Recipe by Ethel R. DeTeso - Woburn, Massachusetts

This recipe comes directly out of New England. It was found in a book of recipes called "The Yankee Cook Book" and dates back to at least the 19th century. It was contributed to the book by an Ethel R. DeTeso who lived on Richardson Street in Woburn, Massachusetts back in 1939. The recipe originally came from her great-grandmother who lived on a farm in New Hampshire - and it probably goes back many generations before that.

It's only slightly updated here. For example I substituted olive oil for the original salt pork. (When's the last time you cooked with salt pork?) The notes on the recipe add a bit of extra instruction for rookies. It reads: "Generations of Yankee cooks have been taught that sometime during the cooking, a pot roast should 'catch on' (stick to the pot just enough to brown) thereby giving the gravy richness and savor."

Ingredients

• 3 pound chuck roast
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes (small reds)
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 1 pound boiler onions, peeled
• 3 tablespoons flour

Directions

Season roast liberally with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over high flame. As oil begins to smoke place roast in pot and sear each side of roast for 5 minutes. Add water, peppercorns, salt, parsley, and bay leaf to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 3 hours, turning once. Add vegetables in last half-hour of cooking.

Carefully remove beef to serving platter and cut into 6 equal pieces. With a slotted spoon remove vegetables and arrange around meat; discard bay leaf. Add flour to 1/2 cup of water and mix to make a slurry. Increase heat under pan to high and stir in slurry. Bring gravy to boil, stirring constantly, until thick. Serve gravy on the side.

Serves 6