Wok vs. skillet for stir-frying

[Mr Wozencroft]

Just laser temp'ed it. In less than 40 seconds it was smoking and at 326c, 619f.

Not sure how that compares with gas wok burners. In fact I usually have to set it lower than this to prevent things instantly burning to a crisp. I use a wok rather than a cast iron pan for stir fries mainly because of the volume of ingrediants a wok can hold. For example when you are stir frying greens, in a cantonese style, before quickly boiling it in stock.

[mcohen]

Lots of Chinese people use skillets at home. The problem with CI's recommendation is they also tell you to use a nonstick pan, which is silly for stir frying. Not only will the nonstick coating decompose very quickly when using the high heat required of stir frying, but since the surface itself does not transfer heat as well as metal, the food cooked in it won't taste as good, either.

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I was watching Mark Bittman on PBS where he went to Slanted Door in SF, and he also used a non-stick skillet.

[Darienne]

Back to the wok question. OK. Electric is out for Chinese cooking.

We are home now and my stove is 2" higher than I would like at least, but cannot be cut down as the last one was. I am not very tall.

I cannot handle a wok. It's just too large and unwieldy, besides we have only electric heat normally. Have a burner on the B-B-Q, but this is Canada and we have a lot of winter.

I cannot handle a cast iron frying pan. They are too heavy. Well, I CAN do it, but it's not comfortable.

I have been making my Chinese dishes using a very old Korean-made, copper bottom sandwich stainless steel frying pan, 10' / 26 cm.

DH is pushing me to buy a slightly large fry pan, but I don't know what to go for. The Cuisinart 30 cm pan is half price this weekend at a local hardware store...but is it the best buy? I recall reading somewhere that Cuisinart pans are not all that good. We have a Canadian company, Paderno, made in Prince Edward Island, of all places, which is available locally, but is pretty pricey and I have no criteria on which to go.

Thanks for any help.

[RunBe4UFly]

I use a 14" aluminum restraurant fry pan from time to time (though I have 6 woks of various kinds). It does the job quite well, but doesn't have the flavor of a typical wok. And aluminum cookware is still in debate in terms of its safty. I don't use it when cooking anything acid. I might pick Perdano over others, I remember seeing Perdano cookware has 5mm sandwiched bottom somewhere (I might be wrong). I think it's a concensus here on the forum that for a saute pan, go with the heavy bottom ones. Whatever you pick, stay away from nonstick for 'woking' purpose.

[Darienne]

I use a 14" aluminum restraurant fry pan from time to time (though I have 6 woks of various kinds). It does the job quite well, but doesn't have the flavor of a typical wok. And aluminum cookware is still in debate in terms of its safty. I don't use it when cooking anything acid.  I might pick Perdano over others, I remember seeing Perdano cookware has 5mm sandwiched bottom somewhere (I might be wrong). I think it's a concensus here on the forum that for a saute pan, go with the heavy bottom ones. Whatever you pick, stay away from nonstick for 'woking' purpose.

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Thanks for taking the time to reply to my question.

Paderno has sales every now and then and with luck a large saute pan will be on sale this year. I'll ask the local rep.

[jo-mel]

Again -- just to show that great Chinese food can be made in a skillet, check out the different recipe pictorial instructions in these great recipes by our own hzrt8W. (link below)You might not get 'wok hei' as produced by a powerful flame, but you will get great dishes. I have more woks than most (I teach) but a pan can be just as effective.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=75962

(Hi Xiao hrtz! )