Roasted Rack of Pork

Rack of pork always looks spectacular and is easy to carve, too – it makes for a great main for Christmas dinner. Brining the pork adds texture and flavour, bringing both sweetness and spice to it. 

Ingredients

Brine:

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp peppercorns
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 4 Thai chilies
• 3 litres (16 cups) water

Pork:

• 1 rack of pork (6 chops)
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Method

Combine apple cider and vinegar in a pot with salt, maple syrup, peppercorns, grated ginger and Thai chilies. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add water. Cool completely. Place pork into brine and brine for 24 hours. Remove from brine, rinse off and pat dry. Discard brine. Refrigerate pork for 2 hours to dry off, then bring back to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Place pork on rack in a roasting pan. Combine garlic, lemon rind, mustard and soy sauce and rub all over pork. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F and roast 1 hour longer or until a thermometer reads 150 F for a pink roast. (The time will vary depending on the thickness of the rack.) Let sit for 15 minutes while making sauce.

To make the sauce, pour fat out of roasting pan and add apple cider. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring up all the little bits on the pan. Boil until it begins to get syrupy, about 6 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Stir in cider vinegar and soy sauce. Turn heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened about 6 minutes longer.

Carve the rack into chops to serve.