Deep Frying Mess

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tbari

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
2
I like to deep fry using regular pots/pans vs. a deep fryer. That said, every time I deep fry, the vessel i use becomes covered with grease that is impossible to remove.

Here is an example of what happened to the new wok that I bought this weekend. Used it for deep frying today and now it's got all this grease on it. Tried bar keeper's friend and a billow pad...seems like too much work for every time i want to deep fry.

What am I doing wrong??? Is this normal?

Thanks!!
 

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Easy Off oven cleaner, or a competing (caustic) product. Spray it (preferably outside), let it sit 15-20 minutes, scrub it clean, put it away.

Might be bad for non-stick surfaces.
 
Pick one pan to deep fry in and never scrub it clean.

Oven cleaner on the other pans as stated above.
 
Is your wok stainless steel? If so try using an SOS pad on it. You can find them in the cleaning section.

Munky.
 
I've tried SOS no luck. Can I just use this wok as a dedicated fryer and not obsess over removing the grease? Doesn't sound very sanitary. Is the oven spray better/worse than BAr Keepers friend (which doesn't seem to work as well as others make seem). Thx
 
When a cast iron pan is seasoned, what you have there is the coating the cast iron has. It's completely sanitary, especially at the temps needed for deep frying. You just need to wash it to get the still unbaked oil off. Dedicating a pan is the best choice if you want to deep fry.
 
I've tried SOS no luck. Can I just use this wok as a dedicated fryer and not obsess over removing the grease? Doesn't sound very sanitary. Is the oven spray better/worse than BAr Keepers friend (which doesn't seem to work as well as others make seem). Thx

Absolutely, but your going to have to change the oils eventually. Soaking it overnight in a diluted solution of Ammonia and water. The next day wipe it down with a good scrubber & hot water. I've had no problem getting grease off my stove top grates doing it by that method. Less work.
 
If your wok is carbon steel, it should be seasoned before use. The seasoning is added to with every use. A wok should not be scrubbed shiny clean after each use.

Seasoning is done by baking on thin coats of fat (oil or shortening) that change chemically to a hard smooth surface and act as a protective layer that is also non-stick, exactly the same as seasoning a cast iron skillet.

Those brown and black areas that you didn't scrub off are the beginnings of seasoning.
 
Can I just use this wok as a dedicated fryer and not obsess over removing the grease? Doesn't sound very sanitary.

Seasoning is done by baking on thin coats of fat (oil or shortening) that change chemically to a hard smooth surface and act as a protective layer that is also non-stick, exactly the same as seasoning a cast iron skillet.

Those brown and black areas that you didn't scrub off are the beginnings of seasoning.

I doubt there's any sanitary issues with the baked on oils. They've been cooked at hundreds of degrees and are probably destroyed as to providing any nutrient value to bacteria or other organisms. I've had a cast iron skillet that has gone for many years with nothing more than scrubbing with a nylon pad and no soap. This is not an attractive surface for bacteria, particularly after the Easy Off treatment.

I think this stuff is mostly cosmetic. You could just ignore it unless you're fastidious. I'm fastidious. You can hardly even see this stuff on cast iron, although more so on stainless steel.

My advice is either ignore it or use a caustic oven cleaning spray.
 
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