When grilling or broiling, make sure the cooking surface is very hot before you begin cooking.
Always pre-heat the grill at least 5 to 10 minutes in advance of cooking. Start cooking over medium heat, and reduce heat if browning/blackening happens too quickly. If you are working with a grill pan on an electric stove, it’s best to have one burner set at medium heat, so you can move pan to a lower temperature quickly.
When sautéing or stirfrying, preheat your pan before adding in other ingredients, including fat, such as oil or butter. By gently heating the pan first, and then adding in the fat, you can bring your fat quickly up to temperature, without burning. Also, make sure you have all of your remaining ingredients ready before adding your fat to the pan. Once the fat has been added to the pan, allow to heat for about 2 minutes and then continue with cooking other ingredients.
Never leave any pan unattended while on the stove, even when you are preheating.
