Recipe: Family Favorite Pot Roast (with electric skillet variation)

Family Favorite Pot Roast (with electric skillet variation)
rec.food.cooking/LaDonna/1996

Here's one I adapted from -Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cookbook- (copyright 1961 with drawings by Andrew Warhol) ENJOY

6-pounds boned beef rump pot roast
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoons pepper
2 Tbsp shortening

1 large yellow onion peeled and sliced (thickly)
4 medium potatoes, cut into 8 pieces (peel if you want)
8 medium carrots, scraped and cut into 2" lenghts
4 stalks of celery, cut into 1" lengths

Sprinkle beef with flour, coating all sides. Brown 15 - 20 min. in shortening in heavy kettle or Dutch oven {I like to use my 5 Qt. Cast Iron Dutch oven} over moderate heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper as it browns. Add about 1 C. water, cover tightly and let simmer over low heat for 3 1/2 hours, turning the roast occasionally. {I put the roast in the oven @ 325F rather than doing it on the stove, which is why I like my cast iron}

After 3 1/2 hours, add onion, carrot, potatoes and celery. Cover and simmer {or bake} 1 hour longer or until beef is tender and veggies are done. Add hot water if more liquid is needed. Remove roast to warmed platter, surround with veggies. Serve at once, unless making gravy, {in which case keep roast & veggies warm in oven}.

TO MAKE GRAVY
Skim fat from pot broth, add enough boiling water to make 2 1/2 cups gravy. Stir 2 Tbsp flour into about 1/2 cup of this broth, then stir into the pot. Let boil 2 or 3 minutes, stirring smoothly. Season as needed. Serve hot with roast and veggies.To make in an electric skillet:
Just a side note -- my mother makes her pot roast in her big (11x13-inch ??) electric skillet. That works GREAT in the summer when you don't want the oven adding any heat to the house. Again, same length of time at about 325F. Add veggies until you can just get the lid on the skillet tightly.