"Frogleg" > wrote in message
...
> A question came up in rec.food.cooking with someone citing an 18,000
> BTU gas burner used for stir-fry. I've often heard "home stoves can't
> generate the heat necessary for 'proper' Chinese cooking." Yet, it
> seems to me that the origin of stir-fry *must* be to quick-cook with a
> minimal amount of fuel, and I'm picturing charcoal 'stoves' and very
> compact arrangements aboard boats as in some TV cooking shows and
> movies. Of course, one wants the pan quite hot, but not melted into
> slag.
>
> My query: Is some exraordinarily powerful heat source really a
> requirement of Chinese/stir-fry cooking?


No, definitely not. That's a strange, I dunno, myth or idée fixe out there,
that you need super high heat sources to get "restaurant quality" Chinese
food. Then why do all the Chinese restaurants in my town make totally
crappy fried rice, for instance? Because, just like for other cuisines, it
depends more on good recipes/good cooks and quality ingredients than on heat
and on that smokey taste. [OK, there is one place in Davis now that has
great fried rice, but it is new.]

And you're right: One of my most memorable meals in China was in a home that
had a little portable stove that sat on the counter. The difference was
that she was just a good cook.

One thing that bothers me about this belief is that it suggests that Chinese
cuisine is synonymous with stir-frying. Instead of worrying about their
stir-fries, I think people should expand their repertoire to braised,
steamed, and clay pot dishes. And lots of stir-fried dishes that use the
wok won't be helped much by high heat if a sauce is involved, like for
fish-flavored eggplants.

As kalanamak mentioned, I'd appreciate more heat for stir-fried fresh rice
noodles and for deep-frying whole poultry. Otherwise, a regular stove is
fine, IMO.

Peter

[...]

Peter Dy wrote:
>
> "Frogleg" > wrote in message
> ...
> > A question came up in rec.food.cooking with someone citing an 18,000
> > BTU gas burner used for stir-fry. I've often heard "home stoves can't
> > generate the heat necessary for 'proper' Chinese cooking." Yet, it
> > seems to me that the origin of stir-fry *must* be to quick-cook with a
> > minimal amount of fuel, and I'm picturing charcoal 'stoves' and very
> > compact arrangements aboard boats as in some TV cooking shows and
> > movies. Of course, one wants the pan quite hot, but not melted into
> > slag.

No such thing as charcoal stoves.

The dry grasses and other fuels the Chinese used produced a high heat
with a short burn time, hence "the need for speed" when cooking.

> > My query: Is some exraordinarily powerful heat source really a
> > requirement of Chinese/stir-fry cooking?
>
> No, definitely not. That's a strange, I dunno, myth or idée fixe out there,
> that you need super high heat sources to get "restaurant quality" Chinese
> food.

In Cantonese cooking, its a definite YES!

Its called "Wok Hey" in Cantonese.

> Then why do all the Chinese restaurants in my town make totally
> crappy fried rice, for instance? Because, just like for other cuisines, it
> depends more on good recipes/good cooks and quality ingredients than on heat
> and on that smokey taste. [OK, there is one place in Davis now that has
> great fried rice, but it is new.]

Beacuse in your part of town, its whats expected from the masses.

Even in NYC, if I go into a restaurant outside of the three Chinatowns,
and order in Cantonese, telling them what I want and how I want it
prepared,
the results are almost always dissapointing because they still see a Caucasian
face ordering.

A perfect example. Beef Chow Fun or in the Cantonese "Gon Chow Nau Haw".
Even in Chinatown this can be a disaster. The high heat is needed to slightly
char the noodles while barely cooking the scallion, with liitle or no grease
apparent and no gloppy-gooey sauce.

> And you're right: One of my most memorable meals in China was in a home that
> had a little portable stove that sat on the counter. The difference was
> that she was just a good cook.

What did she make? Not all Chinese food requires a burner with enough BTU's
to provide proper "Wok hey".

> One thing that bothers me about this belief is that it suggests that Chinese
> cuisine is synonymous with stir-frying. Instead of worrying about their
> stir-fries, I think people should expand their repertoire to braised,
> steamed, and clay pot dishes. And lots of stir-fried dishes that use the
> wok won't be helped much by high heat if a sauce is involved, like for
> fish-flavored eggplants.
>
> As kalanamak mentioned, I'd appreciate more heat for stir-fried fresh rice
> noodles and for deep-frying whole poultry. Otherwise, a regular stove is
> fine, IMO.

On a regular stove, I recommend the heaviest iron wok you can manage,
as the iron will hold heat better than the thin stainless ones, and keep
the portions small. Make two batches instead of one large one to keep
the initial temperature drop to a minimum.

"If Yan can, I can do better!" - Slim

"slim" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Peter Dy wrote:
[...]
> > > My query: Is some exraordinarily powerful heat source really a
> > > requirement of Chinese/stir-fry cooking?
> >
> > No, definitely not. That's a strange, I dunno, myth or idée fixe out
there,
> > that you need super high heat sources to get "restaurant quality"
Chinese
> > food.
>
> In Cantonese cooking, its a definite YES!
>
> Its called "Wok Hey" in Cantonese.


You don't say...


> Beacuse in your part of town, its whats expected from the masses.
>
> Even in NYC,


Uh, here you are agreeing with me.

Fancy and expensive pots and pans, expensive German knives, and expensive
high-powered stoves are not necessary for great cooking. Having such items
guarantees nothing. I'd rather eat fried rice at my Cantonese friends'
places with their crappy electric stoves than at restaurants that have
powerful stoves which lend "wok fragrance" to crap. One doesn't even need a
wok. I say: Go look for great recipes, learn good techniques, and use great
ingredients and you'll make better Chinese than most every restaurant in the
States. You say: Try Italian instead. I think that is a dogmatic position,
and certainly not fun!

[...]

> On a regular stove, I recommend the heaviest iron wok you can manage,
> as the iron will hold heat better than the thin stainless ones, and keep
> the portions small. Make two batches instead of one large one to keep
> the initial temperature drop to a minimum.


Huh? So, you just don't know what "requirement" means, is that it?

Peter

On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 02:26:37 GMT, slim > wrote:
>A perfect example. Beef Chow Fun or in the Cantonese "Gon Chow Nau Haw".
>Even in Chinatown this can be a disaster. The high heat is needed to slightly
>char the noodles while barely cooking the scallion, with liitle or no grease
>apparent and no gloppy-gooey sauce.

Chow fun is indeed the perfect example of a dish that really needs the
BTUs of a professional wok burner. I produce an edible version and
cheat by adding a few drops of Gravy Mater or Kitchen Bouquet, which
puts a slight char flavor from the caramel. (I use it on beef, shrimp
or pork.) A drizzle of thick soy - less than 1/2 tsp - also helps
add a browned flavor to the noodles.

slim wrote:

> Peter Dy wrote:
> >
> > "Frogleg" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > A question came up in rec.food.cooking with someone citing an 18,000
> > > BTU gas burner used for stir-fry. I've often heard "home stoves can't
> > > generate the heat necessary for 'proper' Chinese cooking." Yet, it
> > > seems to me that the origin of stir-fry *must* be to quick-cook with a
> > > minimal amount of fuel, and I'm picturing charcoal 'stoves' and very
> > > compact arrangements aboard boats as in some TV cooking shows and
> > > movies. Of course, one wants the pan quite hot, but not melted into
> > > slag.
>
> No such thing as charcoal stoves.

Sure there are...Or are you somehow tripping on the word 'stove'...?

Charcoal is the cheapest and most used fuel in my neck-of-the-woods.
They are used for cooking most grilled meats, bananas, vegetables, etc., but not
for stir-frying
My charcoal stove gets used almost every day. I love the taste of meat cooked this
way.