smoking

Definition

When a piece of equipment is running at peak performance, usually the grill or a line cook who's crushing every order without breaking a sweat. The kitchen equivalent of being 'in the zone.'

Example Usage

Sauté station is smoking tonight—Tony hasn't missed a ticket in three hours.

Origin

American kitchen slang, referencing equipment running so hot it appears to smoke

Fun Fact

Ironically, if equipment is literally smoking, that's usually very bad news.

Source: Professional kitchen slang

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Intermediate

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compote

Fruit slowly cooked in sugar syrup until tender but still holding its shape. The sophisticated way to say 'chunky fruit sauce' that makes brunch dishes cost $4 more.

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The practice of maintaining an organized, sanitized station during service—the difference between professionals and chaos agents. Easier preached than practiced when tickets are flying.

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pané

Food that's been breaded or coated with breadcrumbs before cooking, from the French for 'breaded.' Essentially the fancy way to say something has a crunchy coating.

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Intermediate

temper

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See “smoking” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

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