kill the heat

Definition

To turn off a burner or oven, usually shouted in panic when something is seconds away from burning. The culinary version of hitting the brakes.

Example Usage

Kill the heat on that pan—the butter's about to burn!

Origin

Kitchen cooking communication

Fun Fact

In chaotic kitchens, 'kill the heat' is often shouted in the same tone as 'fire in the hole,' and with similar urgency.

Source: Kitchen communication terminology

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shock it

To plunge blanched or cooked items into ice water, immediately halting the cooking process and preserving color and texture. The culinary emergency brake.

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dropping

The moment when an order is fired and cooking begins in earnest, coordinating all stations to finish simultaneously. It's the culinary equivalent of a conductor's downbeat.

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comp

To give something away for free, usually to apologize for mistakes or impress VIPs. Management's favorite way to fix problems that cooks created, using the restaurant's money.

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See “kill the heat” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

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