Pork rib roast is an ideal dinner when company’s coming—here’s everything you need to know to make it perfectly so it’s juicy and delicious.
Have you ever made a pork rib roast? If you have, you know that it scores really high on both ease and elegance. It’s a great idea for weekends or company, but it’s simple enough that you don’t have to slave in the kitchen to serve something special.
Don’t you love it when things work out like that? I definitely do.
What Is A Pork Rib Roast?
A pork rib roast is basically a pork loin with the ribs still attached. Another way of thinking about it is a pork rib roast is a pork version of a rack of lamb. Like a rack of lamb, it typically has 8 or 9 ribs. If you were to slice the roast into chops, you’d have 8 or 9 pork rib chops. Unlike a rack of lamb, one pork chop is plenty for one person, so that single pork rack will feed a crowd. (Here’s some info about pork rib roasts from the National Pork Board.)
You probably won’t find a pork rib roast at the supermarket unless you call ahead. So call your butcher and order one, and ask them to french it for you. “Frenching” means trimming the extra meat between the ribs. It’s not imperative, but it makes for a nice presentation. You can do it yourself, but why bother when the butcher will happily do it for you?
Want an even fancier version of this recipe? Try my Pork Crown Roast, which is two of these pork rib roasts in the form of a crown.
Cooking Pork Rib Roast
Since a pork rib roast is basically a pork loin roast with ribs, I use the same cooking method as for my perfect roast pork loin. Since it’s a little more of a special meal, I give it a little extra flavor by seasoning it with a dried herb blend. Use whatever kind you like—Italian herb blend, Herbes de Provence (a French herb blend), or make your own. Here’s a good article from Eating Well magazine about how to do that.
Carve the roast at the table, so your guests can see how pretty it is when it comes out of the oven. – Christine :)
Podcast Episode: Making Pork Rib Roast
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this pork roast, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Perfect Pork Rib Roast Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rest Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Pork rib roast is an ideal dinner when company’s coming—here’s everything you need to know to make it perfectly so it’s juicy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. dried herb blend (Italian herb blend, herbes de Provence, or make your own)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 8-rib center cut pork loin rib roast, ideally frenched (about 5 lbs.) (see notes)
- About 5 ribs celery (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix together the herbs, salt, and pepper. Rub it all over pork.
- Put the pork on a rack in a roasting pan fat side up. If you don’t have a rack use about 5 stalks of celery arranged in the pan.
- Roast until the internal temperature is 145-160°F, 20 to 25 minutes per pound and then remove from oven.
(145°F is considered safe for pork according to the USDA. It will be moist and slightly pink in the center. If you prefer your pork fully white and well done, then go with the 160°F temperature.) - Transfer roast to rimmed plate and cover with foil to rest for 30 minutes. Pour drippings out of pan, rinse out pan, and wipe it down.*
- Meanwhile, increase the oven temperature to 475°F.
- After the 30 minute rest, return roast to oven and roast uncovered until the meat is nicely browned on top, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Carve the roast between the rib bones and serve immediately.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
- Notes: A roast that has been frenched is one where the ribs have been trimmed of extra meat. You can do it yourself, but since you probably have to call ahead for a pork loin rib roast anyway, ask your butcher to do it for you. Frenching isn’t imperative, but it makes for a nice presentation.
- For even more flavorful meat, brine the pork before you roast it. But if you do, cut the salt in this recipe to a little more than 1/2 teaspoon. See this post for how to brine and why it makes such a difference.
*This step is done so that any drippings in the pan don’t burn when you put the pan back into the oven at a hot temperature. You really want a clean roasting pan for that step. If not using the drippings in the roasting pan, just pour them out, rinse the pan, and wipe it dry. If using the drippings to make gravy, first, pour them out of the roasting pan. Then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water or stock to the roasting pan and swish it around. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any flavorful browned bits. Add this liquid to your drippings. Then rinse out the pan and wipe it dry before adding the roast back to the pan.
Even my husband likes it and he is very picky.
Happy to hear he enjoyed it, Lynne!
I have been making pork roasts for decades and this one was the best yet! I requested this cut from the butcher and cooked it to 145 degrees, rested and then browned it. Perfect! Also loved the tip about adding some broth to the pan to prevent the juices from burning. Gravy turned out great.
Thank you!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Barb! Thanks for letting me know how it worked out for you.
I just made this recipe, haven’t had time to sit down and eat it yet as it’s in the browning stage. You mention to leave it uncovered during this stage but you didn’t mention whether or not to cover it for the initial roasting.
I’m curious to how mine will turn out because I didn’t cover it.
Judy, sorry for the confusion. When it’s in the oven, it is always uncovered. It is only covered while resting. Hope you loved it!
Loved this recipe, so easy, quick and delicious! Will use it again!
I’m so glad to hear it, Eileen! Thanks for commenting.
This is a fabulous recipe. The pork was perfectly cooked and very moist and juicy. Definitely a winner!
Thank you, Lynn! I’m thrilled you loved it so much.
Great recipe. Thank you
Kim, I’m so happy you liked it. Thanks for coming back to let me know :-)
When roasting initially, is that covered or uncovered?
You’ll be roasting uncovered, Peter, and just covered it with foil while it rests. Enjoy!
excellent, You probably won’t find a pork rib roast at the supermarket unless you call ahead. So call your butcher and order one, and ask them to french it for you.
Just need some clarification: the 30 min rest time: is that covered in the oven or out of the oven?
Darlene, I’m sorry that was unclear. It is resting outside of the oven for 30 minutes. I have gone and edited the above recipe to make this more clear for future readers. Thank you for taking the time to ask. Questions like yours help me to improve the recipes on the site and make them clearer for everyone. I really appreciate it!
Great advice thank you 😊
You’re welcome, Lynn. I’m so happy it worked well for you!
Beautiful roast for Sunday dinner or any occasion.
Absolutely, Beverly! Thank you for coming back to comment.
OMG! This turned out so good. I carved it into chops right at the table and everyone was really impressed. Thank you!
Connie, That’s so great to hear. I’m delighted that you all liked it!