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If you love delicious, easy pork tenderloin or roasted rack of lamb, and want an amazing showstopper for a holiday dinner, you NEED to try my Roasted Rack of Pork – this is the best easy recipe that your whole family will love!
This Roasted Pork Rack is incredibly simple to prepare and comes out perfectly anytime thanks to a delicious baste in herb butter and a high-low roasting technique that gives a perfect crunchy crust and juicy middle!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How to Roast a Rack of Pork
This recipe is super simple to make for a holiday dinner, and can be prepped up to a day before. Let pork come to room temperature before roasting if marinating overnight.
Roasted Rack of Pork Ingredients
- Rack of pork brings rich, juicy flavor and natural fat that keeps the roast tender and moist as it cooks.
- Butter helps the herbs and seasonings adhere, adds a silky mouthfeel, and promotes browning.
- Italian herbs blend adds an aromatic mix of earthy, floral, and slightly sweet notes that complement the pork’s richness.
- Salt enhances all the natural flavors and helps create a crisp, golden crust.
- Pepper adds subtle heat and depth.
- Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage infuse the meat with woodsy, savory, and slightly peppery aromas as they roast.
Steps to Roast Rack of Pork
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:
Melt Butter & Toast Herbs
In a small pot, melt butter and add herbs. Dont let burn, remove when mostly melted.
Cover Pork With Herb Butter
Coat rack of pork with herb butter. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Roast High, Then Low
Roast rack of pork at 400F for 20 minutes, until browned. Reduce heat in oven to 350 and cook until 135 degrees F in the fattest part of pork. Avoid bone.
Tips and Tricks For Perfect Roast Rack of Pork
Bring the pork to room temperature for 30–45 minutes before roasting so it cooks more evenly and stays juicier.
Pat the pork completely dry before brushing on the butter—dry meat browns better and gives you that gorgeous crust.
Infuse the butter slowly over low heat to avoid browning it too early; gentle heating pulls out more flavor from the herbs.
Brush on half the herb butter before roasting, and reserve the rest to brush on again halfway through for deeper flavor.
Use bone-in pork whenever possible; the bones help conduct heat more gently and keep the meat moist.
Place the pork on a rack or over the herb sprigs so heat circulates underneath and the bottom doesn’t turn soggy.
Don’t skip the initial 400°F sear—it kick-starts browning and develops more flavor.
Use a meat thermometer and pull the pork at 140–145°F; it will rise a few degrees while resting and stay perfectly tender.
Rest the pork at least 10–15 minutes so the juices redistribute instead of running out when sliced.
Save the pan drippings—they’re perfect for a quick pan sauce or gravy.
Slice between the bones after resting for beautiful, evenly cut chops.
Add garlic to the butter (whole cloves or crushed) for a deeper roasted aroma if you love garlicky pork.
Use coarse salt for a better crust and more even seasoning.
If the bones are frenched, wrap the bone tips in foil to keep them from over-browning while the meat cooks.
Standing Pork Roast Recipe FAQs
A typical 7–8 bone rack takes 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes total, including the initial 20 minutes at 400°F and the remaining time at 350°F. Always rely on a meat thermometer for accuracy.
Pull it from the oven at 140–145°F. It will rise slightly as it rests, giving you perfectly juicy, slightly pink pork.
Not required. Frenched bones look elegant, but the recipe works the same either way. If using frenched bones, wrapping them in foil prevents over-browning.
You can brush it in herb butter and season it up to 12 hours ahead, then refrigerate uncovered for a drier surface and even better browning.
Absolutely! The herb-butter drippings make an excellent base—add stock, wine, or cream to create a quick pan sauce.
Place the pork directly on top of rosemary, thyme, and sage sprigs to lift it slightly and allow air circulation.
Let it rest, then cut between the bones into individual chops using a sharp knife for clean, even slices.
The high heat kick-starts browning and gives the roast a beautiful crust, while the lower temp ensures gentle, even cooking.
No—leave it uncovered to develop a crisp, golden crust.
What to Serve With Standing Pork Roast
The Best Roasted Rack of Pork
Ingredients
- 1 Rack of pork
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp Italian herbs blend
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the Italian herbs blend along with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage to infuse the butter.
- Pat the rack of pork dry with paper towels.
- Brush the melted herb butter all over the pork, making sure it’s well coated.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place additional fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage sprigs around and under the pork in the roasting pan.
- Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes to develop a golden crust.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140–145°F for juicy, slightly pink pork.
- Remove from the oven and let the rack rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
