Lemon and pepper roast pork

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PREP TIME

15 min

Makes

8 to 10 servings

* PLUS Cooking time: 5 minutes, Roasting Time: 120 minutes

Ingredients

1 large onion
8 to 10-rib rack of pork , about 3 kg
1 1/2 bunches fresh thyme
2 cups white wine
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup lemon and pepper seasoning
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
250-mL container 35% cream , about 1 cup (optional)
1 green onion , optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Finely chop onion. Place in a shallow roasting pan slightly larger than pork. Scatter in thyme sprigs. Pour in wine. Mince garlic and place in a small bowl. Stir in lemon-pepper blend, oil and salt. Rub all over pork, except bones. Place in pan, fat side up.
Roast, uncovered, in centre of preheated oven 20 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 325F (160C). Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 150F (66C), about 1 hour 40 minutes.
Remove meat to a carving board. Cover with foil and let stand while preparing sauce. For sauce, discard thyme sprigs. Pour pan juices and onion into a large saucepan or wide frying pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring often, until reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in cream. Continue boiling until sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 6 minutes. Slice green onion and stir in. Slice pork into chops and overlap on a platter. Serve sauce separately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories
409,
Protein
44.5 g,
Carbohydrates
1.5 g,
Fat
24 g,
Sodium
933 mg.

A rack of pork looks and sounds impressive, yet it’s wallet-friendly and sold in most supermarkets. A peppery lemon crust takes minutes to create, and a creamy white-wine sauce is the finishing touch.

Lemon and pepper rub

Lemon and pepper seasoning blend, made by several spice companies, is sold in the spice section of most grocery stores. To make your own, finely grate 5 tbsp (75 mL) peel from 4 lemons. Place in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tsp (10 mL) each dried onion powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) granulated sugar. Stir with oil as above but don’t add more salt. Continue with recipe.

Shopping tip

Look for a rack of pork at the meat counter at your supermarket or ask the butcher to prepare one. If you can’t get a 10-rib rack, use 2 five-rib roasts instead. Roast them the same as the larger one, but reduce the 325F (160C) time to 1-1/4 hours.