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About This Pork Ribeye Roast Recipe
Our recipe instructs you to prepare a company worthy pork ribeye roast with unmatched succulence and an appetizing crust.
You can then effortlessly carve it into chops or slice it on the thinner side before you drizzle it with a pan sauce prepared in just a couple of minutes from the drippings from the roast.
A single thick cut pork ribeye chop - roughly the equivalent of 5-6 oz, when accompanied by the sauce is a sufficient protein serving for most. More enthusiastic carnivores with a healthy appetite might easily defeat two chops in one sitting - this roast does deliver by way of flavor and tenderness.
Ultimately, how thick you carve the roast and how many pork ribeye chops you serve is up to you.
What is a Pork Ribeye?
Pork ribeye is a lean cut from the smaller, ribs area end of the whole pork loin. It is relatively juicy owing to the fact that it contains some dark rib meat with fat marbling and can easily be prepared as a roast. It is also commonly pre-cut and sold as pork boneless chops.
The pork ribeye we used for this demonstration is from a Berkshire breed animal and was simply a glorious cut. Berkshire pork is well-known for its richly flavored meat and showcases the essence of pork taste. But regardless of the breed, this cut of pork does not disappoint.
The Secret to Extra Juicy Ribeye Pork Roast
The secret to cooking a pork ribeye roast that is exceptionally moist and flavorful is to brine the meat first.
Brining your roast before you cook it is by far more important than the seasoning you will use or the exact temperature you will cook it at.
You might feel like this is not an absolutely necessary step because pork ribeye roast is a good cut of meat with a certain degree of natural juiciness.
However, most of that inherent moisture is diminished by the dry heat of the oven which brings the virtues of brining into focus.
All lean meat, especially pork, benefits from a brine soak prior to being introduced to the high heat of an oven (or grill, smoker or stove top cooking).
Brining, or in other words immersing the roast in a saline solution further flavored with brown sugar and peppercorns (or other flavors), has two main advantages.
- as the salt in the solution enters the meat it partially dissolves and shortens the proteins supporting the muscle filaments. In result, after cooking the meat becomes even more tender.
- the loosened meat then absorbs and holds more of the brine, increasing its weight up to 10%. So once exposed to the oven heat the pork loses the moisture introduced by the brine first and then some of its own, but finishes much juicier than if not brined.
If you are interested in learning more about brining smaller pork cuts consult our comprehensive post on Brine for Pork Chops.
NOTE: You must budget for the time needed for brining. Ideally, you will brine the pork ribeye overnight and up to 24 hours before you cook it. To make the process easier we have a trick - use part boiling water and part ice cubes. The brine will cool down MUCH faster and you can submerge the pork in it earlier than if you boiled all the water.
How to Cook Pork Ribeye
Review the pictures below for an illustration of the step-by-step process of cooking ribeye pork. A printable summary follows in the Recipe Card.
We use a spice rub composed of dried oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika (you can use smoked if you wish) and ground black pepper. The spice rub should not contain salt because the meat is already salted from the brine.
Brine. Begin by making the solution. The fastest way is to dissolve the kosher salt and brown sugar into boiling water (with peppercorns added) then pour that mixture over ice so the brine cools down faster. Submerge the pork into the cool brine, in a suitable non-reactive container, cover it and place it in the fridge.
Prep. After 12 to 24 hours remove the ribeye pork from the brine and pat it dry. Allow it to reach room temperature by leaving it on the counter for 20-30 minutes. During that time boldly apply the seasoning rub and preheat your oven to 400 F.
Sear and roast. Sear the pork on all sides over medium-high heat. Then place it in the oven for about 30 minutes OR until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F to 150 F when measured in the center of the roast with a meat thermometer. We suggest that you use an appropriately sized cast iron skillet or similar heavy bottomed pan to roast the pork in - you can use the same skillet to sear the meat first (AND make a pan sauce at the end).
Rest and make the sauce. Once your ribeye pork reaches the recommended temperature take it out of the oven, loosely tent it with foil and allow it to rest. The residual heat will continue to cook it and take it to 155 F or just over and it will be perfect and not at all overcooked! While it is resting, make a sauce from the drippings in the pan.
NOTE: Resting is also beneficial to the ribeye pork as its meat fibers have time to relax and the sides of the roast can reabsorb the juices pushed towards the center during cooking. This renders the roast uniformly juicy and when you begin slicing it the juices previously concentrated in the center will not be leaking out.
How to Make the Pan Sauce
While the roast is resting place the skillet in which you cooked it (or roasting pan if you used one) over a medium-high heat stove. Deglaze with 1 cup of beer or white wine and scrape the brown bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to allow the liquid to reduce by half. Add Dijon mustard and a few lumps of butter and turn off the heat. Whisk gently until the butter has melted and your sauce is ready to enjoy! Keep it warm.
NOTE: The pan sauce adds richness to the lean meat and amplifies the flavors of the crust. We highly recommend that you take the few extra minutes to make it.
Serve the Ribeye Pork
Once the ribeye pork roast has rested for about 10 minutes tented, go ahead and slice it as thick as you desire. Because it is so juicy, we suggest thicker chops as shown above, about an inch.
Dish up the slices over a platter and make a spectacle of drizzling the delicious pan sauce:) Fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano or sage are a wonderful savory garnish.
Suitable sides: Mashed potatoes, white rice, rice pilaf, roasted or sauteed vegetables, roasted potatoes, garlic green beans, roasted onions, sauteed broccolini or whatever calls you!
Storage and Reheating
To store leftover ribeye pork wait until it has completely cooled down and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Store any leftover sauce separately.
To reheat it is best to gently sear slices, over medium heat with a bit of olive oil and then to add a tablespoon of water (the steam it produces will add moisture to the meat and heat it through). A great way is to cut the leftovers into strips and reheat as just described. You can then serve the tender pork strips over rice or even a noodle bowl (for example recreate this Pork Belly Ramen but with ribeye pork strips.
We do not recommend that you freeze leftovers of this roast. Thawing followed by reheating will subtract from the qualities of the meat and diminish its merits. It is also not very likely that you will have leftovers in the first place...
Recipe
Pork Ribeye Roast with Spice Rub and Pan Sauce
Ingredients
RIBEYE ROAST
- 2.5 lbs to 3 lbs pork ribeye roast
- ¼ cup kosher salt for brine*
- ½ cup brown sugar for brine
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns for brine
- 2 cups water to boil for brine
- 2 cups ice cubes heaping cups, to help brine cool down
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or a bit extra to sear pork ribeye
- ¼ cup spice rub**
PAN SAUCE
- roast drippings
- 1 cup dark beer OR ½ cup white wine OR 1 cup broth***
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- The night before you will roast the pork ribeye make the brine. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the kosher salt, brown sugar and peppercorns. Stir until dissolved and pour over the 2 ½ cups of ice cubes, in a non-reactive container large enough to hold the liquid and the roast.
- Once the ice has melted sumberge the roast, cover the container and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
- About half an hour before you intend to begin roasting take out the pork and pat it dry with paper towel. Discard the brine. Mix the spice rub, apply it generoulsy (if you need more than ¼ cup, mix a bit extra) and let the roast sit on the counter for 20 to 25 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- In a suitably sized cast iron skillet or similar heavy bottomed and oven safe pan heat the olive oil over medium-high. Patiently sear the pork ribeye on all sides until nicely browned. Situate it with the fat cap on top and place it in the oven.
- Roast until the internal temperature measured with a meat thermometer in the center of the pork ribeye registers within the range of 145 F-150 F. This should be within 30 or 40 minutes, depending on the weight of the roast and the strength of your oven. Once within that range, remove the roast from the oven, place it on a cutting board or platter and tent it with foil.****Rest for about 10 minutes.
- While the pork is resting make the pan sauce. Place the pan with the drippings over a medium-high heat stove and deglaze with beer or wine or broth. Scrape all brown bits from the bottom and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half and add the Dijon mustard and butter. Stir and turn off the heat. Keep warm until you serve the roast.
- Slice the pork ribeye into boneless chops (thicker is better) and drizzle with the pan sauce. Enjoy!
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