Hopefully, you have noticed that your Smart Cooker has been updated with an exciting new cooking function: Sous Vide. You can get to the new function on your pot under More or via the CHEF iQ App. (If you don’t see it there, check that your firmware is up to date.)

Sous vide cooking is a favorite method of chefs around the world. Why? Aside from creating perfectly tender results, cooking sous vide enables you to cook foods to their perfect doneness well ahead of serving. Here’s how it works: Foods, usually meat and fish, get vacuum sealed (easily accomplished using a zip top baggie). The sealed package then gets lowered into water where the food cooks low and slow. Because the temperature of the water is set to the final temperature that the food cooks to, there is NO chance of it overcooking (or being undercooked for that matter), which means your steak will always turn out exactly how you like it.

Foods cooked sous vide are often quickly  seared over high heat just before serving. This is not to finish cooking—it’s already cooked to the perfect doneness—but to give it a lovely browned exterior and additional flavor.

Not sure how to set your Smart Cooker for sous vide? Looks to Times & Temps on the CHEF iQ App, which will calculate the ideal temperature for the water and the time your food will take to cook. Sous vide, though it seems fancy, can actually enable you to cook an amazing meal without all the stress. Simply pick what you want to cook—fillet mignon? duck? lamb? Plug it into Times & Temps. Not only will Times & Temps show you the best, well, times and temps, it will set your Smart Cooker as well. Once the meat is cooked to perfection, let it cool, then refrigerate it. Voila, dinner is (mostly) done! When it’s time for eat, simply give the food a quick sear and serve.