I got a huge carbon steel wok for Christmas. But I have no idea what to do with it! I love cooking but I've never used a wok before. I seasoned it today and I'm excited to get started. Do you guys have some suggestions on recipes, techniques, etc? I'm stopping by the asian grocery later, what would be good things to pick up?

thanks!

12/25/2006 12:36:10 PM

Pick up a sauce of some sort (I like the korean BBQ sauce at Grand Asia) and soak some beef tips in it (you can get those at BJ's) and then stir fry with a small ammount of oil. Then take some cooked rice fry that with some oil, eggs and veggies. I also add soy sauce for flavor at the end.

12/25/2006 1:15:40 PM

do you have a gas range?

12/25/2006 4:27:18 PM

Isn't carbon steel a little redundant?

12/25/2006 4:30:32 PM

pretty much

12/25/2006 4:31:27 PM

my stove is electric, not gas

and I realize it's silly that they call it "carbon steel," but I thought it could refer to a specific type of steel depending on the carbon content

12/25/2006 4:54:12 PM

I do something really simple with my Wok. Frozen vegetables of my choice, cubed chicken, soy sauce and lo mein. Viola!

12/25/2006 5:06:10 PM

There's almost nothing you can't do with a wok. You can fucking deep fry with the thing for christ's sake!

12/25/2006 5:13:57 PM

Quote :

"carbon steel"

Kinda funny, but the company I work for works almost exclusively with stainless steel, so any non-stainless steel is referred to as carbon steel, regardless if it's low-carbon structural AISI 1012, 1018, hot-rolled, cold-drawn, etc. Unless it's something like 4340 Chromoly.

That's usually how cutlery is grouped as well. If it's not stainless or ceramic, then it's called carbon steel.

12/25/2006 5:26:24 PM

Yea, I assumed it was some sort of "thing" and not purposefully redundant/dumb. Thanks for the edumacation.

12/25/2006 5:46:27 PM

also it's flat bottom ... after doing some reading it looks like the round bottom is better?

12/25/2006 6:48:21 PM

^yes, but round bottom /= electric range.

gotta be flat bottom for most people.

peanut or sesame oil, heat to high, mix it around in the wok til it smokes some. rinse the oil out, repeat a few times.

a little soy, hot sauce(la sirracha , sp?) and garlic with some veggies and chicken makes a mean stir fry.

12/25/2006 6:59:26 PM

stir fry....

12/25/2006 10:39:23 PM

Quote :

"Isn't carbon steel a little redundant? "

i figured it had a higher carbon content. unless the chinese just have it all wrong with their engrish.

[Edited on December 26, 2006 at 12:55 AM. Reason : sesame oil have a low smoke point, so i'd stick with peanut.]

12/26/2006 12:55:26 AM

Quote :

"^yes, but round bottom /= electric range. gotta be flat bottom for most people. "

if you want to use a round bottom wok on a electric stove, you just use one of the round little wok stands that holds the wok in place, they usually come with them anyway

but the key to cooking with a wok is high heat - a wok is shaped like it is so you can adjust the heat your food is receiving by moving it up and down along the perimeter of the wok (farthest down of course being highest heat)

12/26/2006 1:13:44 AM

make the shit hot... but don't let the oil sit in it for a long time by itsself while it's real hot... it will ignite.

12/26/2006 1:25:43 AM

Get a Phillipine Cook. Then you can say "Monkey's brains, though popular in Cantonese cusine, is not often found in Washington D.C." With emphasis on the D.C.

12/26/2006 1:43:02 AM

Quote :

"peanut or sesame oil, heat to high, mix it around in the wok til it smokes some"

so she gets cancer?

12/26/2006 4:22:02 PM

when did you become one of those anti-cooked food nuts?

12/26/2006 4:25:14 PM

mmm a wok, congrats britta! they're pretty handy for cooking, i wouldn't mind having one.

i'd say check out some of the asian grocery stores for different sauces, and experiment with different types of meats + veggies + sauces.

12/26/2006 4:33:03 PM

there is such a thing as "anti cooked food nuts"??? I mean I've heard some crazy antis but dang

anyway it doesn't have a nonstick coating so it's safe to heat the wok without food in it

12/26/2006 4:36:33 PM

i am not an anti cooked food nut!

when oil is heated so much that it smokes, that's not good at all.

the vapours are carcinogenic, and the oil turns carcinogenic as well.

and anyway, it is best to cook food at low temperatures.

12/26/2006 4:48:39 PM

Quote :

"it is best to cook food at low temperatures."

since when?

tell the FDA that

[Edited on December 26, 2006 at 4:57 PM. Reason : quote]

12/26/2006 4:57:01 PM

i don't know what the fda has to do with this, but i am talking from a nutritional point of view, esp vegetables, and oils/fat.

12/26/2006 5:04:49 PM

so tonight I made a DELICIOUS improvised stir fry with rice noodles, garlic, tofu, peppers, onions, pecans, and carrots. the sauce was peanut and soy sauce. It turned out great! got rave reviews from the family and was very tasty with a cold beer.

I can't wait to try again with what I've learned, and add some meat next time (my mom is a vegetarian so I couldn't do it tonight) Also I only had olive oil and I know peanut oil would be better. The peppers were the best part, they were the only vegetable that was truly stir fried. The pan wasn't quite hot enough when I added the other ingredients.

12/26/2006 6:49:11 PM

Quote :

"if you want to use a round bottom wok on a electric stove, you just use one of the round little wok stands that holds the wok in place, they usually come with them anyway"

you don't avoid using a wok on an electric stove because it won't stand on the burner. you avoid it because the whole idea of a wok is premised on the idea that high heat will be applied to the sides of the wok as well as to the bottom. gas burners are obviously going to be far superior to electric, but its still pretty stupid to use a wok on even normal gas ranges. aside from the placebo effect and other for effect only purposes, a large flat bottom frying pan will produce better results every time for the average user.

bottom line: if you use a wok in a typical home kitchen you're a fucking idiot.


[Edited on December 26, 2006 at 11:24 PM. Reason : s]

12/26/2006 11:22:29 PM

incorrect.

12/26/2006 11:26:35 PM

Quote :

"also it's flat bottom ... after doing some reading it looks like the round bottom is better?"

HOLLA!

12/26/2006 11:26:41 PM

hey 8=======D, can you get me a job at the Grand China Buffet so i can use their wok burner?

12/26/2006 11:55:08 PM

I love my wok
i got a new one from Santa Clause. i cook all types of stuff in mine b/c its so big.
but i love stir frying everything

sesame beans are awesome

12/27/2006 9:44:29 AM

8=======D, there are advantages to a wok over a flat pan that you can appreciate with an electric stove. The shape makes it easier to toss without losing ingredients. Also it's easy to quickly move food from a hot part (the bottom) to a cooler part (the sides). For example you can move vegetables to the side and make sauce in the center. With a frying pan you have to mix sauce in a separate pot.

Last night for dinner I did both of these. I'm no chef but I can appreciate dirtying up one less pot. And I like cooking with a seasoned pan, most frying pans are stainless steal or teflon. Cast iron is great, but really heavy.

I have another question though, will making soup in the wok damage the seasoning?

12/27/2006 10:31:23 AM

i would think so.

12/27/2006 10:35:23 AM

You can do some crazy stir frying with a ladle (for Distributing Sauce) and a Steel Spatula for Stirring. Kinda cross motion the two over a burning gas range and it's some excellent cooking.

Lobster in Garlic Sauce:

Sauce:

2 portion Oyster Sauce
1 portion Hoison Sauce
2 portion Soy Sauce
Dab of Sesame Oil
Pepper to Taste

Lobster Preparation:

Put Corn Starch on Lobsters
Deep Fry over gas range for aprox. 4-5 mins
Take out momentarily

Add Oil to Wok
Add Gracious amt of Garlic (thinly Sliced)
Lengthly Cuts of Scallions/Green Onions
Put Lobsters (Portioned) in Wok and Pour Sauce on and stir fry with method mentioned above.
Add Seafood or Chicken Stock if you desire a more saucy Stir Fry.

Do this for around 5-8 mins med heat and bon ape tit

[Edited on December 27, 2006 at 10:58 AM. Reason : .]

12/27/2006 10:50:00 AM

ahahah, i think you mean "bon appetit "

12/27/2006 11:11:03 AM

Quote :

"bon ape tit"

12/27/2006 11:52:52 AM

Quote :

"you just use one of the round little wok stands that holds the wok in place"

ring is for gas ranges with small burners or to let it cool after cooking.

most nice ranges have a large burner for woks and large stock pots.

12/27/2006 11:59:09 AM

oh word i thought you guys were trying to stir fry.

if you're going for steamed vegetables, then a wok is definitely the way to go

12/27/2006 12:46:36 PM

12/28/2006 4:01:10 PM

Britta, not only will peanut or some other veg oil be a good cooking aid, over olive oil, but sesame oil is REALLY good to add a lot of flavor with just a splash of the oil. a small amount will infuse in the whole dish with a nice sesame flavor.

12/29/2006 1:57:15 AM

Quote :

"sesame oil "

i use this every now and then and a little can go a long way
there are lots of really good stir fry oils that you can buy

go to a nicer grocery store that has a nice asian food section and just have fun

12/29/2006 8:53:46 AM

my mom got me "wok oil" which is a blend of sesame, peanut, and garlic oil

it was great with dinner yesterday, I'm gonna go to the azn grocery later and get some more oil and sauce

12/29/2006 12:44:26 PM

Quote :

"Viola!"

12/29/2006 2:44:34 PM

My old roommate and I used to use his wok all the time. Only he pronounced it "wawk"...

but then he was from Smithfield too.

12/30/2006 1:03:25 AM

Can anyone recommend a good wok (stove top, not electric)?

3/26/2015 2:06:44 PM

I got a non-stick giant frying pan from Walmart, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. And they had woks too. So if I was in the market for a wok, I'd go buy one at Walmart.

3/26/2015 2:08:54 PM

All my chef friends by $5 woks at the local Asian Market. My wife and I had an expensive one from Williams Sonoma that we couldn't keep from fucking up (it would never completely dry). We got a cheap one from the Asian Market and it's been perfect.

3/26/2015 2:19:06 PM

duh

3/26/2015 8:32:13 PM

so it's pretty well established wok cooking with electric sucks. does anyone have experience with a gas "wok burner" for use indoors?

like one of these

3/26/2015 10:44:32 PM

A thin wok will make the best fried rice! And not overcooking the rice.

3/26/2015 11:30:10 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arEWFXWtCIw

Best ever.

3/27/2015 11:47:39 PM