My kids asked for seconds of this melt-in-your-mouth dinner. Turns a budget pork shoulder into a savory masterpiece with only 4 ingredients

This slow cooker 4-ingredient teriyaki pork roast is the kind of meal that makes the whole house smell like a hug. It starts with a humble pork shoulder, the same budget cut my mother used to stretch through a week of suppers on the farm. With just a bottle of teriyaki sauce, a little brown sugar, and a splash of soy, that thrifty roast turns into fork-tender chunks of meat bathed in a glossy, savory-sweet sauce. It’s a simple, set-it-and-forget-it dinner that feels special enough for Sunday but is easy enough for a Tuesday, and it’s the sort of dish that has grandkids asking for seconds before you’ve even sat down with your own plate.

Serve this melt-in-your-mouth teriyaki pork piled over hot white rice or buttered egg noodles so they can soak up every bit of that rich brown sauce. A simple side of steamed green beans, broccoli, or a bag of mixed frozen vegetables works well to balance the sweetness. If you like a little crunch, spoon the pork into warm hamburger buns or over toasted rolls for easy sandwiches and add sliced green onions or a bit of coleslaw on top. Around here, I often put a bowl of sliced cucumbers in vinegar on the table too—the cool tang plays nicely against the warm, savory pork.

Servings: 6-8

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), trimmed of excess hard fat

Place the pork shoulder in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. If the roast is very thick, you can cut it into 2 or 3 large chunks so it cooks more evenly and is easier to shred later.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.

Pour the teriyaki mixture evenly over the pork shoulder, turning the pieces once or twice with a fork or tongs so they are well coated. Make sure some of the sauce gets underneath the meat so it doesn’t stick.

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 pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Longer, gentler cooking on LOW will give you the most melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Once the pork is tender, use two forks to break it into large, rustic chunks right in the slow cooker. Skim off any visible pools of fat from the surface of the sauce with a spoon, if desired.

Gently stir the pork chunks into the sauce so every piece is coated in the thick, dark teriyaki glaze. Let the pork sit on WARM for 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, to allow the sauce to cling and slightly thicken from the steam.

Taste the sauce and adjust if needed: if you prefer it saltier, splash in a little more soy sauce; if you like it sweeter, sprinkle in a tablespoon or two more brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Serve the pork hot, spooning extra sauce over each portion.

If you’d like a bit of a tangy edge, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar into the sauce at the very end of cooking. For a touch of heat that won’t scare off most kids, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a small drizzle of sriracha to your own portion instead of the whole pot. To make the sauce thicker and more like a glossy gravy, remove 1/2 cup of the hot cooking liquid to a small bowl, whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until smooth, then stir it back into the slow cooker and let it simmer on HIGH for about 10 minutes. If you’re watching your budget closely, you can stretch this dish by shredding the pork a bit finer and serving it over extra rice or noodles. For a slightly leaner version, use a pork loin roast instead of shoulder and cook on LOW, checking earlier, as it can dry out if overcooked. Leftovers reheat beautifully; the flavors deepen overnight, so I often plan for extra and use the meat later in the week for rice bowls, simple sandwiches, or spooned into baked potatoes with a little extra sauce on top.