Roasted Rack of Pork

Not very often, but just every once in a while, it pays off to be a lazy drunkard. This is the case with today's recipe. Bailey was in town and we decided to go out for a nice brunch with the ladies this morning. My sister, my sister-in-law and her mom joined us. I had to go out anyway because I needed rosemary for my gorgeous loin of pork rack I was saving for Sunday dinner. A dinner I was so very excited about cooking too! So we all met for brunch at 11:00 a.m. (yes a.m.) and I would proceed directly to the grocery store from there. I only needed rosemary, but it was key to my pork recipe. So no problem.

Our server approached the table and asked if we wanted drinks. Now did she mean coffee or tea or alcoholic drinks I wondered? I asked her "Is anybody else in this restaurant drinking yet?" "Oh yes!" she said. "Those guys right over there at the bar are drinking." I glanced over and saw two poorly looking fellows with Bloody Mary's clearly drinking off the hangover from what looked like a fabulous night they had on the town the night before. "Sure then." we said. So my sister and I ordered Bloody Caesars. I don't need a hard push when it comes to these things! (I just couldn't shake the feeling though that she marched right into the kitchen and announced that she had some middle-aged morning boozing lushes in her station.)

So we all visited and caught up with each others news. Then we rehashed some old stories that are always fun to tell over and over again. Still no food. Then we started looking at photos on our phones. By now, over an hour had passed, when finally the manager came to our table and announced that they had run out of eggs in the kitchen! Not to be daunted, she told us that they had sent a runner out to the grocery store to buy some eggs, and brunch would be a while longer yet. BUT "the house would be happy to give us a complimentary round of drinks!" Rosemary or vodka? Rosemary or vodka? I knew right then and there that the grocery store would be cancelled by the demon side of my brain. That vodka loving little varmint that just adores screwing up my plans! And even the sensible side of my brain knows a free drink when it's offered one. Hahah so two and a half hours later, we left the restaurant having consumed what was possibly the worst breakfast we've ever had. But jubilant spirits prevailed nonetheless for getting a freebie!

I came home sans rosemary and jumped right on the internet to find an alternate idea for my pork. Usually I make a crust of breadcrumbs, garlic, rosemary, parsley and Dijon. I found a blog on a page called Chef Dennis. (Sorry I don't know how to post a link) but I loved his recipe because it contained all things I had in the house and by now I was feeling lazy and tired and a cooking spree was no longer the priority of the day. A nap was starting to emerge as the best plan for the afternoon.

So here you go. A nice recipe for people who morning drink but can still get a fabulous meal on the table in time for dinner!
1 rack of pork loin
Big, roughly chopped - 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 onion, 5 cloves of peeled garlic
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Put the roughly chopped vegetables in the bottom of the roast pan
Lay the pork over these and rub olive oil all over it
Season with just a tiny bit of salt, pepper and a good amount of Montreal Steak Spice (enough to form a crust)
Bake it for 15 minutes at 450 and reduce the heat to 325 for 2 hours. Uncovered for the whole time.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before you cut it. Cut into chops following the bone just as you would a rack of lamb.

You can serve this with apple sauce if you like or you can make an au jus. Just add a cup of red wine into the pan drippings and simmer it until it reduces a little bit. Strain out all the veg and serve it up. The meat was surprisingly moist, but I'm a gravy type person, so I recommend some additional moisture always.

I served this with scalloped potatoes (that recipe is featured in this blog) and maple glazed carrots.
Delicious and you would never know I boozed the morning away!