55min 4 ppl
Roast Pork Rack with Prunes and Armagnac
120 minutes
4 people
Hardover 60 min or 12+ steps
120 min · 13 steps
Hard: over 60 min or 12+ steps
680 kcalper person
Protein 48g
Carbs 28g
Fats 29g
About this dish
A bone-in pork rack, dry-brined overnight for deep seasoning, roasted over a bed of aromatic vegetables until the fat cap turns burnished and crackling. Agen prunes steeped in Armagnac lend rich, boozy sweetness to the pan sauce, finished with a swirl of cold butter for a glossy, restaurant-worthy result.
Allergy Info
Dairy, Celery, Sulphites, Mustard
Diet Info
Meat
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- Fresh thyme leavesstripped1 tsp
- Garlic clovesminced3 cloves
- Onionpeeled and roughly chopped1 large
- Carrotsroughly chopped2 medium
- Celeryroughly chopped2 stalks
- Fresh thyme sprigs3 sprigs
- Flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped1 tbsp
Meat & Poultry
- Pork rackbone-in, 4 bones, chine bone removed by butcher1.4 kg
Dairy & Eggs
- Unsalted buttercold, cubed30 g
Tins & Jars
- Chicken or veal stockunsalted250 ml
Dried Goods
- Pitted Agen prunes200 g
Spices & Seasonings
- Fleur de sel2 tsp
- Black pepperfreshly ground1 tsp
- Bay leaves2 leaves
Oils & Condiments
- Dijon mustard1 tbsp
- Olive oil2 tbsp
- Armagnac120 ml
- Dry white wine250 ml
Utensils
- Meat thermometer
- Roasting tin
- Wire rack
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Sharp knife
Method
1
Mix the fleur de sel, pepper, thyme leaves, garlic, mustard and olive oil into a paste. Score the fat cap of the pork rack in a 2cm crosshatch, cutting through the fat but not the flesh, then work the paste over the whole rack and into the scores.
Approx. 10 minutes
2
Set the rack uncovered on a wire rack over a tray and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to dry-brine.
Approx. 720 minutes
3
Take the pork out of the fridge an hour before roasting so it loses its chill.
Approx. 60 minutes
4
Tip the prunes into a bowl with the Armagnac and leave to soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Approx. 120 minutes
5
Heat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan). Scatter the onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs and bay leaves over a heavy roasting tin to make a bed, then set the pork rack on top, fat-side up.
Approx. 10 minutes
6
Roast for 20 minutes, until the fat cap is deeply golden and audibly crackling.
Approx. 20 minutes
7
Turn the oven down to 170°C (150°C fan) and pour the white wine into the base of the tin. Roast for a further 50-60 minutes, basting the fat every 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the loin reads 63°C.
Approx. 55 minutes
8
Lift the rack onto a warm platter, tent loosely with foil and rest for 15-20 minutes - the centre will climb a few degrees further as it rests.
Approx. 18 minutes
9
Set the roasting tin over two burners on medium-high heat, pour in the stock and bring to a brisk simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the base with a wooden spoon.
Approx. 5 minutes
10
Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the vegetables to extract every drop, then discard the solids.
Approx. 3 minutes
11
Add the Armagnac-soaked prunes and their liquor to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Approx. 9 minutes
12
Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter, cube by cube, until the sauce turns glossy. Season to taste and stir through the parsley.
Approx. 3 minutes
13
Carve the rack between the bones into four chops, arrange on warm plates and spoon the prune and Armagnac sauce generously over the top.
Approx. 5 minutes
