Pellet Smoker Pork Rib Roast with Herb Crust
This smoked pork rib roast is an impressive centerpiece with tender, juicy meat, a deeply browned fat cap, and a savory fresh-herb crust. A Frenched bone-in pork roast is dry-brined overnight, coated with Dijon mustard, butter, sage, rosemary, and thyme, then slowly smoked over cherry and hickory wood. Once the center approaches its finishing temperature, the roast is moved over high heat to blister the fat and set the crust without overcooking the pork. The result is a flavorful roast with a slight blush in the center, plenty of moisture, and thick bone-in chops that are perfect for a holiday meal or special occasion.
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Ingredients
- 1 Frenched bone-in pork rib roast, approximately 5–6 pounds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose barbecue seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon softened butter or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 1 small pinch ground nutmeg, optional
- 2 tablespoons all purpose rub
- Cherry and hickory smoking pellets or wood
Directions
Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels. Season all sides evenly with kosher salt, then place the roast uncovered on a wire rack over a tray. Refrigerate for 12–24 hours.
Remove the roast from the refrigerator while the smoker preheats. Allow it to rest at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, lightly score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern. Cut only through the surface fat and avoid cutting deeply into the meat.
Preheat the smoker to 225°F using a cherry-forward blend of smoking wood or pellets. A mixture of approximately 70 percent cherry and 30 percent hickory provides good color and a balanced smoke flavor.
In a small bowl, combine Dijon mustard, softened butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, garlic, white pepper, and optional nutmeg. Mix until a smooth herb paste forms.
Apply a light, even coating of all-purpose barbecue seasoning over the pork roast. Spread the herb paste over the meat and fat cap, pressing it gently into the scored surface.
Place the roast bone-side down in the smoker. Position the rib bones toward the cooler side of the cooker and the thicker portion of the meat toward the hotter exhaust side. Insert a temperature probe into the center of the thickest section without touching a bone.
Smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches approximately 135°F. Keep the smoker closed as much as possible and do not spritz the roast.
Remove the roast from the smoker and leave it uncovered or very loosely tented while increasing the cooker temperature to 475–500°F. Prepare the grill for direct high heat if necessary.
Return the roast to the hot grill and sear it with the lid open. Rotate the roast every 2–3 minutes, searing both the fat-cap side and the bone side until the exterior is deeply browned and the fat cap is blistered.
Check several areas of the roast with an instant-read thermometer. Remove it from the heat when most of the thickest sections register in the low-to-mid 140s and the exterior has developed a dark, well-set crust. Avoid continuing to sear solely to raise a cooler isolated reading, as the herb crust can begin to burn.
Loosely tent the roast with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Carryover cooking should bring the center to approximately 145–150°F.
Slice between the rib bones to create thick bone-in pork chops. Follow the angle of the bones while slicing, and verify doneness in several portions because bone-in roasts may cook unevenly.
Serve immediately. The pork should be tender and juicy with a slight blush in the center and a crisp, deeply flavored herb crust.
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