Solstice Comfort: Just 3 ingredients. This is my go-to when I need a completely hands-off meal that cooks itself while I enjoy the longest day of the year.

This 3-ingredient slow cooker solstice comfort dish is my kind of summer magic: you toss everything into the crock first thing in the morning, walk away, and come back to deeply caramelized, fall-apart beef in a rich, dark, savory broth. It’s built on simple Midwestern pantry staples and raw beef flank steak, and it’s just the thing for those long, golden evenings when you’d rather be outside soaking up every last bit of daylight than standing over the stove.

Ladle the shredded beef and its dark, savory broth over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or simple white rice to soak up every drop. For a lighter plate, spoon it into bowls with steamed green beans or roasted carrots on the side. It also makes wonderful open-faced sandwiches on toasted buns, topped with a slice of provolone or Swiss and broiled just until melty. A crisp green salad or sliced cucumbers with a little vinegar and salt help balance the richness.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 to 3 pounds raw beef flank steak, trimmed of excess surface fat

Lay the raw beef flank steak flat in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. If it’s too long to fit, cut it into 2–3 large pieces and overlap slightly so they all sit mostly in a single layer.

In a small bowl, whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks glossy and smooth.

Pour the soy–brown sugar mixture evenly over the flank steak, turning the pieces once with tongs so both sides are coated. Nestle the meat back into the liquid so most of it is touching the sauce. There’s no need to add extra water; the beef will release its own juices as it cooks and create a deep, dark broth.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7–9 hours, or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, without lifting the lid during the first several hours. The beef is done when it shreds very easily with two forks and the liquid has turned into a dark, savory-sweet broth with caramelized edges around the meat.

Once the beef is tender, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker, pulling it into bite-sized morsels. Stir the shredded beef into the broth so every strand is coated and glistening. If there are any large pieces of fat, remove and discard them.

Taste the broth carefully (it will be hot) and, if needed, add a splash of water to mellow the saltiness or let it cook uncovered on HIGH for 10–15 more minutes to thicken slightly and deepen the caramelization around the edges.

Switch the slow cooker to WARM and let the shredded beef sit in the broth for at least 10 minutes so it can soak up more flavor. Serve the beef and plenty of the dark, umami-rich broth over your favorite base, spooning extra juices on top.

For a little extra depth without adding more ingredients, you can give the flank steak a quick sear in a hot skillet before adding it to the slow cooker, but it’s completely optional and not necessary for tenderness. If you’re cooking for picky eaters, keep the base recipe as-is and let everyone season their own portions at the table with black pepper, crushed red pepper, or a squeeze of lime. To make it more sandwich-ready, slightly reduce the liquid: after shredding, prop the slow cooker lid open with a wooden spoon and cook on HIGH for 15–20 minutes to thicken the broth into a richer jus. For a slightly less sweet version, reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 cup and add 1–2 tablespoons of water so the beef still has enough liquid to braise. For gluten-free eaters, use tamari labeled gluten-free and serve over rice or potatoes instead of noodles or regular bread. Leftovers keep well: cool the beef and broth quickly, then refrigerate in a shallow container and use within 3–4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot (165°F in the center). Always start with fresh, properly refrigerated beef; thaw completely in the refrigerator if using frozen flank steak, and never leave raw meat sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s very warm in the kitchen). Make sure your slow cooker is at least half full but not more than two-thirds full so it can reach a safe temperature quickly and cook evenly.