Wok this way. The Chinese food thread.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Wok this way. The Chinese food thread.

dcgrp: Jun 23, 2008

The Macaroni posted:

Resurrecting the soy sauce discussion from page 1: I made ma po tofu with Pearl River soy sauce, and my wife was like, "Nuh-uh, switch back to Kikkoman." It wasn't bad by any stretch, but we're so used to the bonus sweetness/alcohol taste of Kikkoman that the cleaner taste of Chinese soy sauce is weird to us. I'm a terrible person.

I also learned what happens when you make a stir-fry with a bunch of garlic but no ginger (we were out): your farts smell like burning rubber for about a day.

Hmm, I took the Pearl River advice and tried the Pork with garlic sauce recipe from page one and it kicked rear end. That particular recipe uses sugar and rice wine so maybe try something like that with your Pearl River stuff.

And now a question. I'm on an electric stove, so I tried making the above mentioned recipe on a few different occasions using my trusty cast iron pan. The second time I tried it I decided to crank it all the way up to see what cooking at that setting was like. Anyway, the canola oil caught fire right away and I had to let it cool down a bit before I finished cooking.

I know that the guy in the wok video on page one was getting flames. But these were pretty constant, and I didn't really feel comfortable cooking at that temp.

Can someone used to cooking at "wok" temps elaborate on whether or not I'm just a wimp at the stove or if my electric stove just isn't good for cooking at the highest setting (as in, I would have a different experience on a gas stove at the highest setting).

# ¿ May 2, 2011 00:12

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 11:42

dcgrp: Jun 23, 2008

No no serious posted:

I have an electric stove and a carbon steel wok (initially seasoned incorrectly, but it's getting better).

Since everything I read said electric elements are wimpy compared to gas, I figured I'd crank mine up to high. But when I use any high smoke point oils, I still fill the house with enough smoke so I can barely see 5 feet. Plus, the food burns and sticks to the pan.

Then I read in a book that the wok should be hot enough for a bead of water to take 1-2 seconds to evaporate. On my stove that's just over medium (6 on the dial). Lo and behold, no smoke, etc. The food is cooked really well (I'm still learning, and my marinades/sauces are off, but at least it's edible now).

So what gives? Do some electric stoves work? Is it working because my wok is flat-bottomed and I'm using the large element? Or am I delusional and the food isn't actually coming out ok?

I think it's just that when people say cook really hot it means different things to different people.

I once tried my cast iron pan left on high for 5 minutes until really, really freaking hot when making some stir fry (electric stove). Oil just caught on fire. Threw the lid on, let it cool down, and tried again at a slightly lower temp.

However, even with a high smoke point oil, I still think you need to push the boundaries with the heat to get the taste you are looking for. There will be smoke. And that is ok.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2011 22:04

dcgrp: Jun 23, 2008

GrAviTy84 posted:

This is why you heat the wok empty.

Oh yeah, definitely. I did heat it up empty. I poured oil in when I was ready to cook and just as I was about to put the meat in, the oil caught fire (within seconds of putting in the pan).

# ¿ Dec 23, 2011 00:55

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Wok this way. The Chinese food thread.