting the Pork
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Place the pork into the oven, uncovered and let cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F or 62°C, about 1 to 1 hr. 15 mins. Remove the pork from the pan, loosely cover and let rest for at least 15 minutes (the internal temp. will increase by at least 5 or 10 degrees). Meanwhile you can go ahead and make the sauce. Just remember the handle of the pan will still be very hot.
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Step 6: Making the Sauce
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Deglaze the pan with the Calvados, scraping up any sucs from the bottom of the pan. Next add the stock and let reduce until you reach a sauce-like consistency. For more details on reducing the stock, see the Drill-down from the Cooking School on "Adding and Reducing Stock". Lastly, taste for seasoning.
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Step 7: Serving the Pork
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To portion the pork, cut cross-wise into 4 chops. Serve with the sauce poured over top. This pork is particularly delicious served with **soft polenta and ***braised kale.
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Notes
Brining is optional but it adds tremendous moisture and flavor to the pork, so I highly recommend it.
The salt used in the brine is weighed rather than measured with a measuring cup, as this is the best way for accuracy. And because most salts weigh differently, this also allows you to use any salt you like. Meaning that if you were going to use kosher salt, you would need more than 1/2 cup to measure 120 g as kosher salt is much lighter than table salt. However, it is also much more expensive than table salt which is why we use table salt.
*Berkshire pork is a what is known as the Kobe beef of pork. It has more taste, richness and juiciness than regular pork. To read more about Berkshire pork, visit our blog at blog.nac.rouxbe.com
**Dark Chicken Stock - nac.rouxbe.com/recipes/800/text
***Soft Polenta - nac.rouxbe.com/recipes/39/text - I used an extra cup of liquid for the polenta, just for a softer texture.
****Braised Kale - nac.rouxbe.com/recipes/1833
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Comments
I never thought there would be such a big difference with Berkshire Pork. This whole meal was a highlight of the month for me at home - including the sides. Try it and at a minimum, brine your pork roast if not Berkshire, which is much more expensive.
Please advise where I can get this fantastic pork.
Thanks.
Faye
Not sure where you live, but if you call your local butcher they may be able to point you in the right direction.
What city do you live in? If in Vancouver, I know you can buy it at Armando's Finest Meats on Granville Island (Armando is fantastic).
Did I miss something? When you say to "add the stock" -- what do you recomend? Will good old chicken stock be okay? And, how much?
If I can, I always use homemade chicken stock, this way I can control the salt. If you don't have any on hand, just use a good stock that is low in sodium, this way you will have more control over the saltiness.
For this dish I used a dark chicken stock for added richness, but you could also use vegetable stock, veal stock, or just a white chicken stock.
As for how much to use, (good catch, I forgot to add it...oops!), about 1 cup should be enough.
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out...