To wok or not to wok?

[gingerlaurie]

I'm intending on cooking a great deal of Asian food in the next while (healthy healthy!), and I have a large, teflon wok-like skillet that I use on the stove. I am considering buying an electric wok, but I'm not sure if it is worth the money?

Also, learning how to stir-fry PROPERLY. Ugggh. I have yet to master how to get the "crispy shiny vegetables" out of the pan before they turn into something in a compost pile. Any suggestions?

 

[Andy M.]

The secret to good wok cooking is very high heat. A teflon coated pan is not recommended at high temps and an electric wok just won't ever get hot enough.

A cast iron or carbon steel wok will be best. Most go for a carbon steel wok. They are quite reasonably priced.

 

[puptentacle]

Andy has it. I use my wok constantly and getting it hot enough is the big trick.

A good carbon steel wok with the heat ring, particularly is using a gas stove.

-Make sure you don't use too much oil.

-Make sure everything you will need is sitting within arm's reach.

-Start cooking just as the oil begins to smoke.

-Make sure to move the food around constantly.

The wok cooks FAST! It's hard to get used to just HOW fast it cooks. Wok cooking is fun, once you get the hang of it. I've just gotten fairly proficient over the last year after several years of trying so stick with it. Good Luck!!!

 

[Chef Munky]

Please no matter what wok off the idea of an electric wok.

Me funny.. well kind of. Electric woks heat unevenly. The food when cooked has an off taste to it no matter what. They aren't worth the money.
Amazon has a great selection. Just sayin'.

Munky.

 

[buckytom]

agreed about the electric wok. they suck. go with carbon steel.

also, if you're going to get a new wok, try not to use the wok ring that comes with it. you know, the ring that acts as a stable base for your wok when it's on the stove.

they have a habit of discolouring the stove top because so much heat builds up inside them. i mean, they work well, but you'll ruin the stove top.

just a caveat.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

All the above is good advice,in addition, a new steel wok needs to be seasoned and never washed, just wipe clean.Mine is 20 yrs old.
Liverpool where I lived has the oldest China Town in Europe, it spawned a number of Takerways and restaurant all over the Northwest, some have open kitchens, if you can find one in your area just sit and watch, I still do.
Puptentacles advice about prep is vital. I dont want to sound like a smart ass but the size of your veg is very important to.

 

[gingerlaurie]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the input!

I think I'll toss the electric wok idea! Sure wishing I had a gas stove, but will work with what I have. High heat...smoking oil...proper prep...no wok ring...and....SIZE MATTERS! =)

GOT IT! Watch out world! HA!

 

[GB]

One other thing, typical home kitchens do not have anywhere near the power to get the amount of heat under a wok that restaurants do. Restaurant wok burners look like jet engines. They can be around 100,000 BTU's. You will not find that at home unless you have something specially installed. And that will make a difference in the end result. You can make a decent representation of restaurant wok cooked foods at home, but if you do not get it exactly like your favorite restaurant no matter how hard you try then this could be the reason. Don't let that stop you though. You can still make wonderful food at home with a wok.

 

[Andy M.]

To combat the lack of a wok burner, I cook the components of a stir-fry individually. First the meat, then the peppers, then the mushrooms, etc. As each is done I remove it to a plate. That way I have all the heat available devoted to a small portion o f food so it cooks quickly. Then I combine them all in the wok and reheat and sauce them.

 

[4meandthem]

A turkey fryer burner works good for woking too.

 

[GB]

Yes it does. Just make sure to only use those outside in a well ventilated area.

 

[spork]

Everyone's advice about wokkin' is spot on.

Don't forget to acquire the proper cooking utensils. You can improvise with what you have, but these four that are essential for me are designed specifically for the shape of a wok: ladle, spatula, wire mesh scoop, extra long chopsticks.

Prep. I can't stress that enough.

Wok cooking is a lot of fun, frantic crazy, aerobic.

 

[Bigjim68]

Bonsai Bistro Stir Fry Wok

This is a video from a restaurant kitchen. The flames are shooting high enough to melt the copper on my pot rack. From the manpan site. I don't know how to post videos, but you can get it off their site.
No home kitchen can even come close.

 

[gingerlaurie]

Wow, that's a crazy video!! That fire was amazing!! I'd love to have flame to work with!

Thanks SOOO much, everyone...your input is very valuable. No luck today buying a wok, but I'm going to check out things online. I see the proper utensils really do seem to make a difference, too.

Hmmm...maybe Santa should come to my house early.

 

[powerplantop]

A turkey fryer burner works good for woking too.

Used my new wok on mine today!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8OgXsS9qZs

 

[taxlady]

Everyone's advice about wokkin' is spot on.

Don't forget to acquire the proper cooking utensils. You can improvise with what you have, but these four that are essential for me are designed specifically for the shape of a wok: ladle, spatula, wire mesh scoop, extra long chopsticks.

Prep. I can't stress that enough.

Wok cooking is a lot of fun, frantic crazy, aerobic.

These are great for getting food out of the wok quickly. I use mine a lot, when I'm "just plain cooking".

 

[callahan9119]

I have a nonstick wok, it's great. I never have to go very high on the heat and it works well enough. I just couldn't get my regular one seasoned well enough, so everything stuck to the thing. I use my nonstick wok for everything, curries, eggs, stirfry, deep frying small things, tossing/finishing pasta in sauce, taco meat or just about anything.

Like someone said, alot of us have electric ranges and can't reproduce that "jet burner" effect anyway so you aren't gonna use super high heat anyway.