Rack of Pork.......with walnuts, orange and rosemary

This recipe was made at the Celebrated Chefs Alumni Summit in Chicago by my class of Celebrated Chefs, Chef Michael Foley, Rhys Lewis, Charles Wiley, Suzette Gresham - Tognetti and myself. It was a true honor to be picked by the pork industry to represent them and there growers. I serve center of the plate pork entrees in all of my restaurants and utilize pork in every means possible. Pork lends itself to so many different types of preparations the possibilities are endless. That was a great competition, lots of fun and it was great to see all the amazingly talented Chefs assembled in one place....
This recipe is delicious and very simple to prepare, perfect for this time of year as well.  Enjoy............

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt

Ground white pepper

2 tbsp dried rosemary

1 cup whole walnuts

½ tsp garlic powder

1 egg
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cloves minced garlic

To prepare the racks of pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over high heat. Season the racks of pork with salt and pepper (I use fresh ground sea salt and ground white pepper). Sear the racks on all sides until nicely browned. Remove racks to a platter and allow to cool enough to handle. At this point preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the walnut crust: Put dried rosemary into a food processor and pulse several times to grind, If you don’t do this the rosemary pieces will be too large. Add walnuts, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of white pepper, and garlic powder. Pulse several times until mixture is the consistency of bread crumbs. Pour mixture onto a large dinner plate or a platter.

To make the mustard mixture: In a dish combine the egg, mustard and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Mix well with a fork until egg and mustard are completely incorporated.

To coat the racks of pork: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Once the racks are cool enough to handle, place 1 rack in the mustard mixture and coat all sides. Next place the coated rack into the walnut mixture and coat well. Using your hand press the walnut mixture firmly onto the coated rack. Transfer rack to the baking sheet. Repeat steps for each rack. You can make the recipe to this point and place in refrigerator until ready to cook.

To cook: Place the racks of pork into the oven and roast for 30 minutes for medium well. I use a temperature probe in one of the racks, and remove meat from oven when it registers between 150 to 155 degrees F. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.