Pot Roast with Cider-Maple Gravy

Ah, pot roast.  How comforting you are.  Gravy, how I loathe thee.  Gravy in general grosses me out.  It's thickened fat.  I don't think so.  But I had a roast that needed to be eaten, and I wanted to try something new.  I found this recipe in a handout from the Kansas Beef Council.  Although I don't usually touch gravy with a 10 foot pole, cider-maple gravy sparked my curiosity.  I like cider.  I like maple.  Maybe I would like cider-maple gravy. 

It was actually pretty good.  Don't tell anyone I said that.  I was a little afraid it would be too sweet, but it had the perfect hint of maple.  And it was super easy to make.  Like all pot roasts, it took some time, but almost no effort.  Don't tell anyone.

Simply brown the roast in a little olive oil.

Add some cider and beef stock to your pot and let it roast for 2-3 hours. 

Remove the roast and make gravy out of the sauce.  

 Strain the fat (yes!), and add a mixture of cornstarch and water.  Boil it until thickened.  Mine was a little thick.  Add some water if you have a similar problem.  The recipe called for 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.  I used three.  I'm crazy like that.

Top the roast with the gravy.  Secretly enjoy it.  I served this with honey-roasted sweet potatoes.  I had a nice little sweet theme going. 

Pot Roast with Cider-Maple Gravy

Ingredients:

1 beef Bottom Round or Pump Roast (3-4 lbs)

3/4 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 cup beef broth

3/4 cup apple cider

3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

Press pepper evenly over all sides of roast.  Heat olive oil in large pot until hot.  Place roast in pot and brown all sides evenly.  Drain drippings.

Season roast with salt.  Add broth and cider; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until fork tender.

Remove roast; keep warm.  Skim fat from cooking liquid.  Stir in cornstarch mixture and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

Carve roast into thin slices and serve with gravy.