Peel and dice 2 of the onions.

Place the onions, bay leaves, black peppercorns, rosemary, cloves, juniper berries, vinegar, apple cider, 2 cups of the vegetable broth and the roast in a pot or casserole dish with a cover. (I used a large ziplock bag)

Place the marinated meat in the refrigerator for 2 days. Make sure you turn the roast over after 1 day.

Strain the marinade reserving the liquid.

Pat the roast dry and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour.

Peel and dice the remaining 2 onions.

Liberally salt the roast.

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large dutch oven or skillet that has a cover. You will need room because you are adding the rest of the ingredients to the pan and cooking in the oven. Place the roast in the skillet, sear on all sides and remove it from the pan.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet with the grease from the roast.

Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring until they become transparent.

Add the potatoes to the pan, stirring to coat. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring.

Stir in the tomato paste, flour, dried apple, Cook stirring for about 3 minutes.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and cinnamon stick.

Add one cup of the reserved marinade to the pan and the remaining 1+1/4 cups of the vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil. Add the roast back into the pan. Cover the pan and place in a hot oven on the lowest rack.

Cook for 3 hours, turning the meat over occasionally.

After 2+1/2 hours, add the rest of the marinade to the pan and remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Remove the roast from the pan. Wrap it in aluminum foil and let it rest.

Turn up the oven to 400 degrees and boil the marinade for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Season the marinade with the rest of the maple syrup and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove the cinnamon stick.