Ok so I just got a wok last night and have done two meals on it.
Both came out really well. What I'm experiementing with is how hot
this thing should be. I have an electric stove and after reading
that these aren't hot enough I figured I better put mine on high.
But when doing that the peanut oil burns easily. What I've tried
so far is keeping the heat on med-high and then pulling the wok
off the burner when I detect burning oil and then back on again to
maintin the heat. I've also tried putting the ingredients in one
at a time, taking the previous one out and letting thw wok come back
up to temp before putting the next in.

I might think about getting a gas burner for outside cooking but
not sure if that would be more trouble than its worth.

Jesse

wrote:
> Ok so I just got a wok last night and have done two meals on it.
> Both came out really well. What I'm experiementing with is how hot
> this thing should be. I have an electric stove and after reading
> that these aren't hot enough I figured I better put mine on high.
> But when doing that the peanut oil burns easily. What I've tried
> so far is keeping the heat on med-high and then pulling the wok
> off the burner when I detect burning oil and then back on again to
> maintin the heat. I've also tried putting the ingredients in one
> at a time, taking the previous one out and letting thw wok come back
> up to temp before putting the next in.
[snip]

I think you're on the right track. I have had a couple of extended
periods when I had to use an electric stove, and it is a challenge for
wok cooking. My practice was the same as yours, except that I put the
burner on high and the wok directly on the burner, the main point being
to move the wok on and off the burner to control the heat. What you
want to prevent is too much cooling as additional ingredients go in.

Don't assume that you need to lower the heat--i.e., take the wok off
the heat--just because you see some wisps of smoke. Stirfrying can
handle it. Home cooks in general are too cautious about heat--let her
rip and you'll like the result. If restaurant cooks used the moderate
flames that home cooks do, it would be routine to wait an hour for your
food.

-aem

aem wrote:

>
> I think you're on the right track. I have had a couple of extended
> periods when I had to use an electric stove, and it is a challenge
for
> wok cooking. My practice was the same as yours, except that I put
the
> burner on high and the wok directly on the burner, the main point
being
> to move the wok on and off the burner to control the heat. What you
> want to prevent is too much cooling as additional ingredients go in.
>
> Don't assume that you need to lower the heat--i.e., take the wok off
> the heat--just because you see some wisps of smoke. Stirfrying can
> handle it. Home cooks in general are too cautious about heat--let
her
> rip and you'll like the result. If restaurant cooks used the
moderate
> flames that home cooks do, it would be routine to wait an hour for
your
> food.
>
> -aem

Thanks I'll try that. My first attempt was deffinatly too low in heat
as the food just kinda sat there without the sizzle I would expect from
this kind of cooking. Tonight I did a bit better though. Part of my
aprehension with having the stove on high was that it seemed to be
burning the bottom of the wok (on the insde) and I didn't want the
patina messed up.

But I agree about being too cautious, I've noticed it seems to take my
recipes longer than what I've seen on TV or even what recipes call for
due to my not wanting to burn food. I guess the trick is to constantly
turn it, especially with wok cooking.

Jesse

On 1 Mar 2005 20:13:43 -0800, wrote:


>
>Thanks I'll try that. My first attempt was deffinatly too low in heat
>as the food just kinda sat there without the sizzle I would expect from
>this kind of cooking. Tonight I did a bit better though. Part of my
>aprehension with having the stove on high was that it seemed to be
>burning the bottom of the wok (on the insde) and I didn't want the
>patina messed up.

That's supposed to happen. As you use the wok it gets more and more
'seasoned', and actually cooks the food better. A well-used wok is
black on the outside, and darkened on the inside with a natural
non-stick coating. NEVER scrub the wok to make it shiny, and rub a
light coating of oil on the inside when it's dry to keep it good.
~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com
*remove 'nospam' to reply

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:
> On 1 Mar 2005 20:13:43 -0800, wrote:
>
>
> >
> >Thanks I'll try that. My first attempt was deffinatly too low in
heat
> >as the food just kinda sat there without the sizzle I would expect
from
> >this kind of cooking. Tonight I did a bit better though. Part of
my
> >aprehension with having the stove on high was that it seemed to be
> >burning the bottom of the wok (on the insde) and I didn't want the
> >patina messed up.
>
> That's supposed to happen. As you use the wok it gets more and more
> 'seasoned', and actually cooks the food better. A well-used wok is
> black on the outside, and darkened on the inside with a natural
> non-stick coating. NEVER scrub the wok to make it shiny, and rub a
> light coating of oil on the inside when it's dry to keep it good.
> ~Karen aka Kajikit
> Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
> http://www.kajikitscorner.com
> *remove 'nospam' to reply

Karen,

Hi I'm aware of the need to season a wok, but I thought burning it was
not good. To me there seems to be a difference in how the season forms.
When its burnt you just get carbon deposits which can flake off. I
got this info from a search on this post by a mettalurgist who brought
up that point.

Jesse

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Ok so I just got a wok last night and have done two meals on it.
> Both came out really well. What I'm experiementing with is how hot
> this thing should be. I have an electric stove and after reading
> that these aren't hot enough I figured I better put mine on high.
> But when doing that the peanut oil burns easily. What I've tried
> so far is keeping the heat on med-high and then pulling the wok
> off the burner when I detect burning oil and then back on again to
> maintin the heat. I've also tried putting the ingredients in one
> at a time, taking the previous one out and letting thw wok come back
> up to temp before putting the next in.
>
> I might think about getting a gas burner for outside cooking but
> not sure if that would be more trouble than its worth.
>
> Jesse

I think your problem is that you are taking too long. When using a wok, you
want it super hot. But, because of the high temps, you have to have
everything lined up and ready to go. Once you start the wok, you are
committed which means you have to have all your prep work done in advance
and right there beside the stove.

If you get a chance, watch Alton Brown's episode about woks on "Good Eats".
If you think your electric stove is getting too hot, he's using a high
powered propane stove deal which is about 10 times the BTU output of your
stove.

My gas stove doesn't get hot enough, IMO, and I have to slow down when I use
the wok. I'm thinking of using my turkey frying deal (can't remember the
damn name) the next time I break out the wok.

YMMV,
Bret



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Maverick wrote:

>
> I think your problem is that you are taking too long. When using a
wok, you
> want it super hot. But, because of the high temps, you have to have
> everything lined up and ready to go. Once you start the wok, you are

> committed which means you have to have all your prep work done in
advance
> and right there beside the stove.
>
> If you get a chance, watch Alton Brown's episode about woks on "Good
Eats".
> If you think your electric stove is getting too hot, he's using a
high
> powered propane stove deal which is about 10 times the BTU output of
your
> stove.
>
> My gas stove doesn't get hot enough, IMO, and I have to slow down
when I use
> the wok. I'm thinking of using my turkey frying deal (can't remember
the
> damn name) the next time I break out the wok.
>
> YMMV,
> Bret

Thanks for the info, I'll keep my eye out on Alton's show. I did have
all my prep done in advance this time. Last night I learned that
lesson as I put the garlic and in turned around to finish some prep and
when I turned back around the garlic was burned.

What you said about Alton using the gas burner make sense and was what
made me wonder why I thought med-high was the right temp. I looked at
some gas burners and they were all rated around 100k btu so I figured
an electric must be much lower and therefore even a setting on high
shouldn't pose a problem.

The particular recipe I had tonight involved asparagus. I had that
cooking on med-high for a few minutes when I noticed the oil smoking a
bit. It seemed like the asparagus wasn't enough mass to absorb the
heat present so the oil was taking the brunt of the energy. This
doesn't seem like it would be a problem with meat or bigger veggies. I
did notice the dish ended up having a pleasant smoky smell, different
than what burned oil normally tastes like. Maybe peanut oil can take
the higher heat when it comes to its flavor being affected. As it was
the asparagus was a bit on the crunchy side for what I prefer so I'm
wondering how I'll be able to cook it long enough without burning the
oil/spices. Any ideas om how I could have approached this differently
or am I just being too cautious again?

Jesse

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Maverick wrote:
>
>>
>> I think your problem is that you are taking too long. When using a
> wok, you
>> want it super hot. But, because of the high temps, you have to have
>> everything lined up and ready to go. Once you start the wok, you are
>
>> committed which means you have to have all your prep work done in
> advance
>> and right there beside the stove.
>>
>> If you get a chance, watch Alton Brown's episode about woks on "Good
> Eats".
>> If you think your electric stove is getting too hot, he's using a
> high
>> powered propane stove deal which is about 10 times the BTU output of
> your
>> stove.
>>
>> My gas stove doesn't get hot enough, IMO, and I have to slow down
> when I use
>> the wok. I'm thinking of using my turkey frying deal (can't remember
> the
>> damn name) the next time I break out the wok.
>>
>> YMMV,
>> Bret
>
> Thanks for the info, I'll keep my eye out on Alton's show. I did have
> all my prep done in advance this time. Last night I learned that
> lesson as I put the garlic and in turned around to finish some prep and
> when I turned back around the garlic was burned.
>
> What you said about Alton using the gas burner make sense and was what
> made me wonder why I thought med-high was the right temp. I looked at
> some gas burners and they were all rated around 100k btu so I figured
> an electric must be much lower and therefore even a setting on high
> shouldn't pose a problem.
>
> The particular recipe I had tonight involved asparagus. I had that
> cooking on med-high for a few minutes when I noticed the oil smoking a
> bit. It seemed like the asparagus wasn't enough mass to absorb the
> heat present so the oil was taking the brunt of the energy. This
> doesn't seem like it would be a problem with meat or bigger veggies. I
> did notice the dish ended up having a pleasant smoky smell, different
> than what burned oil normally tastes like. Maybe peanut oil can take
> the higher heat when it comes to its flavor being affected. As it was
> the asparagus was a bit on the crunchy side for what I prefer so I'm
> wondering how I'll be able to cook it long enough without burning the
> oil/spices. Any ideas om how I could have approached this differently
> or am I just being too cautious again?
>
> Jesse

I'm afraid I can't help you much there. I've never tried asparagus in a
wok. I can tell you that when you use the wok, you start with the items
that take the longest first. Give them a minute or two before adding the
next longest items. I think you get the drift. Most recipes will tell you
the exact order to add the various ingredients.

From everything I read online and in cookbooks, garlic and high temps is
very bad combination. The garlic can go from just right to total garbage in
the blink of an eye. With the wok, I normal add the garlic right after I
add the meat. With that being said, the meat is usually one of the last
ingredients I add since the heartier veggies go first.

Make sense?

Bret



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Maverick wrote:
>
> From everything I read online and in cookbooks, garlic and high temps
is
> very bad combination. The garlic can go from just right to total
garbage in
> the blink of an eye. With the wok, I normal add the garlic right
after I
> add the meat. With that being said, the meat is usually one of the
last
> ingredients I add since the heartier veggies go first.
>
> Make sense?
>
> Bret

I'll try that, although every recipe I've seen for wok cooking involves
adding the garlic at the beginning to infuse with the oil. I thought
that idea was then that everything you cooked in the oil would also get
the garlic flavor.

Jesse

wrote:
> Maverick wrote:
>>
>> From everything I read online and in cookbooks, garlic and high
>> temps is very bad combination. The garlic can go from just right to
>> total garbage in the blink of an eye. With the wok, I normal add
>> the garlic right after I add the meat. With that being said, the
>> meat is usually one of the last ingredients I add since the heartier
>> veggies go first.
>>
>> Make sense?
>>
>> Bret
>
> I'll try that, although every recipe I've seen for wok cooking
> involves adding the garlic at the beginning to infuse with the oil.
> I thought that idea was then that everything you cooked in the oil
> would also get the garlic flavor.
>
> Jesse

May be blasphemy, but you might want to try adding garlic juice (yes, it
comes in a bottle) to the ingredients at the end for that extra-garlicky
taste.

Jill

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 wrote:

> Maverick wrote:
>>
>> From everything I read online and in cookbooks, garlic and high temps
> is
>> very bad combination. The garlic can go from just right to total
> garbage in
>> the blink of an eye. With the wok, I normal add the garlic right
> after I
>> add the meat. With that being said, the meat is usually one of the
> last
>> ingredients I add since the heartier veggies go first.
>>
>> Make sense?
>>
>> Bret
>
> I'll try that, although every recipe I've seen for wok cooking involves
> adding the garlic at the beginning to infuse with the oil. I thought
> that idea was then that everything you cooked in the oil would also get
> the garlic flavor.

don't worry aobut the garlic. I dice/mince mine. garlic loves oil, so
that's why they use garlic butter.

definetely, add more food. a full bunch of asparagus could probably take
the stirfry better than just a few strands.

Stirfry should take about five minutes to cook. Ultimate Fast Food!

Lena

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> I'll try that, although every recipe I've seen for wok cooking involves
> adding the garlic at the beginning to infuse with the oil. I thought
> that idea was then that everything you cooked in the oil would also get
> the garlic flavor.

Yes, but it depends just which "garlic flavor" you're after. When
cooked, garlic tends to mellow out and develop an
interesting, sort of "nutty" flavor, but loses that sharp tang that
you associate with fresh, raw garlic. Both are good, so quite
often you'll want to start out with some garlic in the oil (being
careful not to burn it, of course), and then also toss in a little
more right at the end.

Bob M.

On 1 Mar 2005 21:01:01 -0800, wrote:
>Maverick wrote:

<keep things super hot>

>Thanks for the info, I'll keep my eye out on Alton's show. I did have
>all my prep done in advance this time. Last night I learned that
>lesson as I put the garlic and in turned around to finish some prep and
>when I turned back around the garlic was burned.

As mentioned earlier, garlic should go in later as it only needs a
minute or two in the pan. Add it at the very end of the alliums.

>What you said about Alton using the gas burner make sense and was what
>made me wonder why I thought med-high was the right temp. I looked at
>some gas burners and they were all rated around 100k btu so I figured
>an electric must be much lower

Yes.

> and therefore even a setting on high
>shouldn't pose a problem.

As mentioned upthread, have all your prep done, and the ingredients
standing ready to go in quickly. I cook with my traditional style wok
on my electric stove and do the following:

a) flip the support upsidedown (larger circle on top) to get the wok
down and in direct contact with the element.

b) only cook with the wok on high, unless deliberately simmering.

There is an adaptive electric element available that curves around the
bottom of the traditional wok. I purchased one... unfortunately it
didn't fit my stove. A better piece of equipment for NorAm
inhabitants is a flat-bottomed wok. This pan is designed for both a)
our home stoves and b) asian cooking.

>The particular recipe I had tonight involved asparagus. I had that
>cooking on med-high for a few minutes when I noticed the oil smoking a
>bit. It seemed like the asparagus wasn't enough mass to absorb the
>heat present so the oil was taking the brunt of the energy. This
>doesn't seem like it would be a problem with meat or bigger veggies. I
>did notice the dish ended up having a pleasant smoky smell, different
>than what burned oil normally tastes like. Maybe peanut oil can take
>the higher heat when it comes to its flavor being affected.

Yes it can. Peanut oil has one of the higher smoke points of the
commercial oils, other than lard itself. Look halfway down this page:
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/143 for a list.

> As it was
>the asparagus was a bit on the crunchy side for what I prefer so I'm
>wondering how I'll be able to cook it long enough without burning the
>oil/spices

You're going to need to do it a couple of times to get the timing
down. (Hardship? Asparagus?) Then, you'll be able to time your cooking
so that you add your spices at the right point to avoid burning.
As long as there is a substance at a cooler temp than the oil itself
in the pan (the object being cooked) it shouldn't smoke.

Do you have a stove hood? If so, crank that baby up to high, or open a
window.

> Any ideas om how I could have approached this differently
>or am I just being too cautious again?

Keep experimenting. It takes several shots to get a firm grip on a new
cooking technique, so keep going!

Shirley Hicks
Toronto, Ontario

wrote:
> Maverick wrote:
>
>>
>> I think your problem is that you are taking too long. When using a
>> wok, you want it super hot. But, because of the high temps, you
>> have to have everything lined up and ready to go. Once you start
>> the wok, you are
>
>> committed which means you have to have all your prep work done in
>> advance and right there beside the stove.
>>
> The particular recipe I had tonight involved asparagus. I had that
> cooking on med-high for a few minutes when I noticed the oil smoking a
> bit. It seemed like the asparagus wasn't enough mass to absorb the
> heat present so the oil was taking the brunt of the energy. This
> doesn't seem like it would be a problem with meat or bigger veggies.
> I did notice the dish ended up having a pleasant smoky smell,
> different than what burned oil normally tastes like. Maybe peanut
> oil can take the higher heat when it comes to its flavor being
> affected. As it was the asparagus was a bit on the crunchy side for
> what I prefer so I'm wondering how I'll be able to cook it long
> enough without burning the oil/spices. Any ideas om how I could have
> approached this differently or am I just being too cautious again?
>
> Jesse

You don't mention if you're actually doing "stir fry" - that is, keeping the
ingredients moving in the wok as you cook in it. As someone else mentioned,
unless you're actually simmering something in it (or deep frying) when
cooking in a wok add the longest cooking ingredients first to very hot oil.
Gradually add the other ingredients. But keep that food moving.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
>
>
> You don't mention if you're actually doing "stir fry" - that is,
keeping the
> ingredients moving in the wok as you cook in it. As someone else
mentioned,
> unless you're actually simmering something in it (or deep frying)
when
> cooking in a wok add the longest cooking ingredients first to very
hot oil.
> Gradually add the other ingredients. But keep that food moving.
>
> Jill


Yes I deffinatly had them moving constantly.

wrote:
>[snips]
> The particular recipe I had tonight involved asparagus. [snip] I
> did notice the dish ended up having a pleasant smoky smell, different
> than what burned oil normally tastes like. Maybe peanut oil can take
> the higher heat when it comes to its flavor being affected. As it
> was the asparagus was a bit on the crunchy side for what I prefer so
> I'm wondering how I'll be able to cook it long enough without burning
> the oil/spices. [snip]

Sounds like a good start. Some hard vegetables, such as green beans,
zucchini, and your asparagus, may need more cooking than leafy ones
such as bok choy or spinach. There are (at least) three ways to deal
with this. You can boil (or steam) them in water separately, partially
cooking them before you add them to the stirfry. Or, you can just
stirfry them longer. Or, my most commonly used method, you stirfry
them for a bit, then add some water and cover the wok for a couple of
minutes, then uncover and finish the recipe.

-aem

wrote:

>Ok so I just got a wok last night and have done two meals on it.
>Both came out really well. What I'm experiementing with is how hot
>this thing should be. I have an electric stove and after reading
>that these aren't hot enough I figured I better put mine on high.
>But when doing that the peanut oil burns easily.
I have been doing wok cooking mostly on an electric range since about
1990. I don't like electric, but I'm stuck. (Thanks to a lot of
info from regulars here, I am still toying with the idea of a
dedicated, wok-compatible induction unit). I leave the burner on HIGH
- always - and move the wok on and off the heat to regulate it. If
you try to adjust the burner, you're just chasing your tail. And yes,
keep the stuff moving - ALWAYS. All prep done in advance and don't
ever leave the wok! I do, occasionally, go outdoors and use a
20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better than
electric.

TheAlligator wrote:
> wrote:
>
> 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
> and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
than
> electric.

Twist my arm why don't you.

wrote:

>
>TheAlligator wrote:
>> wrote:
>>
>> 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
>> and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
>than
>> electric.
>
>Twist my arm why don't you.
>
Seriously, it was really cheap. And it's a LOT better than electric.
Now, if I could just control the weather . . .

"TheAlligator" > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>
>>
>>TheAlligator wrote:
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
>>> and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
>>than
>>> electric.
>>
>>Twist my arm why don't you.
>>
> Seriously, it was really cheap. And it's a LOT better than electric.
> Now, if I could just control the weather . . .

LOL. I'm known around these parts as the garage griller. If the weather is
really cold or windy (we get sustained winds here on the plains of 40+ mph
at times) I'll open the big garage door about a quarter of the way and fire
up my grill but I'd never use my turkey fryer rig just to have extreme heat
for woking in the garage.

Oh, and before you guys start to jump my ass, I don't use the jet burner,
that's it's name! Jet Burner!, in the garage. Deep fried turkey is great
but it's extremely messy. I give myself about 10' clearance in all
directions when I do a turkey.

Bret



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TheAlligator wrote:
> wrote:
>
> >
> >TheAlligator wrote:
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern
Tool
> >> and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
> >than
> >> electric.
> >
> >Twist my arm why don't you.
> >
> Seriously, it was really cheap. And it's a LOT better than electric.
> Now, if I could just control the weather . . .

Thanks for that link, they look like they have some cool stuff. What
model did you get exactly?

wrote:
>Thanks for that link, they look like they have some cool stuff. What
>model did you get exactly?
>
You really need to get their catalog. I have bought a LOT of stuff
from them. This link should get you there, but be careful and paste
it all together:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...5490&R=1549 0
35,000 BTU. Not HUGE, but better than electric.
And only another gadget-geek could explain why, but we got one of
these, too:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...6707&R=1670 7
It's a lot cheaper construction, but we have used it for about 5 years
with no problems. It's 15,000 BTU. The first one is more
wok-compatible.
Now if I only had about $20,000 to invest in a 7-foot long diesel
generator and some trimmings . . . .

In article .com>,
says...
>
> TheAlligator wrote:
> > wrote:
> >
> > 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
> > and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
> than
> > electric.
>
> Twist my arm why don't you.
>
>

In answer to the original poster - I've always read and observed that
true woks should be kept on full blast heat. That's why the walls are so
nicely curved and high. You can push that which you don't want to get
the direct brunt of the heat up, while leaving the stuff you want to
sear at the bottom.

There used to be a walk in fast Chinese place I frequented. They cooked
within visibility and was I ever impressed when I first saw them lift
the wok out of it's recess and then saw the flames shooting out. That's
how hot it should be.

In article >,
Tony P. > wrote:

> In article .com>,
> says...
> >
> > TheAlligator wrote:
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
> > > and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
> > than
> > > electric.
> >
> > Twist my arm why don't you.
> >
> >
>
> In answer to the original poster - I've always read and observed that
> true woks should be kept on full blast heat. That's why the walls are so
> nicely curved and high. You can push that which you don't want to get
> the direct brunt of the heat up, while leaving the stuff you want to
> sear at the bottom.
>
> There used to be a walk in fast Chinese place I frequented. They cooked
> within visibility and was I ever impressed when I first saw them lift
> the wok out of it's recess and then saw the flames shooting out. That's
> how hot it should be.

The problem is not how hot you can *get* the wok; it's how hot you can
*keep* it after you dump stuff into it. Most domestic cookstoves just
don't have enough heating capacity to do a first-rate job with a wok.

A proper wok ring can deliver about 40,000-50,000 BTU; most cooktop
burners are considerably under 10,000. A decent restaurant stove will
still not crack 20,000.

Isaac

I agree with using high heat and there is what I believe is called "Wok Hay"
which is the steam and aroma that comes off the food when it is put onto the
serving plate.
Sit close to the door.


--
Emil Luca

"Tony P." > wrote in message
. ..
> In article .com>,
> says...
>>
>> TheAlligator wrote:
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > 20-gallon propane tank connected to a burner I got from Northern Tool
>> > and Equipment Company (northerntool.com). I like it a LOT better
>> than
>> > electric.
>>
>> Twist my arm why don't you.
>>
>>
>
> In answer to the original poster - I've always read and observed that
> true woks should be kept on full blast heat. That's why the walls are so
> nicely curved and high. You can push that which you don't want to get
> the direct brunt of the heat up, while leaving the stuff you want to
> sear at the bottom.
>
> There used to be a walk in fast Chinese place I frequented. They cooked
> within visibility and was I ever impressed when I first saw them lift
> the wok out of it's recess and then saw the flames shooting out. That's
> how hot it should be.
>

"Emil" > wrote:

>I agree with using high heat and there is what I believe is called "Wok Hay"
>which is the steam and aroma that comes off the food when it is put onto the
>serving plate.
>Sit close to the door.
Ah, yes. Wok hay. "Come and eat NOW!" is the result.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Ok so I just got a wok last night and have done two meals on it.
> Both came out really well. What I'm experiementing with is how hot
> this thing should be. I have an electric stove and after reading
> that these aren't hot enough I figured I better put mine on high.
> But when doing that the peanut oil burns easily. What I've tried
> so far is keeping the heat on med-high and then pulling the wok
> off the burner when I detect burning oil and then back on again to
> maintin the heat. I've also tried putting the ingredients in one
> at a time, taking the previous one out and letting thw wok come back
> up to temp before putting the next in.
>
> I might think about getting a gas burner for outside cooking but
> not sure if that would be more trouble than its worth.
>
> Jesse
>

I can't believe there is such a thing as too hot a fire under a wok, after
eating in streetside restaurants in Taipei years back.
You could smelt ore on those roaring blue flames over those huge earth
beehive firepots. We are talking air-injected wide-as-a-wok four foot high
blue flame towers here. There are a couple burners each in those little
restaurants.

Odd part is, it seems efficient - you get your individually cooked order
very quickly, like as in you pay and almost pick it up just after pocketing
change, a couple words and now - as does the other twenty people in line
paying.
I would bet the house that if they left the wok on the flame for any time
at all, in minutes it would turn red and yellow and melt.
My propane boil-your-turkey-in-oil outdoor big-time cooker doesn't have
half as much heat.

One guy put the stuff in dishes and moved it to the next guy who does
the wok cooking - he shakes the wok over the flame, or two woks over two
flames (if it needs it, I guess) stirs as required, and if there ever was a
grease fire, no one could tell because the couple tablespoons of grease gets
blasted to dust in the flame tower and blown out the stack.

Hell of a sight after being used to western cooking where we slowly heat
the utensil to fry.

So I would guess its not the heat source per se, its the time in a big
enough heat source that counts.

fwiw



They put your stuff