RACK OF PORK WITH HERB MUSTARD CRUST AND ROASTED POTATOES (for six)

For the pork:

one 6-rib, bone-in pork loin (about 4 pounds)

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground paprika

¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

¾ cup packed fresh coarse breadcrumbs (about 2 ounces)

2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon honey mustard

1 cup medium dry white wine

1-1/2 cups homemade or low salt chicken broth

 

For the potatoes:

2-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 2 inch pieces

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

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1.Heat oven to 425*. Trim and excess fat from the pork but leave on an even layer of fat to moisten the meat during cooking. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a small flameproof roasting pan or a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat and brown the fat covered surface of the pork until it turns a deep golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the roast rib side down and roast in the oven, basting occasionally, for 30 minutes.

2. Mix the potatoes in a roasting pan with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Make the topping. In a 10 inch skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the garlic and shallots until soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin and paprika, continue cooking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper.

4. After the pork has roasted for 30 minutes, brush the surface with the mustard and spread with the breadcrumb topping, pressing so it adheres. Turn the oven down to 375*. Return the pork to the oven and add the potatoes alongside it. Continue roasting the pork until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145*, about another 30 minutes. Transfer the meat to a carving board or platter and cover loosely with foil. If the potatoes are done, turn off the oven and leave them in until ready to serve. If they’re not fully cooked, continue roasting them while the pork rests and you prepare the gravy.

5. To make the gravy, put the roasting pan on the stovetop over high heat, add the wine and boil, stirring to dissolve the cooked-on pan juices, until the wine is reduced almost to a glaze. Add the broth and simmer until well flavored, 2 minutes, or longer if necessary. Strain the gravy into a small pan, reheat it, and taste for seasoning.

6. Carve the pork at the table, cutting down vertically between the rib bones to form chops. Pass the gravy separately.

 

adapted from Anne Willan, Fine Cooking Magazine, issue 53