The Sweet Ingredient For The Best Pot Roast You've Ever Tasted

When making a heavy dish such as pot roast, the result needs to have a balance of flavors. After the first couple of bites, those deeply savory meat drippings might leave you craving something to cut through the richness. Some folks like to serve a pot roast with horseradish, which brings freshness, tang, and often sinus-clearing spiciness; others, however, might prefer a counterbalance that's a bit milder. 

Enter applesauce. Not only does the ingredient lend a subtle sweetness and tartness to both beef and pork pot roasts, but it also creates wondrous textures. Like many fruits, apples contain enzymes that break down tough meat proteins, which help to make beef tender and juicy. A bonus of opting for applesauce over whole apples is that there's no peeling or chopping needed. 

If you're wary of the combination, rest assured that cooks have been pairing apples with meat for centuries. Case in point: The history of eating pork with applesauce dates back to the 14th century. If we may be so bold, pairing applesauce with pot roast might just result in you making the best pot roast you've ever tasted. 

If you use a slow cooker or a Dutch oven to make your roast, including applesauce is easy. After the meat is braised, simply add 4 ounces of applesauce — the amount in a pre-packaged cup — to the pot, along with the rest of the ingredients and enough water or stock to cover the roast about halfway up. Using such a small amount of applesauce in your roast won't produce a strong apple taste. Rather, it will leave the meat with a tender texture and the slightest hint of sweetness to tame the often powerful pungency of beef fat. 

If you bake your roast in your oven, the applesauce can be used as a glaze that provides a sweet coating to the savory roast. The applesauce can be combined with ingredients such as brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, seasonings and spices, and Dijon mustard; brush the mixture over the top of the roast during the last part of the roasting process.

You don't have to limit the inclusion of applesauce to only the cooking process, either. You can also serve it on the side, to be spooned over the roast when it's plated. Serve applesauce as is, or mix in a spoonful of creamy horseradish and some chopped parsley for a fresh kick. This is a great option if you're not ready to infuse your entire roast with apple flavor, as it lets you control the amount of applesauce that makes it onto your plate. 

Just as apples do wonders for the texture and flavor of pot roast, so too do many other fruits and fruit-based sauces. Summer stone fruit like tart cherries and juicy peaches, plums, and apricots would all be delicious, as would a more acidic (read: tenderizing) fruits like pineapple. To keep it simple, just cut your fruit into chunks and add it to your roast as you would with applesauce. 

Still into the idea of using apples but you don't want to wrangle a whole rump roast? There are plenty of other ways to pair apples with beef. For a meal that's just as flavorful and comforting, try adding applesauce or fresh apples and a dash of apple cider to your next beef stew. With carrots and onions in the mix, the fruit will make for a cozy, autumnal take on a classic. 

Recipes for Moroccan tagine with apples and beef abound, often featuring prunes, apricots, and other sweet fruits. Some Persian stews with lamb or beef shank also call for apples, which pair beautifully with ingredients like saffron and mint. Oh, and if you happen to prefer apple chutney to applesauce or whole apples, that's also fair game. The sweet and sour condiment — which is tangier and chunkier than traditional applesauce — can add an unexpected punch of flavor to stew and other beef dishes.