Bone-in pork loin roast, can I make the chine go away?

[lisaluvstocook]

Good evening fine peeps! You guys helped me throw a completely kick ass Thanksgiving, now my New Year's Day dinner needs your help!

This time, I am pretty comfy cooking everything on my menu. Even though this is my first time cooking a bone-in loin roast, I am very familiar with pork and I am confident that I can produce a good final product. However, the chine bone confuses me, and I need your expert advice.

I purchased the roast today for $1.98/lb., excellent price for my area. It is just over 6 lbs., and was purchased from a discount type grocery store, think Aldi's or SaveALot, with no butcher's counter per se. Always trying to think ahead, as I put the roast in the freezer for a few days I noticed that the chine bone was still completely intact. Google informed me that it is best to have the butcher remove it, or notch it for easy carving. Of course I didn't have the ability to do either.

Now my question comes as to how to carve the finished roast. Do I attempt to remove the chine bone prior to roasting? Can I do this with normal kitchen knives/cleaver? I know bones add flavor, blah blah, and I fully intend on leaving at least the rib bones intact. I have seen shows where they slice the finished roast from the bones as a whole, but then you basically end up with a roasted pork loin, I would like to slice bones intact.

Any ideas? Remove or not? If remove, how do I do that without completely butchering this pretty roast? Can I notch it with standard kitchen equipment? All ideas welcome. As always, thanks again for your advice!

 

[Andy M.]

Removing the chine bone is performed with a saw by professionals on a closed course. Don't try this at home.

Roast it with the bones. Your best bet for carving may be to cut in between the meat and all the bone to remove the roast all in one piece (making it a boneless roast) leaving the bone structure behind in one piece. Then slice the roast as you like. Trying to cut between the bones will frustrate you and dull your knives.

 

[BigAL]

I agree with Andy. Trying to cut bone in chops after it's cooked really hurts presentation, too. (in my case it did anyway) Although next time i'm thinking of try'n out the recip saw. saw a guy use one on DDD and thought it was a good idea. one big ol elec knife.

 

[Bigjim68]

You can use a recip saw or a band saw if you have one.

But don't tell the food police.

 

[lisaluvstocook]

Blah, I pretty much figured as much. I have a band saw but I don't much fancy losing digits during the holidays. Thanks guys!

 

[buckytom]

i'm probably too late, but i noticed you mentioned a cleaver.

i you have a good, sharp, heavy cleaver, you can seperate a finished, rested roast. it's not that hard but you have to be confident in your stroke with the cleaver. slice down an end chop, seperate a bit, curl your fingers back and
give it a whack. you'll ne surprised at how easy youc can go tbrough an inch of bone with a heavy, sharp, cleaver and a little (single handed, lol) abandon.