The meat that we see in the butcher cases during the year definitely reflects the type of foods we cook during each season. While you may see plenty of bone-in pork loin chops and boneless pork loin roasts throughout the year, the more impressive cuts such as pork rib roast usually only make an appearance for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
What is the Benefit of Cooking a Pork Roast on the Bone?
The easy answer is of course flavor. When pork loin chops are removed from the rib to be sold individually most of the marbling is trimmed and it takes careful attention to cook the chops and keep them succulent, although using Convection does help.
Even though pork has a good amount of marbling keeping the temperature low for most of the cooking is key and those bones really make all the difference in keeping the meat tender and juicy. As Louis Prima famously sang, “ closer to the bone, sweeter is the meat.”
How Easy is it to Carve a Pork Rib Roast?
It's definitely important to think about the carving when you buy the rib roast because you may need help from the butcher to prepare it for easy carving. My butcher kindly removed the meat from the bone and tied it back into place on the bone. That was helpful because I was able to insert some fresh thyme sprigs between the meat and the bone and easily remove the meat for carving.
If you prefer to serve the chops on the bone, then make sure the butcher removes the chine bone so you can easily slice between the ribs. Another option is to ask the butcher to “french” the chops and remove the meat and fat from the bone. That certainly makes for an elegant presentation but you do lose some delectable bits of meat and fat.
What is the Best Target Internal Temperature to Aim For When Cooking a Pork Rib Roast?
I programmed my oven meat probe to reach an internal temperature of 140F and I wouldn’t go higher than that. Remember that gorgeous roast has to rest for 15 to 20 minutes when it comes out of the oven before you can carve it and the internal temperature will continue to rise.
Do I Need to Cook the Roast on a Rack?
When you cook a bone-in rib roast, the ribs form a natural rack so placing the roast on a rack isn’t necessary; however, it is important to use a shallow roasting pan in order that the circulating heated air can penetrate into the meat. If you only have a deeper roasting pan then definitely place the roast on the rack.
A bone-in rib roast makes an impressive centerpiece for a festive meal, just remember the easy steps to success. Remove the meat from the refrigerator a couple of hours before cooking, keep the oven temperature low for most of the cooking and give the roast a nice high-heat finish to achieve a crisp glossy crust. Finally, remember to factor in the resting and carving time.
Another popular meal during the festive season is lobster and in my next post, I will give you tips for cooking lobster tails in the Combi-Steam and Convection ovens.
Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast
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