Roasted Sweet and Sour Rack of Pork with Sticky Pineapple and Ginger

, from Issue #43. August, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Roasted Sweet and Sour Rack of Pork with Sticky Pineapple and Ginger

This succulent pork roast with its golden crust is taken to another level with the sweet/sour pineapple that reduces to a rich, sticky glaze.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

1 x 6 bone rack of pork, skin-off (we use Freedom Farms)
kitchen string

Spice paste
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Pineapple
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 2 cm pieces (you need 3 cups of pineapple)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Spice paste: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Pork: Holding a knife against the bones, cut downwards for about 3-4 cm to separate the meat from the bone and create a pocket, but not cutting all the way through. Leave the bottom of the meat attached to the bone.

Season the inside of the pocket then spread with a couple of tablespoons of the paste.

Tie the meat back onto the bones with kitchen string and spread with the remaining paste.

To cook: Combine the pineapple, brown sugar and vinegar in a roasting dish and place the pork in the centre. Roast for 1 hour, covering the top of the pork loosely with a piece of foil after 30 minutes to prevent it burning and stirring the pineapple occasionally. If the juices are still quite thin and the pork is cooked, remove the pork to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm. Return the pineapple to the oven and cook until reduced and sticky.

Rest the pork for 5 minutes before carving, then spoon over the glazed pineapple. 

Cook’s tip: use tinned pineapple in juice if fresh is not available.