Name: Roast pork rack with spiced apple sauce and apple-Brussels sprout salad
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 115 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tbsp finely chopped thyme, plus; 1 tsp extra for pan-gravy; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil; 1 pork rack (about 2.4kg with 8 cutlets), skin scored; 2 onions, thickly sliced; 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally; 150 ml white wine; 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; Roast potatoes with rosemary, to serve; Spiced apple sauce; 310 ml each white wine and white wine vinegar; 275 gm caster sugar; 2 each cinnamon quills, star anise and bruised cardamom pods; 2 each sprigs thyme and bay leaves; 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped; Apple-Brussels sprout salad; 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil; 1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus 2 tsp juice; 300 gm Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 2 golden shallots, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 3 small pink lady apples, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 1 cup each (loosely packed) parsley and mint

The combined flavours of roast pork and apple are a classic winner. We’ve gone for a pickled take on apple sauce, scented with warming spices – star anise, cinnamon and cardamom – to gently offset the richness of the pork and salty crackling crust. Start this recipe two days ahead.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp finely chopped thyme, plus

1 tsp extra for pan-gravy

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil

1 pork rack (about 2.4kg with 8 cutlets), skin scored

2 onions, thickly sliced

1 head of garlic, halved horizontally

150 ml white wine

500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Roast potatoes with rosemary, to serve

Spiced apple sauce

310 ml each white wine and white wine vinegar

275 gm caster sugar

2 each cinnamon quills, star anise and bruised cardamom pods

2 each sprigs thyme and bay leaves

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped

Apple-Brussels sprout salad

80 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus 2 tsp juice

300 gm Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced on a mandolin

2 golden shallots, thinly sliced on a mandolin

3 small pink lady apples, thinly sliced on a mandolin

1 cup each (loosely packed) parsley and mint

Method

Combine garlic, thyme, lemon zest and half of the olive oil in a bowl and season generously with pepper. Rub marinade into flesh of pork, then place, skin-side up, on a tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate, uncovered, to dry out skin (1-2 days).

For spiced apple sauce, combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until apples are tender (7-8 minutes). Cool in liquid and refrigerate overnight to pickle. Next day, drain apples (discard pickling liquid, herbs and spices). Transfer apples to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until required. Spiced apple sauce will keep refrigerated for 2 months.

Bring pork rack to room temperature (2 hours). Using a Stanley knife, score skin at 3mm intervals (see note). Rub remaining oil and 1 tbsp fine sea salt into cuts.

Preheat oven to 230°C fan-forced. Place onions and garlic in the base of a large deep roasting pan and place pork, skin-side up, on top. Roast pork until crackling forms (35-45 minutes). Reduce oven to 140°C fan-forced; roast until internal temperature reaches 60°C on a meat thermometer (40-50 minutes). Remove pork rack from roasting pan and set aside to rest (20 minutes). Strain fat from pan. Squeeze garlic from its skin into pan. Place pan over medium-high heat. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half (2-3 minutes). Add stock and cook until reduced to a gravy (10-12 minutes). Strain into a serving jug; whisk in mustard and remaining thyme.

Meanwhile, for apple-Brussels sprout salad, whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl and season to taste. Add remaining ingredients and gently toss to dress.

Arrange pork on a large serving platter with roast potatoes. Serve with spiced apple sauce and apple-Brussels sprout salad on the side.

Note

Ask your butcher to score the pork rind for you.

Allow extra time for drying out and pickling — refer to the method for details.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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