Alice, friends have a very good stove, but it doesn't get hot enough
for stir-fry in their opinion. But they can get added BTUs from
their gas grill outdoors, so they do most of their stir fry
outdoors. Margaret L
My dad uses the wok for everything, from stir frying, steaming, and
blanching vegetables before stir fry. When he's done, he uses a large
stiff, natural bristle brush to scrub under hot water. Then he returns the
wok to the burner, turns on the flame until all moisture is gone. Key to
any stir fry is a hot cooking surface that can be maintained. That is why
you never crowd your pan with too much meats or veggies, otherwise all the
ingredients would lower the surface temperature. The reason that chinese
restaurants turn out better food is because home stoves just don't have the
high BTU's. I, unfortunately, have a crappy electric cooktop (Sue, I am
very envious of your new kitchen- a Wolf, indeed!). To make any
serviceable stir-fry, I use a large cast-iron skillet. I heat until it
smokes, the add oil and a few cloves of mashed garlic, stir, then add the
meat that has been seasoned with cornstarch and slat or soy sauce,
depending on if I want a brown or light sauce. Set meat aside, more oil,
then the vegetables, uniformly cut.
I just came back from NYC to visit my parents. My dad made crab cooked
with garlic and fermented black beans. Messy but good. Ate tons of dim
sum, washed down with pots of tea. Came home, and the azalea and weeping
cherry are blooming, the peony shoots are peaking out. Both asian pears
are blooming this year, too, so I have my fingers crossed that I'll get at
least one fruit!
Alice
Mine has a wooden handle, too, but it was removable,I wonder if you can
wrap the handle with foil really well and try the oven? ( any input on
that from others?) Maybe your husband has a torch to burn off the
gunk? and wire brushes to scrub it. I did use the crisco on the outside
and the inside It was the outside that was the worst! I'm not sure why.
go ahead and use soap and anything you need to get the gunk off, and
then maybe you can season it on top of the stove with the crisco.
inside and out.
I didn't see your message until I saw it on Alice's answer.
susan
Why would anyone want to stick a wok in the oven anyway? It's pretty
unsteady, unless you get the mini wok with a flat bottom by All-Clad which
has a stainless steel handle, hard anodized steel body.
Alice
I put it in the oven to season it, like I do iron skillets. not to cook
in it. When I had a wood cook stove, I would take out an eye over the
burning wood, and it was good and hot!!
susan
