Apple Cider Pot Roast
Apple Cider Pot Roast is a tender chuck roast slow-braised in apple cider, herbs, and warm spices. This cozy apple cider braised beef roast is perfect for chilly nights and special gatherings.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- small Bowl + Fork
- Tongs
- Serving Platter
Ingredients
For the Pot Roast
- 3-5 pound Chuck Roast
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt. divided
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 stick Butter, divided
- 2 jumbo Sweet Onions, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 4 large sprigs Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dried Sage
- 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried & crushed)
- 1 large Bay Leaf
- 1 6-inch Cinnamon Stick (or a couple small pinches cinnamon powder)
- 5 Whole Cloves (optionl)
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 ½ cups Apple Cider, divided
- 1 Apple
- 1 pound Baby Potatoes, optional
- 1 pound Baby Carrots, optional
To Finish
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 2 Tablespoons of the divided Butter
- ¼ cup of the divided Apple Cider
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, or to taste
Instructions
Brown the Roast
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Salt and Pepper both sides of the roast. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil and the roast. Brown the meat for about 5 minutes per side, or until it gets some good color. Then transfer the roast to a plate and set aside.
Cook the Aromatics
- Add 6 Tablespoons of the butter to the pot and add the chopped onion. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, cloves (if using), and cinnamon stick. Stir well and sauté about 1 minute.
Build the Sauce (soon to become a luscious gravy!)
- Add in the tomato paste and cook it, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in 1 ¼ cups of the apple cider and all of the chicken broth.
- Add the chopped apple. Stir.
- Return the browned roast to the pot and nestle it down in the sauce.
- Add any veggies you are using and fit them in around the roast the best you can.
Cook the Pot Roast Low and Slow
- Cover and cook in a 300°F oven for about 3-4 hours, depending on how large your roast is. I do a 4.5 pound roast about 4 hours. You want it to be fork tender.
- Remove the pot roast and the potatoes, carrots (if used), to a serving platter. set aside while you make the gravy.
- Spoon off of the top some of the excess fat that is on the sauce.
- Remove the herb stems, bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon stick and discard.
Make the Gravy
- Mix together the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and the Flour. You might need to microwave the butter a few seconds to soften it. Then stir well with a fork until smooth.
- Put the pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Pour in the remaining ¼ cup apple cider and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Whisk in the butter-flour mixture using the fork, until dissolved.
- Once the gravy has thickened, turn off the heat and stir in the brown sugar and the salt to taste. Start with half the amount and see if that is good. Add as much or as little as you prefer.
Serve
- You can shred the meat or break it apart in chunks to serve. Serve the roast and vegetables with the gravy on the side or pour some over the top and have the extra at the table.
Notes
Use apple juice if you can't get apple cider.
This recipe works with a pork butt roast, too.
See the blog article for step-by-step instructions and photos.
Approximate Nutrition if using a 4 lb roast and no potatoes or carrots: ~677 calories | 62g protein | 54g fat | 11g carbohydrates | 2g fiber | 7g sugars
Nutrition
Calories: 677kcal
