Wok Cooking

[texasweed]

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

Heck yeah you can I will tell you how, it is easy.

If your cast iron or WOK looses its seasoning, you have to clean it down to bare metal. And it is super super easy. There are two ways to do it.

1. Us ole timers in the winter would build up a nice big fire in the fire place on a cold winter day. Then place our cast iron in burn the crud off. When done the next day, just wipe all the gray ash off and you are left with nice bare cast iron and ready to go.

2. Modern day method, just throw it in the oven and run the CLEANING CYCLE. When done just wipe the grey ash off and you are ready to go with a nice brand new cast skillet or WOK.

Keep this in mind if you go to a yard or garage sale and see an ole cast iron skillet or pot that needs some work. Great way to get them cheap. Take care of them and your Grand Children will fight for them when you kick the bucket. They can last for hundreds of years.

[kevreh]

Texas weed,


I bought a $20 nonstick wok that doesnt live up to its name; lots of stuff permanently stuck to it. Your helpful post make me want to try a real wok. Any tips and suggestions on what to look for? If it has a wood handle can I still season it in the oven? Also, any tips on preventing oil splatter all over my cooktop? I have a screen, but they work so-so.

Btw, real neat idea using a chimney starter.

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[texasweed]

Looking good so far.

[kevreh]

Texasweed,

I picked up one of those steel woks and seasoned it like you described. After the first use some of the baked on flax seed oil flaked off. Also some black food residue is sticking to the wok. Any tips on dealing with these issues?

Also, is using battered meats only going to lead to more gunk sticking to the wok?

Thanks!

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[texasweed]

Some flaking off initially is normal.

When you remove the last bit of food, and while the Wok is still very hot, deglaze it with some water and scape the now soft and loose debris off with a wooden spoon or other non metal spatula. For anything left after it cools, use table salt as an abrasive with a little oil and a paper towel to scrub stuck on debris off.

Questions for you. Are you getting the Wok good and hot before you add oil? When stir frying are you keeping the food in constant motion. As for battered foods sticking make sure your roil is up to temperature (350 to 375) and do not drop the food in so it causes it to touch the bottom of the Wok before the batter has time to set. Use a Spider to lower the food in gently and allow a few seconds for the batter to set. Like stir frying keep the food moving until it floats and golden brown and delicious.

Wok performance will improve with each use as the seasoning builds up.

One last note when you seasoned the Wok, did the oil turn black or deep mahogany reddish brown? You might have left it in the oven too long. Try applying more oil and season again, and keep it oiled when stored. Last get the Wok hot before you add oil to cook with. With my Wok I can fry an egg with just a light spray of Pam. Don't worry about th eblack flakes getting into you food it is harmless.

Good luck and be patient.

[bpgreen]

Table as an abrasive? How so? And what kind of paper tool?

[kevreh]

Some flaking off initially is normal.

When you remove the last bit of food, and while the Wok is still very hot, deglaze it with some water and scape the now soft and loose debris off with a wooden spoon or other non metal spatula. For anything left after it cools, use table salt as an abrasive with a little oil and a paper towel to scrub stuck on debris off.

Questions for you. Are you getting the Wok good and hot before you add oil? When stir frying are you keeping the food in constant motion. As for battered foods sticking make sure your roil is up to temperature (350 to 375) and do not drop the food in so it causes it to touch the bottom of the Wok before the batter has time to set. Use a Spider to lower the food in gently and allow a few seconds for the batter to set. Like stir frying keep the food moving until it floats and golden brown and delicious.

Wok performance will improve with each use as the seasoning builds up.

One last note when you seasoned the Wok, did the oil turn black or deep mahogany reddish brown? You might have left it in the oven too long. Try applying more oil and season again, and keep it oiled when stored. Last get the Wok hot before you add oil to cook with. With my Wok I can fry an egg with just a light spray of Pam. Don't worry about th eblack flakes getting into you food it is harmless.

Good luck and be patient.

Thanks texasweed! Using a wok has challenged me for years. You provide some sage advice

Answering your questions....

Im pretty sure the wok was hot enough. Does it have to be hot when you add the oil or can it heat up with oil in it? Whats the difference?

I may not be keeping the food moving like I should, will correct this next time.

It turned a dark brown, not red really. Did 2x 2 hour sessions in the oven. On the hottest day of the summer lol.

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[texasweed]

Im pretty sure the wok was hot enough. Does it have to be hot when you add the oil or can it heat up with oil in it? Whats the difference?

The longer the oil spends in contact with the hot surface, especially metal, the more time it has to be broken down by the extreme conditions and exposure to oxygen. It becomes gummy and viscous like a glue causing food to stick. You want you roil to shimmer and add food just as the first whisp of smoke rise from the heated oil.

Be careful here because if the Wok gets to hot the oil can catch fire as soon as it hit the Wok. Heat the Wok up, add the oil, and wait until you see the shimmer a the first puff of smoke rise and add the food immediately. If the Wok is hot enough you should see it shiimer in a few seconds followed by a few whisp of smoke a few second later.

If the Wok is too cold when you add the oil, wait until you see the shimmer and first whips of smoke.

Note this is not for deep frying. use a thermometer for deep frying. Shimmering smoking oil with instantly burn battered food leaving the inside raw and outside batter black.

Heat and control of heat is the key to successful stir fry and saute. Toll little heat and you boil and food sticks. Too high scorches. If you need help invest in a infra read heat thermometer with a probe. You can use th escanner to measure the temp of oil and surfaces. Use th einstant read probe to test for meat and candy temps.

[kevreh]

Actually.....I do happen to have a remote thermometer, with the led dot and all. What temp am I shooting for?

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[texasweed]

Table as an abrasive? How so? And what kind of paper tool?

Huh? Find that quote where I said that?

[texasweed]

Actually.....I do happen to have a remote thermometer, with the led dot and all. What temp am I shooting for?

Depends a bit on what type of oil but 375 to 400 is what you are looking for before you pour the oil in. Swirl it around till it shimmers and a whisp of smoke appears. Does not apply to deep frying, just stir fry and saute.

Once you have done it a few times you just hold your hand over the Wok or skillet and you tell how hot it is. In addition if you clean it properly and lightly oil it before storing just look for that first wisp of smoke coming off the Wok is how I can tell. .

[Alan]

I love this thing, getting more seasoned as we go.

[kevreh]

You getting any baked on black stuff? Or can you keep it clean after every meal?

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[Alan]

You're shooting for baked on oil(seasoning), but not food particles. I clean it with a very small dab of soap, a sponge and warm(not hot) water. Then I dry it with a paper towel, then I put it back on the burner to get it super dry, then I coat it with a light coat of oil. Mine is getting pretty black, but I've been using the hell out of it.

[kevreh]

You're shooting for baked on oil(seasoning), but not food particles. I clean it with a very small dab of soap, a sponge and warm(not hot) water. Then I dry it with a paper towel, then I put it back on the burner to get it super dry, then I coat it with a light coat of oil. Mine is getting pretty black, but I've been using the hell out of it.

The drying part on the burner, then applying a thin layer of oil has made a big difference for me in preventing rust and having the wok ready for next time.


Btw, a lot of this thread applies to cast iron too, as far as I know.

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[Alan]

Another tip is not to overload your wok with food. If you do this the temperature drops too much and it makes it very difficult to recover. It takes too long to recover the heat loss and in the mean time food has a chance to stick. Fried rice for example, it seems people have issues with it sticking. You need to have relatively dry rice, so cook(the first cooking) it a few days before you plan to make the fried rice, fridge it for a few days. When you're ready, get the wok HOT, then add oil, ginger, garlic whatever, then your rice, but don't put too much rice in it, maybe a cup to a cup and a half and that's it and keep it moving. There's probably some kind of ratio of food to wok size, that's why restaurants have big a$$ woks.

[texasweed]

Btw, a lot of this thread applies to cast iron too, as far as I know.

You are absolutely right. No difference between the two. Grandma knew exactly what she was doing. There is cast iron cookware out there with 200 years of service and still going. I got a cast iron skillet that is better than any non-stick product out there. It was broke in a century ago by my Grand Mother with lard and bacon fat. My Mother passed it down to me. You can fry and egg dry in it. Every time I use it I hear both my Granny and Mom laughing with Joy in my heart. They know they gave it to the right person. I know exactly who gets it when I pass.

Tip for you parents with kids starting their own family. No better gift than a Lodge Cast Iron Ware. Lodge (Made in USA) now makes Enameled Cast Iron Ware that is just as good or better than Le Creuset at half the price made in France. Nothing better than Chicken in a Pot made in a Cast Iron French style Oven. Dang I made myself hungry. Excuse me while I go eat.

[Eck]

Lodge (Made in USA) now makes Enameled Cast Iron Ware that is just as good or better than Le Creuset at half the price made in France.

The enameled stuff from Lodge is made in China - http://www.lodgemfg.com/FAQRetrieve.aspx?ID=63665

I agree 100% with everything else you said though. I have a large collection of vintage cast iron cookware and it is still the best stuff ever. If you are going to buy new cast iron, go with Lodge all the way. If you can get your hands on some pre-1960 pieces, even better. If anyone is interested in the old stuff, you can spend hours learning on this site - http://www.castironcollector.com/ - highly recommended.