Wok Cooking

[Alan]

I'm talking about the real deal, a carbon steel(non non-stick) kind, that needs to be 'seasoned' first. I just bought one at World Market(I have a non-stick type too).

[texasweed]

I do a lot of Wok cooking. Really love Stir Fries. Biggest challenge homeowners have is having a high enough BTU energy source to actually get the desired results. Residential grade cook tops just do not have enough BTU output to do the job. I have found two ways to meet the challenge.

1. Since I made my finale retirement and remodeled a home, I installed a high BTU WOK gas burner in the kitchen underneath a commercial vent hood. Not something very many folks can do.

2. But what anyone can do is what I did for 20 years before and it is fairly cheap. Get yourself a good ole fashion Webber Kettle Grill. Make a nice big pile of red hot Charcoal Briquettes (Kingsford Blue Bag works best in my experience) and make a depression in the hot coals like you would for gravy in mashed potatoes. Just set the WOK in the charcoal and you are set to go with nuclear hot heat source.

Webber even stole my idea dang it. Webber now makes a grate for all the Kettle grills just for a WOK. If has a nice round opening to set your WOK in.

1. Since I finally finale retired and remodeled a home, I installed a high BTU WOK gas burner in the kitchen underneath a commercial vent hood. Not something very many folks can do.

2. But what anyone can do is what I did for 20 years before and it is fairly cheap. Get yourself a good ole fashion Webber Kettle Grill. Make a nice big pile of red hot Charcoal Briquettes (Kingsford Blue Bag works best in my experience) and make a depression in th ehot coals like you would for gravy in mashed potatoes. Just set the WOK in the charcoal and you are set to go with nuclear hot heat source.

Webber even stole my idea dang it. Webber now makes a grate for all the Kettle grills just for a WOK. If has a nice round opening to set your WOK in.



If you use this approach buy yourself two good oven gloves that come up to your elbows, and a set if Vice Grip pliers to handle the WOK.

3. Another less expensive option if the WOK is smaller is use one of the Chimney Charcoal starters. Just fill it, lite it up and wait until th ecoals are covered in white ash and flames shooting out the top.

[Alan]

That's pretty nifty TW. I have one burner on my cooktop that has more BTU's than all the rest, but I'm not sure how many BTU's that is; it gets pretty hot. Nothing like filling the house full of oil smoke while trying to season this thing; glad my wife's out of town.

Is that a large charcoal starter thingy or a small wok, or both? I don't think my wok would fit inside mine.

[McLovin]

....
If you use this approach buy yourself two good oven gloves that come up to your elbows, and a set if Vice Grip pliers to handle the WOK.

Great stuff TW!

My 2cents - I went with a pair of welding gloves that keep me from getting the Kwai Chang Caine-style tatoos on my hands and arms from handling the wok (I have a cast iron Lodge wok from the factory down in South Pittsburg, TN). They are pretty ugly but do the job.

[texasweed]

Is that a large charcoal starter thingy or a small wok, or both? I don't think my wok would fit inside mine.

Yes.

It is your standard Chimney Charcoal Starter you buy at any box store used with a small WOK. Great for cooking for one or two people. When I bach it on a weekend when wife goes somewhere and want a steak, I jus tuse a Charcoal Chimney Starter with a rack on top of it to grill a steak. No need to fire up the Hast Bake or Green Egg just for a single steak or burger.

[texasweed]

I have one burner on my cooktop that has more BTU's than all the rest, but I'm not sure how many BTU's that is; it gets pretty hot. Nothing like filling the house full of oil smoke while trying to season this thing; glad my wife's out of town.

Yeah indoor WOK cooking is not real practical in most homes. It takes a commercial burner and a really good vent hood to pull off. Without a really high output burner of say 50,000+ BTU's you cannot really do stir fry. Commercial WOK Burners start with 125,000 BTU's.

Another method I have seen with great results is using one of the outdoor Turkey Fryers and LPG. There are lots of ways to do it. For me the easiest, least expensive, and effective is just to use a Webber Grill. Just use common sense and protect yourself. It generates enough heat if you let it get too hot from setting too long empty (just over a minute) your cooking oil will burst into flames as soon as it hits the WOK. It can literally vaporize the oil on contact and cause a Flash Explosion aka fire ball that rises straight up. So make sure you have protective gloves on and never put anything of you directly over the Wok. Use the long handled Wok tools.

[Alan]

Preferred oil? Peanut,Corn? Lower smoke point than veggy oil?

[texasweed]

Preferred oil? Peanut,Corn? Lower smoke point than veggy oil?

Not necessarily. The kicker is the term vegetable oil is meaningless because you have no idea what it is. Most of it is either soybean oil, or a blend that includes soybean oil. If it is straight refined Soybean Oil is as good as it gets in terms of smoke point of 500 degrees plus fairly healthy oil that has a neutral taste.

Refined Peanut Oil is probable the most popular oil used in Asian restaurants. Refined peanut oil has a smoke point of around 450 degrees, imparts a light nutty flavor, and is fairly healthy for you.

Refined Rapeseed oil aka Canola has a smoke point of 400 to 420 degrees and is basically flavorless and fairly healthy for you.

Corn Oil would be my last choice because the smoke points varies all over the place from as low as 320 degrees for inexpensive bargain brands up to 420 degrees for highly refined name brand oils. Just too many ifs in my book to trust it.

But if Smoke Point and Good For You are your top priorities then one would be looking at:

• Grape Seed Oil at 485 and has a flavor like Olive Oil
  Refined Soy Bean at 500 degrees with neutral flavor and least expensive of all the oils. This is what I use.
  Safflower @ 510 degrees with neutral flavor.
  Avacado Oil @ 520 degrees with nutty flavor and very good for you but very expensive to be used as salad dressings.

[Alan]

Thanks TW. I'm not sure how abundant Refined SB oil is, but I'll give it a look when I go to the grocery store. Otherwise I may just pick up some peanut oil(hopefully not having to buy it by the gallons as the Turkey fryers typically do).

[texasweed]

Thanks TW. I'm not sure how abundant Refined SB oil is, but I'll give it a look when I go to the grocery store. Otherwise I may just pick up some peanut oil(hopefully not having to buy it by the gallons as the Turkey fryers typically do).

Do you have any Asian or India markets in your area? Those types of markets will have highly refined Soy Bean Oils for cheap. Peanut oil is good, the down side is expense and it does impart flavor (nutty) to the food. Up side is it does not carry over any flavors like fish to your chicken.

[Alan]

Thanks TW. I have one semi-close. I need to buy a Chuan(wok spatula) anyway, so I may make the trip and pick that up along with oil. Here's one for you...How 'seasoned' does it need to be, to become 'non-stick'? Apparently after seasoning it becomes that way naturally(or whatever) over time.

[texasweed]

How 'seasoned' does it need to be, to become 'non-stick'? Apparently after seasoning it becomes that way naturally(or whatever) over time.

It takes a little time, but you start by seasoning your WOK and Cast Iron correctly, and then use proper cleaning and storage. It is really easy to do, and I use one little secret.

For the first and last time the WOK or skillet will ever see soap is to go ahead and give it a good cleaning with hot water and mild dish soap to remove any manufacturing oils or wax to protect it from rusting. Dry thoroughly with a towel. Turn your oven on and set it to 350 degrees.

Here is my secret Go to a health food store and buy a small quantity of Flax Seed Oil. Most use just plain ole veg oil to season with, but Flax Seed oil dries hard. Apply a light coat of oil on all the surfaces of the WOK or skillet, invert it and place in pre-heated oven. Let it cook for 2 or 3 hours in a 350 degree oven. Ignore the odor of burning oil, that is what is suppose to happen.

Repeat at least twice applying flax seed oil and cooking it. Flaxseed oil is a drying oil, the only one that is edible and non toxic. It polymerizes faster than any veg oil and boils down to turning that coat of oil into pyrolytic carbon

Once you see the oil has hardened and blackened, turn off oven and let the WOK or skillet stay in oven until it cools off. Once cooled off pull i tout and apply a light coat of regular cooking oil and store it away until ready to use.

When you use it let it get hot before adding oil. Be careful here not to hot or the oil will ignite, Cook away.

This is real important, cleaning after cooking. Never ever ever ever wash it in soapy water. After cooking if nothing is stuck on, just wire it out with a paper towel, apply a light coat of oil and store away. If you have stuck on crud as soon as you remove the last bit of food you cooked, with the fire still on dump a cup of water in and then stir it with your spatula and scrape lightly if you have too. If it is still full of hot oil, pour it off before pouring water in. When you pour the water in it should boil violently. As soon as you have dissolved the crud, immediately pour off the water, dry with paper towel, and apply light coat of oil and store it away.

If you do get some tough crude, use salt as an abrasive with a little oil to scrub the crud off with a paper towel. Treat it right and after a few uses clean up is easy with just a wipe with paper towels.

I have a large cast iron Skillet my Mother used and her Mother gave it to her. That skillet is roughly 75 years old and has never been washed out. Just a quick wipe with a paper towel and a light coat of oil before putting it up. I can fry an egg in it dry without oil, well with a light coat of oil used to store it previously, and it will not stick. All my cast iron can do that, even the WOK.

[Alan]

Awesome write up. Thanks TW.

[KB in MD (21740)]

not a secret anymore Thanks for the good info. Cast iron is great to cook in if you get the temp just right.

[JustAGuy]

It takes a little time, but you start by seasoning your WOK and Cast Iron correctly, and then use proper cleaning and storage. It is really easy to do, and I use one little secret.

For the first and last time the WOK or skillet will ever see soap is to go ahead and give it a good cleaning with hot water and mild dish soap to remove any manufacturing oils or wax to protect it from rusting. Dry thoroughly with a towel. Turn your oven on and set it to 350 degrees.

Here is my secret Go to a health food store and buy a small quantity of Flax Seed Oil. Most use just plain ole veg oil to season with, but Flax Seed oil dries hard. Apply a light coat of oil on all the surfaces of the WOK or skillet, invert it and place in pre-heated oven. Let it cook for 2 or 3 hours in a 350 degree oven. Ignore the odor of burning oil, that is what is suppose to happen.

Repeat at least twice applying flax seed oil and cooking it. Flaxseed oil is a drying oil, the only one that is edible and non toxic. It polymerizes faster than any veg oil and boils down to turning that coat of oil into pyrolytic carbon

Once you see the oil has hardened and blackened, turn off oven and let the WOK or skillet stay in oven until it cools off. Once cooled off pull i tout and apply a light coat of regular cooking oil and store it away until ready to use.

When you use it let it get hot before adding oil. Be careful here not to hot or the oil will ignite, Cook away.

This is real important, cleaning after cooking. Never ever ever ever wash it in soapy water. After cooking if nothing is stuck on, just wire it out with a paper towel, apply a light coat of oil and store away. If you have stuck on crud as soon as you remove the last bit of food you cooked, with the fire still on dump a cup of water in and then stir it with your spatula and scrape lightly if you have too. If it is still full of hot oil, pour it off before pouring water in. When you pour the water in it should boil violently. As soon as you have dissolved the crud, immediately pour off the water, dry with paper towel, and apply light coat of oil and store it away.

If you do get some tough crude, use salt as an abrasive with a little oil to scrub the crud off with a paper towel. Treat it right and after a few uses clean up is easy with just a wipe with paper towels.

I have a large cast iron Skillet my Mother used and her Mother gave it to her. That skillet is roughly 75 years old and has never been washed out. Just a quick wipe with a paper towel and a light coat of oil before putting it up. I can fry an egg in it dry without oil, well with a light coat of oil used to store it previously, and it will not stick. All my cast iron can do that, even the WOK.

+1 Nice write up.
A well seasoned cast iron skillet should have a very dark appearance. It has a kind of non-stick quality too.
IMO the cleaning method is important as TW pointed, a quick towel dry and a light coating of oil.
I go crazy when my wife throws our cast iron pans into the sink. She does the same thing for my good knives.
I have read that animal fat is better for season, but I guess it all personal preference. If available, I will use bacon fat to season my cast iron grill grates.
Here is a link to a table of oil smoke points. http://www.cookingforengineers.com/arti ... rious-Fats

[Alan]

When they're stating 'refined' and/or 'semi-refined', what the hell does that mean? And do oil labels say that on them?

When I cook bacon I save/drain the fat off into a glass jar; it's pork fat, it's good for everything.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

Wonder if I could use that seasoning technique on my cast iron dutch oven I need to redo.

[JustAGuy]

Wonder if I could use that seasoning technique on my cast iron dutch oven I need to redo.

When I'm adventurous and need to reseason, I'll burn off the old seasoning, usually on my charcoal grill (that sucker can get hot).
Then season as TW stated.

[BfranksATX]

Another less fun option it to take it to your local Asian restaurant and ask the cooks if they will do it for you. In college I worked at a small Chinese take out place and we has one or two people come by a week and ask us to season their woks. All the owner asked for was them to order a family meal.

[Alan]

Fooled with it a bit. How's it looking?