Recipe of the Week: Walnut-Crusted Pork Rack with Sage Pan Sauce and Apple Chutney

A bone-in pork rib roast is a wonderful Sunday roast. The loin is a very tender cut, and roasting it on the bone provides plenty of opportunity to eat the most delicious bits of meat around each rib. This recipe (adapted from Cooking Meat, my book about my favourite subject) calls for a delicious walnut crust, which gives this dish a very cool-weather feel.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4-bone pork rib roast, skin-off
To taste: salt and pepper 

Walnut Crust

1 cup walnuts, shelled
½ cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Chutney

½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup packed brown sugar
4 tart apples, peeled and cut in small dice
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Pan Sauce

1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 sage sprigs
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 Tbsp butter, cold, diced

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have a roasting pan with an elevated roasting rack ready.

2. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Place the roast on the roasting rack and place the pan on the center rack in the oven. Roast your skinless pork until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 140°F, about 1.5 hours. 

3. While the roast is cooking, make the walnut crust. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a baking tray and roast in the oven alongside the pork until golden brown. This only takes a few minutes, so keep a close eye on them in case they burn. Cool the nuts slightly, then place the roasted walnuts in a food processor, add the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste, and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the honey and mustard until well combined.

5. To make the chutney, place the vinegar and sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring  occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Place the apples in a bowl, add the water and lemon juice, and coat the apples well to prevent discoloration. Add the apples, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, salt, and cinnamon to the sweetened vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the apples are tender and the mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a small bowl, and set aside to cool.

6. To apply the walnut crust, remove the roast from the oven after 1¾ hours. Brush the meat with the honey-mustard mixture, then sprinkle the walnut mixture all over the roast, patting it down into the honey-mustard. Return the roast to the oven for another 15 minutes. The roast is ready when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145°F.

7. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes while you make the pan sauce.

8. To make the pan sauce, spoon off most of the fat from the roasting pan, leaving about 2 tbsp, and place the pan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and sage, stirring every few minutes until they are translucent and scraping up the roasted bits from the bottom of the pan. When the onions are slightly caramelized, deglaze with the cider (or apple juice) and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring it to a simmer. Season to taste, then turn off the heat and gradually add the butter, whisking until the sauce is emulsified. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a  gravy boat.

9. To carve the roast, use a slicing knife to remove the loin from the rib bones, then cut the pork loin into slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Cut between each rib bone to separate them. Arrange the ribs alongside the sliced loin, and serve with the chutney and sauce on the side.