You can tell it’s a holiday weekend when Costco restocks the shelves with their Kirkland Signature Rack of Pork. These roasts are perfect for a holiday feast and look impressive when served on the bone.
Costco sells two versions of this product. One is unseasoned and still in the cryovac while the other has been fully seasoned. The coking instructions are the same for either version.
How to Cook a Rack of Pork
Cooking the rack of pork that you get from Costco is incredibly easy because it has already been pumped with a salty pork broth solution that is going to keep the meat extremely juicy and flavorful even if you overcook it a little.
There is a thin fat cap on one side of the roast but you do not need to do anything to it other than add seasoning as it will render while cooking.
Regardless of which cooking method you employ you want to cook the pork to an internal temperature of 140-145F. Anything less than 140F is not safe to eat and going past 145F starts to make the meat dry and tough.
Oven Roasted
Below is a nice video recipe for roasting a rack or pork in the oven along with some root vegetables.
The roast gets coated with a seasoning blend and is roasted at 325F along with the vegetables for about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes. Again, your target internal temperature is 140-145F.
Slow Smoked
I enjoy slow cooking these roasts on my pellet grill to get a little smoke flavor into the meat.
I coat the roast with a sweet/salty/spicy rub and then smoke it at 225F for 2.5 hours or until an internal temperature of 145F is reached. I give the roast a little baste of barbecue sauce right before it comes off the pit for a little more flavor and color.
Slow Smoked Rack of Pork from Costco
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Rack of Pork
- 3 tbsp BBQ Sauce of Choice
- Dry Rub for the Pork
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Remove the rack of pork from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the dry rub ingredients and mix well.
- Coat the pork on all sides with the dry rub.
- Let the pork rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Set the temperature on your pellet grill to 225F using apple or cherry pellets for smoke.
- Put the seasoned rack of pork on the grill and smoke for two hours.
- Baste the pork with the bbq sauce.
- Smoke the pork for another 30 minutes until an internal temperature of 145F is reached.
Notes
How Many People Can You Feed?
This rack comes in a cut that weighs about five pounds and has eight bones. When you subtract the weight of the bones you will have about 4.5 pounds of meat.
A very natural serving size is a thick slice that has one bone. Since there are eight bones per roast then you can carve out eight servings.
The question is, do you want people to be able to have one or two servings?
You can count on feeding eight people with this roast as long as you have plenty of side dishes.
Serving Ideas
If you are still shopping at Costco while you are reading this then head over to the refrigerated section and pick up a package of Reser’s Scalloped Potatoes then head over to the walk in refrigerated veggies and grab a Caesar salad and bag of asparagus. If you really like your carbs then pick up a tray of Costco’s Mac and Cheese!
If you are reading this when you are already home then other great side dishes would be:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Beans
- Cole Slaw
- Potato Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
This rack got served up with a big pile of Tattooed Chef’s Spanish Style Grain Free Rice and sent over to my kids house to fill their fridge and bellies for a few days!
Price
The rack of pork is Item Number 46371 and is found in the refrigerated coolers at the meat department.
The pork costs $3.49 per pound and comes in a five pound package for a total cost of about $18.
I’ve been making this for about 5 or 6 years now, and it’s always a hit. I’ve tried it with some different seasonings, but always come back to just salt & pepper. One thing I can say for sure, if you leave it in the oven until 145, it will be over-cooked.
I sear the fat side for 2 minutes in a 12″ cast iron skillet, flip it over, and put it in a 450* oven for 10 minutes, to make sure the fat is crispy. Then, lower to 300 and cook about 25 minutes, or until 135 on a meat thermometer. Pull from the oven and place on a heated dish, and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 min while you finish your sides, and make a pan sauce from the drippings. Carve, and serve. So simple, but so elegant!