Cider Braised Roast Beef in the Crock Pot (4 Star)

Most Sundays growing up my mom made roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and gravy for dinner. It was always one of my favorite dinners. I've struggled to learn to make my own because it often turned out dry and tough--the dual curse of inept roast cooking. I've finally figured out how to make a fall-apart tender, juicy, savory roast beef and the crock pot is the key. My mom used to always use the oven but that method has only caused me ruin and despair. If you, too, have struggled in your roast-cooking efforts, try this recipe.





Cider Braised Roast Beef

1-2 large onions, peeled and sliced
4-5 lb beef roast (cheap cuts work great in this recipe)
salt and pepper
4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into halves or thirds
6-8 potatoes, peeled and cut into halves
3-4 (or more) cups beef broth
1 cup apple juice concentrate
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, chopped, smashed, pressed--whatever you prefer

This recipe is the kind that is very tweak-able. Use more or less of anything to suit your tastes.

Place the onion in the bottom of a large crock pot. Heavily salt and pepper the roast, rubbing it into the meat. Place the roast on top of the onion. Put the carrots and potatoes around the roast. In a large measuring cup combine the beef broth, apple juice concentrate, and garlic. Pour around the roast. The liquid should cover the roast at least half-way. Add more beef broth, if necessary. Add the bay leaf.

Put the cover on the crock pot and either cook on low for around ten hours, or high for 6-8. Crock pots can vary in temperature quite a bit so it could take more or less time. I like to start mine on high for a couple of hours and then turn it to low for the rest. The roast is done when it falls apart when pulled with a fork and the vegetables are tender.

Gravy

2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon beef base (or to taste)

Remove all meat and vegetables from the pot and place on a platter or serving dishes. Cover while you make the gravy. You can either skim the fat from the top or make the roast a day ahead and then remove the hardened fat and reheat the roast in the crock pot for several hours. Pour all the liquid into a sauce pan and turn heat to high or medium-high. In a small bowl combine 2/3 cup flour and 2/3 cup water. Whisk until smooth and pour into the liquid as soon as it is boiling. Boil and whisk until thickened. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon beef base to season, or to taste.

I like cooking the potatoes with the roast because they absorb the juices and become very flavorful, but sometimes I don't put them in and make mashed potatoes separately instead. Either way, it's very good!

Enjoy!

Turkey Gravy (4 Star)

This post is a little late for Thanksgiving, but I think turkey is great now, too. What's better than a little turkey dinner to warm and cheer up January?

I had some left-over cranberry sauce from the cranberry spread that I made for New Year's and since I had an extra turkey in the freezer that I had bought when they were on sale, I decided it was a great time to make a turkey dinner this week.



This is the recipe I have been using for turkey gravy lately and I adapted it from Prudence Pennywise's recipe. Consider it a simplified version. We love this gravy. It has a hint of apple-y sweetness that is so delicious with the savory herbs and drippings.

Turkey Gravy
adapted from Prudence Pennywise's Apple Cider Gravy

drippings of one 12-16 pound turkey
2/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
2 1/2 cups water
4-6 teaspoons chicken base (I use Better than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base from Costco)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
additional 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup flour
1-2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste)

Pour turkey drippings into a medium to large saucepan. Add the apple juice concentrate, water, chicken base, and herbs and whisk together. Turn heat up to medium-high. While gravy heats up, put 1/2 cup water and flour into a jar or container with a lid that seals tightly and shake until smooth. When gravy is boiling, pour flour and water mixture in and whisk until thickened. Add salt to taste.

Click here for Prudy's original recipe.