My husband says this tastes better than the local pub's version. Just 4 ingredients for melt-in-your-mouth beef with a rich, dark sauce.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient beer braised pot roast is my answer to classic Midwestern pub fare—only it simmers all day while you’re at work and comes out so tender my husband swears it beats our neighborhood spot. The method is simple: good beef, a dark beer, one pantry-friendly soup mix, and a touch of tomato paste for body. Long, gentle cooking transforms those few ingredients into a glossy, deeply flavored sauce that clings to the falling-apart meat. It’s essentially a streamlined take on old-fashioned beer pot roast, with all the cozy, tavern-style richness and none of the fuss.

Serve the pot roast in big chunks on a warm platter, spooning plenty of the thick, dark beer sauce over the top. It’s especially good with buttery mashed potatoes or egg noodles to catch every bit of the gravy, but crusty bread works nicely if you prefer something simpler. A crisp green salad or steamed green beans will balance the richness, and if you enjoy beer, pour a glass of the same dark beer you cooked with to echo the flavors at the table.

Servings: 6

3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, excess fat trimmed

Pat the beef chuck roast dry with paper towels and trim any large, thick pieces of surface fat, leaving some marbling for flavor.

Place the roast in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker, positioning it as flat as possible so more surface is in contact with the cooking liquid.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the dark beer, dry onion soup mix, and tomato paste until the soup mix is mostly dissolved and the tomato paste is evenly distributed.

Pour the beer mixture evenly over the roast, turning the meat once with tongs to lightly coat both sides with the liquid and seasonings.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the roast is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.

Once the beef is tender, carefully transfer the roast to a large plate or shallow serving dish, using two forks or a slotted spatula to keep it in large chunks.

Skim any visible excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid in the slow cooker with a spoon. If you prefer a thicker, glossier sauce, remove the lid and cook the liquid on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced to a rich, slightly syrupy consistency.

Use two forks to gently pull the roast into large, rustic chunks rather than fine shreds, then spoon the hot, reduced beer sauce over the meat until it is well coated and glossy.

Serve the pot roast immediately with extra sauce on the side, or keep it covered on warm in the slow cooker, returning the sauced meat to the crock for up to 1 hour before serving.

For a slightly sweeter, more caramelized flavor that still reads as pub-style, choose a malty beer like a brown ale or bock instead of a very bitter stout. If you’d like a bit more body without adding extra ingredients, sear the roast in a hot skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side before placing it in the slow cooker; the browned bits will enrich the sauce. You can also adjust the intensity of the sauce by reducing the liquid more or less at the end—longer reduction yields a darker, stickier glaze that clings to the meat. Leftovers reheat beautifully and can be piled onto toasted rolls for sandwiches, with the thickened beer sauce acting as a built-in au jus. If you need to scale down for a smaller household, use a 2-pound roast and about 8 ounces of beer, then season to taste at the end rather than reducing the soup mix, which keeps the flavor balanced.