Rule 11 of 27 · Chapter III — Heat and the Pan
Hot pan, then fat, then food
Why this rule exists
The order in which pan, fat, and food meet the heat decides whether you get a golden sear or a sad, sticking mess. A pan needs to be properly hot before the fat goes in, and the fat needs to shimmer before the food arrives, because food added to a cold or barely-warm pan releases its moisture, steams in its own juices, and sticks fast to the metal. Heat the pan first and the fat spreads and thins evenly; add the food to hot fat and it sears on contact, forming the crust that both tastes good and, crucially, lets it release cleanly from the pan. Most sticking, most greying instead of browning, and most of the frustration people blame on cheap pans comes down to putting the food in too soon.
In practice
Set the empty pan over the heat and give it time to come up to temperature; a drop of water should skitter and evaporate fast, or the pan should feel strongly warm held above. Add the fat and let it shimmer, or in butter's case foam and subside, before the food goes in. Lay the food down away from you and then leave it alone, because moving it is what tears the forming crust. Listen for a confident sizzle when it lands; silence means the pan was not hot enough. If the food sticks hard, it is usually not ready to turn, not broken, and will release when the crust sets.
When it doesn't apply
Nonstick pans should not be heated aggressively empty, since high dry heat damages the coating, so add a little fat sooner. Butter and garlic burn quickly and want a gentler, lower start than a steak sear. And some things, like eggs in certain methods or a cold-start bacon, are meant to begin in a cooler pan by design.