Pot Roast with Sour Cream Gravy
2-1/2 pounds eye round roast
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
10-1/2 oz. can condensed French onion soup or condensed beef broth, undiluted
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Gravy:
1/2 cup non-fat or light sour cream
3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached flour
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1. Trim the meat of visible fat, rinse with cool water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of the roast with some of the black pepper.
2. Coat a large non-stick Dutch oven or 4-quart pot with non-stick cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Place the meat in the Dutch oven or pot and cook for several minutes or until all sides are nicely browned.
3. Add the undiluted soup, water, sherry, thyme and marjoram to the pot and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours, turning the roast occasionally, until it is tender. Remove the roast to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.
4. To make the gravy, combine the sour cream and 1/2 cup of the pan juices in a blender and blend until smooth. Add flour, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
5. Pour the remaining pan juices into a measuring cup. Add water if necessary to bring the volume up to 1 cup. (If there is more than 1 cup of liquid, return it to the pot and cook uncovered over medium-high heat for a few minutes to reduce the volume to 1 cup.) Return the pan juices to the pot and add the mushrooms. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Slowly add the flour mixture while stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Cook and stir for a minute or two, or until the gravy is thickened and bubbly.
6. Slice the roast thinly across the grain, and serve accompanied by the gravy.