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<p>I thought that they came black.</p>
<p>Oh darn. I spent kind of a lot on this wok and probably shouldn’t have. It’s not coated or non-stick. It’s stainless steel and has a vein of copper running thru the base. The William Sonoma person said that made it a super-duper wok. Darn.</p>
<p>Anyway, the stove is a Bosch with a center burner that get’s 16,000 btu. Yet it just didn’t ever seem to make the stuff sizzle. I’m thinking I overloaded to begin with. Bought flank steak at Costco and cooked more than we needed or could eat. Then those frozen veggies.</p>
<p>Trying again tonight. Chicken, not so much of it. Slim asparagus, bok choy and yellow pepper. Weird but I’m weird and like the assortment! Using a stir-fry sauce from trader joe’s. Going to do some garlic first in the wok and work in batches.</p>
<p>A little disappointed. My stir-fry fantasy was that this would be an easy fast labor-free menu but everything good takes thought, effort and time.</p>
<p>One key technique I learned from Jaden at Steamy Kitchen is how to properly cook meat for stir fry. Put the meat pieces in the hot wok and let it cook on that side without moving or stirring it. Then flip the pieces and continue cooking until done. This way you will get the nice caramelized browning (if it has been in a marinade) that you get in restaurants. After cooking the meat remove from pan and cook the veggies etc. I had been doing it all wrong for years! Cooking the meat this way has made a huge difference in the taste of my stir fry dishes.</p>
<p>I bought “Wok Fast” off of Amazon a few weeks ago and have loved it. It’s well worth the $8 or so I paid just for the three pages full of various sauces I can add at the end to totally change the flavor of dinner.</p>
<p>Also, I’ve found a good trick is to put all the meat in (maybe half a pound to 3/4 of a pound) and arrange it into a single layer after the wok’s at oil-smoking temperatures (don’t use olive oil since it smokes at too low of a temperature). Let it sit there for 30 seconds to a minute before moving it. That way you’ll develop the nice browned/blacked outside that gives a fantastic flavor. Also, don’t actually stir the food. You should use more of a flipping motion to move it around the wok.</p>
<p>sewhappy:</p>
<p>I think flank steak may not be the best cut of meat for stir frying…ask at the store, there are definite differences in which cut of meat you choose to stir fry…again I think sirloin was recommended to me…yeah, definitely stir fry in smaller batches, protein first, then remove and do the veggies, sauce, garlic, etc.</p>
<p>Much better results tonight. First, thanks to Dad2 or whoever it was who mentioned doing the garlic first. i did that just in canola oil - 3 sections of smashed garlic – then put in the chicken and it cooked much faster and I just flipped it instead of moving it around. Then out that came onto a warm platter while I did the bok choy, yellow pepper and asparagus. They browed a bit and then I added the sauce Wm. Sanoma sold me. Then brought back the chicken. Then to the table.</p>
<p>Hey. They think I know what I’m doing tonight. Yeah!</p>
<p>I do think it’s worth getting this down because when stir fry is done well it’s just so wonderful.</p>
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<p>Yes. And you can do a low-carb version. Instead of rice, I stir fry some brocolli in the wok, then add just a little water and put a lid on wok to steam the brocolli until it’s cooked.</p>
<p>Then, take out the brocolli and do the usual wok stirfry, which is serve on top of the brocolli, instead of rice. Or just add the brocolli back into he wok and mix it all together for a pile of food that reaches to the ceiling on a plate.</p>
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and mix it all together for a pile of food that reaches to the ceiling on a plate.
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<p>Yup. That’s what I’m talking about. Except enough broccoli rabe here in NJ is about $50.</p>
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I’m sure someone more expert than I will chime in, but in my Asian cooking there are two sesame oils: toasted and not toasted (I know there are more variations, but this is the key difference for me). I usually stir fry with canola oil or similar. BUT I add a sparing amount of sesame oil at the very end of many dishes. As a seasoning. Maybe a tsp (or more if lots of servings). It adds a wonderful dark nutty flavor. But it is NOT for the stir frying itself; it is a wonderful flavor enhancer.</p>
<p>^^ I do the same with sesame oil. It’s a seasoning. I may add a tsp at the end like you or I will add a tsp to marinade the meat.
Flank steak is what most Chinese use for stir fry. Of course, you slice against the grain of the meat, this way the meat is more tender.</p>
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<p>An Al-Clad wok will be fantastic on a gas burner. I would much prefer that over the typical Asian steel wok. Yours won’t rust like the Asian woks want to do if you don’t used them all the time. The nice thing is that, if you ever get a hopelessly encrusted layer of gunk on the inside, you can also use BarKeepers Friend and a copper scrubby pad on the stainless steel.</p>
<p>I am stuck with an electric range. The workout is a Le Creuset black cast iron wok that weighs about fifteen pounds. I put it on a burner, turned on high, for ten minutes before starting to cook. The thing is practically red hot and has so much thermal mass that it holds the heat.</p>
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I <em>know</em> you are a real cook, idad… because I’ve read a lot of your posts. So… how did you get stuck with an electric range? I’ve changed them out every single time I’ve bought a place with electric. Even when it meant I had to use propane. Go for it!</p>
<p>Here’s a family fav that goes through the steps nicely. It’s so easy to make your own marinade/sauce you won’t ever buy the store bought stuff again. Choose your own vegetables, save time and just serve with rice.</p>
<p>[Chinese</a> Broccoli Beef Noodle Stir Fry | Steamy Kitchen Recipes](<a href=“http://steamykitchen.com/4997-broccoli-beef-noodle-stir-fry.html]Chinese”>Chinese Broccoli Beef Noodle Recipe)</p>
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<p>It would have meant putting in a propane tank. Frankly, other than figuring out a workaround for wok cooking, I haven’t found electric to be much of an impediment to good cooking. You can still get a skillet really hot and you learn to just take the pot off the burner if you need to reduce heat fast.</p>
<p>The cast iron LeCreuset wok solved that problem.</p>
<p>Paris79 - thanks so much for posting that link. It looks absolutely delicious. Have wondered how to do Asian noodles in the wok.</p>
<p>Also, very intrigued by the sesame oil as spice idea.</p>
<p>I know that it’s not legit, but I use this for stir fry because it gets very, very hot, and because it’s so large, there is plenty of room for all of the ingredients to make contact with the pan:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> CucinaPro 1454 Stainless Steel Round Classic Electric Skillet 16 Inch: Home & Garden](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/CucinaPro-1454-Stainless-Classic-Electric/dp/B0014E9C50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1306246518&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/CucinaPro-1454-Stainless-Classic-Electric/dp/B0014E9C50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1306246518&sr=1-1)</p>
<p>Also, for all the recommendations for fairly expensive tools here, I’ve found the $12 carbon steel wok with aluminum lid I bought at Ross a few months ago to be spectacular after I spent a little bit of time to season it (it’s also nice because it cleans up easier than most of my stainless steel pans). I just dump all the food out of the wok into this large pyrex storage/serving bowl, put a little bit of water into the bottom of the wok, a very quick scrub with a non-soapy sponge, shake all the water out, put it back on the stove on medium, and by the time I’m done scooping out the rice it’s already dried off.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone has mentioned peanut oil, which has a much higher smoke point than most olive or canola ois. It is the only type I use (and sesame oil for flavor). The pan should be heated before you add the oil. I start with a lot of minced fresh ginger and garlic, then add veggies in order of cooking time. Most “stir fry sauces” are actually finishing sauces to be added after you finish cooking. If you want to add corn starch to thicken a sauce it should be mixed with a little cold water first or it will clump. (I just shake them together in a bottle.) Red pepper flakes are a good way to add a little zip to a stir fry. Also, I am not above throwing in some of Trader Joe’s frozen edamame to increase the amount of protein. I also sometimes throw in a few frozen peas if it looks like I haven’t prepped enough vegetables.</p>
<p>The one thing I have never had much success stir frying is tofu. The easiest way I have found to get it browned without it falling apart is using a good non-stick pan.</p>
<p>My wife cooks tofu in a skillet instead of a wok. I think that the water content is a problem in a wok. She can do the stir-fry thing with the tofu after cooking it in the skillet.</p>
<p>I have a 25,000BTU built in wok. It does a great job if I am patient and don’t stir until needed. I think one of the most important things is that everyone is sitting and ready to eat and there is no waiting. That is when it can get soggy. Also, as someone posted, make sure that a drop of water actually dances before you even put your oil in.
Now should I mention that my wok is bigger than my sink…bad planning.</p>