Browning

• Sous vide machines won't brown ground beef, so, as with steaks, you have to sear the meat separately. The same goes for the aromatics, such as onions and green peppers, and the pungents, including garlic and chili peppers. You can, of course, add the ground beef, aromatics and pungents to the sous vide machine without browning them first, but you'll miss the complex flavors and aromas that browning creates. For best results, saute the ground beef, aromatics and pungents in a bit of oil in a saute pan, then drain the fat and transfer everything to the sous vide machine.

Adding the Ingredients

• Add the chili ingredients to the sous vide machine just as you would add them to a slow cooker. For a basic chili, for example, you would add tomato sauce, spices, diced tomatoes and kidney beans, if that's your thing. Stir well to incorporate everything, then set your temperature.

Cooking the Chili

• You have to take advantage of the sous vide machine's consistent, precise temperature control if you're going to cook chili in it. You need to maintain at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit throughout cooking to stay out of the temperature danger zone, so set the temperature to 140 F and press start. You can use the timed cooking option if you want, or you can just go by taste. Taste works best because chili cooked for three hours at a constant 140 F tastes richer and more complex than chili cooked for two hours at 140 F. Cook the chili for at least one hour, then taste every 30 minutes until the flavor develops to your liking. Season the chili to taste with kosher salt at the start of cooking, and check it every hour and adjust as needed. If you see the chili starting to dry, just replenish as needed with stock or water. Serve the chili out of the sous vide machine or transfer it to a serving dish. Scrape as much chili as you can from the bath container to make cleanup easier.

Cleaning the Sous Vide

• Cleaning a sous vide machine takes a bit more time than cleaning the crock insert of a slow cooker, but you can make it easier by positioning the machine next to the sink. Wipe out as much chili as you can from the bath container with paper towels. Fill the sous vide machine with a few inches of soapy water and clean it with a sponge. Don't use anything abrasive on the bath container when cleaning. Rinse the container using the faucet hose and dry with a lint-free cloth.