June Jubilee: Simply 5 ingredients. I make it when I want a spectacular holiday meal without spending the afternoon hovering over the stove.

This June Jubilee beef is my secret weapon when I want a spectacular holiday-style roast without spending the afternoon hovering over the stove. It’s a true 5-ingredient, dump-and-go slow cooker recipe built around a humble beef chuck roast that turns meltingly tender in a rich, glossy, umami-packed sauce. I started making a version of this for early-summer gatherings when I was juggling work, graduation parties, and backyard hangouts—basically any time I needed something that felt special but didn’t require babysitting the oven. Everything goes straight into the slow cooker in the morning, and by dinnertime you’ve got a celebration-worthy main that looks and tastes like you fussed all day.

Serve this June Jubilee beef piled over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a bed of garlic rice so all that dark, glossy sauce has something to soak into. I like to add a bright side—roasted green beans, a simple arugula salad with lemon, or grilled asparagus—to cut through the richness. Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are perfect for swiping up every last bit of sauce. If you’re entertaining, pair it with a light red wine or a simple iced tea with lemon, and finish the meal with something fresh and fruity like berries and whipped cream to keep the whole spread feeling festive but not heavy.

Servings: 6

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

Pat the beef chuck roast dry with paper towels and trim away any large, hard pieces of surface fat so the sauce doesn’t get too greasy as it cooks.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and minced garlic until the sugar mostly dissolves and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.

Place the chuck roast into the slow cooker, laying it flat. If it’s very thick, you can cut it into two large chunks so it fits better and cooks more evenly.

Pour the broth mixture evenly over the beef, turning the roast once or twice with tongs to coat all sides in the sauce. Spoon some of the liquid over the top so it’s well covered.

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 beef is fork-tender and easily pulls apart. Cooking on LOW will give you the most tender, shreddable texture.

Once the beef is tender, use two forks to carefully shred it directly in the slow cooker, pulling it into large, fibrous chunks so it soaks up the sauce but still looks like a hearty roast, not fine shreds.

Stir the shredded beef gently into the dark, glossy sauce until everything is evenly coated. If there’s a layer of fat on top, use a spoon to skim some off before stirring so the sauce stays rich but not oily.

Taste the sauce and adjust if needed: if it’s too salty, add a splash of water or more beef broth; if you’d like a touch more sweetness, stir in an extra teaspoon or two of brown sugar and let it melt into the hot sauce.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the beef sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it can soak up even more of the sauce and stay hot and steamy for the table.

Serve the June Jubilee beef straight from the slow cooker, spooning generous portions of the glistening meat and plenty of sauce over your favorite side, and garnish with chopped fresh herbs if you have them for a little color.

To keep this true to its 5-ingredient promise, I treat extras as optional add-ons rather than part of the base recipe. For a little heat, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce mix before pouring it over the roast. If you like a deeper, slightly smoky flavor, stir in 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or a spoonful of tomato paste with the broth and soy sauce. You can also add sliced onions or quartered mushrooms around the roast before cooking; they’ll soak up the sauce and make the dish feel even more special. If you prefer a thicker, gravy-like sauce, remove the cooked beef to a plate, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, stir that slurry into the hot cooking liquid, then cover and cook on HIGH for about 10 minutes until thickened before returning the beef to the slow cooker. Leftovers reheat really well—store cooled beef and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. For food safety, always start with a fully raw, not partially frozen, chuck roast so it comes up through the temperature “danger zone” quickly; thaw in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Make sure your slow cooker is at least half full but not more than about two-thirds full so it heats evenly. Use a clean cutting board and knife for the raw beef, wash your hands and surfaces thoroughly after handling it, and keep the lid on the slow cooker as much as possible so the temperature stays high and steady throughout cooking.