On Wok

[RunBe4UFly]

Couple coworkers went to a "Wok cooking class " and liked it. I was looking at their class note and felt it missed couple important points. Therefore, I sent them some additional info. base on my experience, and posted it here for woking people's reference and critique.

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Do not cook high-acid food or curry in the wok, it will react with the wok (provided it's a carbon steel or cast iron wok, non-stick or stainless steel will not have the problem). That means, No lemon and lime. (yeah, I know what you are gonna say: " a well seasoned wok will not ...")

Tomato is fine given you have a well-seasoned wok, but the seasoning instruction in your note is weak, I can tell you from my experience that it will not give you a good seasoning on the wok any time soon. So how to get a good seasoning on the wok fast? Option 1, buy a pre-seasoned wok (more expensive), Option 2, seasoning yourself with the following instruction:

-1. Line the oven bottom with foil

0. Turn on the oven for 500F. Yes, 500F

1. Clean the wok with soapy hot water.

2. Put it on stove top and burn it till dry

3. Rub on high smoking point oil (lard will be ideal) onto the surface - no lard? Bacon then.

- What is high smoking point oil? Answer: oil that smoke at a higher temperature, Corn oil, peanut oil, soybean oil,

4.Oil should smoke the moment it hits the wok.

5. Put the wok into the oven upside down( so oil will drip onto foil)

6. Bake for 1 hr.

7. Turn off heat and wait till it cools down.

8. Repeat the process for 4 times and your wok will be as good as (if not better than) any of the pre-seasoned version on the market.

To "wok" correctly, you need to understand this: Wok bottom is a big 'hot spot'.

That means, you need to drop food in small quantity, and wok in batches because bottom of the wok is the ONLY part that is actually cooking, while the wall of the wok is to hold the food warm (unless you have a giant burner spitting our rocket-launching heat).

One more note on wok selection. "Woking" is about high heat cooking, non-stick surface will break down @ 400F (given it's the top of line non-stick surface). Therefore, non-stick is not the ideal for true "woking". However, I do own a non-stick wok only for "mixing" to make "Lo- Mein". And I have another non-stick wok ONLY for Serving.

Carbon steel and cast iron are the best candidates for wok. Cast iron is heavier, but it retains heat better. Cast iron wok was household staple in China, every family has one (or used to have one). Carbon steel wok is lighter and does the job. When select Carbon Steel Wok, keep an eye on the thickness of the steel. It should not be less than 1.5mm. Stainless steel wok is a good choice if it's fully claded (meaning at least 2mm of aluminum claded between two sheets of stainless steel from the bottom to the top of the wok), but it's very expensive (if you can find one. Calphalon has a line called Calphalon One. It's expensive but it does the job. If you have money to spend it might be a good option). A cheaper stainless steel wok only has a aluminum claded disc on the bottom of the wok. In my opinion it's worse than a 12" saute pan. One exception is Jamie Oliver's Professional Stainless Steel 12.5" Wok. It works well on the burner grates designed especially for wok that I got from China town for $5.99. It beats other disc bottom wok by having a larger dimension base bottom (that holds more heat).

Where to buy wok?

Sam's Club

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate....t=5&item=354627

Walmart

The Wok Shop

http://www.wokshop.com/products_main....

WorldMarket

Never wash your wok with detergent after seasoning. Wok is not dish washer safe (duh..).

Wok alternative:

12" and 14" skillet or fry pan. It has more flat cooking surfact conducting heat and cooking food. To be honest, if you only have a flat bottom wok sitting on a regular flat burner. You are better off using a 12" skillet or fry pan.

A skillet or fry pan looks like this: \____________/----------====

[Matt_T]

Good post!

My wife grew up in Hong Kong and is an avid home cook. Over 15 years of marriage we've gone through over a dozen woks trying to translate the techniques she grew up with to houswares available in America....with that introduction here are some thoughts:

First, it you really want to get wokkin' you need a good sized wok. We generally cook for two only, and find a 14" is the smallest wok that's practical for us. A lot of room is needed to stir-fry vigorously without flinging food all over the kitchen. At least, I need a lot of room....my wife can cook for two in a 12" wok but watching her do it makes me think of somebody trying to dance in a phone booth. Anything smaller than 12" is a saucier.

Lodge makes a 14" pre-seasoned, cast iron wok that's quite heavy but cooks well. We picked one up on sale for $40 and I've seen it for the same price on Amazon. It has an integral flat base for stovetop use but is round inside...best of both worlds! Heavy, though, my wife says too heavy...not just for handling but for control of heat. Great for dishes that require searing or browning, though, or deep frying.

They may not be traditional but my wife uses nonstick woks a lot, probably more than the iron wok. They're lighter and easier to handle, and in addition to being handy for noodles and eggs the nonstick works fine for veggies and tofu...the iron wok only comes out when she wants to sear meat or fry fish. We've tried a bunch of nonstick woks and our favorites are the cheap ones sold at Asian grocery stores. "Joy Cook" is the brand we usually buy. I say "usually" because the nonstick coating only lasts a year or so - but recall she's using this pan over high heat about 3 or 4 times a week, so I don't think that's bad value for a 14" pan for under 20 bucks. We've also used the Nordicware brand from Costco and the Joyce Chen brand and in both cases the nonstick broke down much more quickly than in the cheaper woks, in a matter of a few weeks IIRC.

Another material that hasn't been mentioned is anodized aluminum. We've had an old Magnalite wok (similar to Calphalon professional) for many years. It cooks great, better than an expensive "Clad" wok we tried or anything else we've had. The Lodge sears and deep-fries a little better but my wife prefers the responsiveness of the Magnalite for most dishes. I see some higher end, thick anodized woks from Taiwan in some of the Asian stores now, and they'd probably cook great.

We've had some traditional round woks but currently all our woks, except for the hybrid Lodge, are flat bottomed. Round-bottom purists may scoff but my wife doesn't feel it really makes a difference. Unless you have a dedicated wok burner I'd suggest avoiding the hassle with the accessory ring that's necessary to keep a round bottom wok from rolling around your stovetop.

The double loop handle is traditional Hong Kong style, but after using the Taiwan style with one loop handle and one long, western-style handle my bride has become a convert. Don't tell her mother.

Don't worry about using acidic ingredients in an iron or steel wok. You don't stew for hours in a wok, and if it does eat away a little at the seasoning it's a simple matter to re-oil the wok before putting it away. True, it will take a few uses to regain it's natural non-stickiness....but you also bought a $15 Joy Cook nonstick wok for your sticky stuff anyway, right?

Do wok under a hood with a powerful fan, and run it on high from the moment you turn the heat up. This is high heat cooking and things can start smoking without warning. And if you're using nonstick, the invisible fumes from an overheated wok can be toxic.

Do get a high-domed cover for your wok. Covered steaming is an essential step in many "stir fry" recipes. Spun aluminum covers are very cheap at Asian supply stores, even in large sizes.

Do leave that burger-flipper in the drawer and invest a few bucks in a nylon or bamboo wok "shovel." These materials will make your nonstick last much longer, and the shovel shape really is necessary for the curved end to match the inside of the wok.

Happy wokking, and remember: "It's stir fry, not stare fry!"

MT

Edited October 19, 2007 by Matt_T (log)

[Toliver]

For additional help, you can find a step-by-step tutorial for seasoning woks in the eGullet discussion:

A Pictorial Guide To Seasoning New Woks in the "China and Chinese Cuisine" forum posted by the esteemed Ah Leung (hzrt8w).

[naguere]

How long will a wok last?

On leaving Hong Kong in 1980 i bought as a souvenir the biggest double handled wok you have ever seen.

The kind used in the street markets

Arriving back in Cheltenham U.K. it got put in the loft.

A couple of months ago one of my sons discovered this treasure and took it home with him.

Pressed steel and oiled, it was as good as new. I am certain it cost me ten dollars HK.

How his wife laughed (Well done Sabine)...........