re: Dark gravy from beef roast

To get the right color, I would suggest starting with a tablespoon or a little more of oil, then an equal or little less of sugar and allow that to caramelize. Get it as dark as you dare. Then throw in your seasoned meat and brown the hell out of it. After that, follow any of the other steps suggested to deglaze the pan, but keep the water level low for the first hour or so to really cook down everything, then slowly add some water to make your gravy.