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building up surface on stell wok
Hi, i have a thin steel wok (not a nonstick one or stainless one, i.e. it
easily rusts) and i cannot get that non stick type surface built up on it. for some time i have just fried onions in it with olive oil, to get it started; but it just does not build up that black shiny type coat that i have seen some woks have built up over time. any suggestions on what i am doing wrong please, or need to be doing please? |
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jw 1111 wrote: > Hi, i have a thin steel wok (not a nonstick one or stainless one, i.e. it > easily rusts) and i cannot get that non stick type surface built up on it. > for some time i have just fried onions in it with olive oil, to get it > started; but it just does not build up that black shiny type coat that i > have seen some woks have built up over time. > > any suggestions on what i am doing wrong please, or need to be doing please? I've been cooking in a wok for over 30 years, and after trying the fancy ones, I prefer the old steel one like yours. You need to season the wok. You can season it the same as a cast iron frying pan. Coat the inside with any high smoke point cooking oil. I use the cheapest that I have in my kitchen, Canola. thoroughly coat the inside of the wok with oil and leave a tablespoon or so in the bottom. You can heat it on the stove top or in the oven. If it has a wood handle, you need to do it on the stove top. Otherwise, either will do. The advantage of doing it on the stovetop is that you can watch it more easily. You want to heat it until the oil just starts to smoke, then back of the heat just enough do it doesn't smoke. The advantage of doing it in the oven is you don't have to worry about overheating it so much. But it's harder to watch and get the temp set right. If you do it on the stovetop, you need to keep a close eye on it so you don't burn off the oil and ruin the wok. Either way, when you get it to the right heat, keep it there for an hour or a little more. If the oil cooks off, just tip the wok and swish the oil in the bottom around to recoat it. BE CAREFUL! Don't burn yourself. Let it cool and rinse it thoroughly. It's ready to use. There is a second part to this, that's keeping it seasoned. Of course, everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. NEVER wash it with any kind of soap. Instead, clean it with salt and paper towel. I prefer Kosher salt, it's coarser and more abrasive (available at any grocery store), but regular salt will do. I also keep a special ScotchBrite around that I use only on my cast iron and my wok. It only sees soap when it gets dirty. Then it gets washed and thoroughly rinsed before being used again. Or just gets put through the dishwasher. After you scrub out the wok with salt and/or the Scotchbrite, rinse it and dry it thoroughly. If I don't dry it well enough, I still get rust, which I just scrub out. It seems, at first, like a lot of work, but after it becomes part of your routine, it's nothing. I love cooking in the wok, and when I have friends over, it usually gets a comment. Ok, so I'm shallow and like to impress! Hope this helps in your world. |
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salgud wrote: > jw 1111 wrote: > > Hi, i have a thin steel wok (not a nonstick one or stainless one, i.e. it > > easily rusts) and i cannot get that non stick type surface built up on it. > > for some time i have just fried onions in it with olive oil, to get it > > started; but it just does not build up that black shiny type coat that i > > have seen some woks have built up over time. > > > > any suggestions on what i am doing wrong please, or need to be doing please? > > I've been cooking in a wok for over 30 years, and after trying the > fancy ones, I prefer the old steel one like yours. You need to season > the wok. You can season it the same as a cast iron frying pan. > Coat the inside with any high smoke point cooking oil. I use the > cheapest that I have in my kitchen, Canola. thoroughly coat the inside > of the wok with oil and leave a tablespoon or so in the bottom. You can > heat it on the stove top or in the oven. If it has a wood handle, you > need to do it on the stove top. Otherwise, either will do. The > advantage of doing it on the stovetop is that you can watch it more > easily. You want to heat it until the oil just starts to smoke, then > back of the heat just enough do it doesn't smoke. The advantage of > doing it in the oven is you don't have to worry about overheating it so > much. But it's harder to watch and get the temp set right. If you do it > on the stovetop, you need to keep a close eye on it so you don't burn > off the oil and ruin the wok. > Either way, when you get it to the right heat, keep it there for an > hour or a little more. If the oil cooks off, just tip the wok and swish > the oil in the bottom around to recoat it. BE CAREFUL! Don't burn > yourself. > Let it cool and rinse it thoroughly. It's ready to use. > There is a second part to this, that's keeping it seasoned. Of course, > everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. NEVER wash it with any > kind of soap. Instead, clean it with salt and paper towel. I prefer > Kosher salt, it's coarser and more abrasive (available at any grocery > store), but regular salt will do. > I also keep a special ScotchBrite around that I use only on my cast > iron and my wok. It only sees soap when it gets dirty. Then it gets > washed and thoroughly rinsed before being used again. Or just gets put > through the dishwasher. > After you scrub out the wok with salt and/or the Scotchbrite, rinse it > and dry it thoroughly. If I don't dry it well enough, I still get rust, > which I just scrub out. > It seems, at first, like a lot of work, but after it becomes part of > your routine, it's nothing. I love cooking in the wok, and when I have > friends over, it usually gets a comment. Ok, so I'm shallow and like to > impress! > Hope this helps in your world. Reread my message. I might not have been clear when I said: Of course, > everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. I didn't mean you had to go through this whole procedure, I meant that you automatically reseason it when you cook in it. |
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Are you washing it each time in soap and water?
"jw 1111" > wrote in message ... > Hi, i have a thin steel wok (not a nonstick one or stainless one, i.e. it > easily rusts) and i cannot get that non stick type surface built up on it. > for some time i have just fried onions in it with olive oil, to get it > started; but it just does not build up that black shiny type coat that i > have seen some woks have built up over time. > > any suggestions on what i am doing wrong please, or need to be doing > please? > |
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"salgud" > wrote in message oups.com... > > salgud wrote: >> jw 1111 wrote: >> > Hi, i have a thin steel wok (not a nonstick one or stainless one, i.e. >> > it >> > easily rusts) and i cannot get that non stick type surface built up on >> > it. >> > for some time i have just fried onions in it with olive oil, to get it >> > started; but it just does not build up that black shiny type coat that >> > i >> > have seen some woks have built up over time. >> > >> > any suggestions on what i am doing wrong please, or need to be doing >> > please? >> >> I've been cooking in a wok for over 30 years, and after trying the >> fancy ones, I prefer the old steel one like yours. You need to season >> the wok. You can season it the same as a cast iron frying pan. >> Coat the inside with any high smoke point cooking oil. I use the >> cheapest that I have in my kitchen, Canola. thoroughly coat the inside >> of the wok with oil and leave a tablespoon or so in the bottom. You can >> heat it on the stove top or in the oven. If it has a wood handle, you >> need to do it on the stove top. Otherwise, either will do. The >> advantage of doing it on the stovetop is that you can watch it more >> easily. You want to heat it until the oil just starts to smoke, then >> back of the heat just enough do it doesn't smoke. The advantage of >> doing it in the oven is you don't have to worry about overheating it so >> much. But it's harder to watch and get the temp set right. If you do it >> on the stovetop, you need to keep a close eye on it so you don't burn >> off the oil and ruin the wok. >> Either way, when you get it to the right heat, keep it there for an >> hour or a little more. If the oil cooks off, just tip the wok and swish >> the oil in the bottom around to recoat it. BE CAREFUL! Don't burn >> yourself. >> Let it cool and rinse it thoroughly. It's ready to use. >> There is a second part to this, that's keeping it seasoned. Of course, >> everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. NEVER wash it with any >> kind of soap. Instead, clean it with salt and paper towel. I prefer >> Kosher salt, it's coarser and more abrasive (available at any grocery >> store), but regular salt will do. >> I also keep a special ScotchBrite around that I use only on my cast >> iron and my wok. It only sees soap when it gets dirty. Then it gets >> washed and thoroughly rinsed before being used again. Or just gets put >> through the dishwasher. >> After you scrub out the wok with salt and/or the Scotchbrite, rinse it >> and dry it thoroughly. If I don't dry it well enough, I still get rust, >> which I just scrub out. >> It seems, at first, like a lot of work, but after it becomes part of >> your routine, it's nothing. I love cooking in the wok, and when I have >> friends over, it usually gets a comment. Ok, so I'm shallow and like to >> impress! >> Hope this helps in your world. > > Reread my message. I might not have been clear when I said: > Of course, >> everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. > I didn't mean you had to go through this whole procedure, I meant that > you automatically reseason it when you cook in it. many thanks to all. if you are impressing your friends you must be doing something right ! any tips you can give a novice for a simple but good stir fry please? > |
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jw 1111 wrote: > "salgud" > wrote in message > oups.com... > > > > salgud wrote: > >> jw 1111 wrote: > >> > Hi, i have a thin steel wok (not a nonstick one or stainless one, i.e. > >> > it > >> > easily rusts) and i cannot get that non stick type surface built up on > >> > it. > >> > for some time i have just fried onions in it with olive oil, to get it > >> > started; but it just does not build up that black shiny type coat that > >> > i > >> > have seen some woks have built up over time. > >> > > >> > any suggestions on what i am doing wrong please, or need to be doing > >> > please? > >> > >> I've been cooking in a wok for over 30 years, and after trying the > >> fancy ones, I prefer the old steel one like yours. You need to season > >> the wok. You can season it the same as a cast iron frying pan. > >> Coat the inside with any high smoke point cooking oil. I use the > >> cheapest that I have in my kitchen, Canola. thoroughly coat the inside > >> of the wok with oil and leave a tablespoon or so in the bottom. You can > >> heat it on the stove top or in the oven. If it has a wood handle, you > >> need to do it on the stove top. Otherwise, either will do. The > >> advantage of doing it on the stovetop is that you can watch it more > >> easily. You want to heat it until the oil just starts to smoke, then > >> back of the heat just enough do it doesn't smoke. The advantage of > >> doing it in the oven is you don't have to worry about overheating it so > >> much. But it's harder to watch and get the temp set right. If you do it > >> on the stovetop, you need to keep a close eye on it so you don't burn > >> off the oil and ruin the wok. > >> Either way, when you get it to the right heat, keep it there for an > >> hour or a little more. If the oil cooks off, just tip the wok and swish > >> the oil in the bottom around to recoat it. BE CAREFUL! Don't burn > >> yourself. > >> Let it cool and rinse it thoroughly. It's ready to use. > >> There is a second part to this, that's keeping it seasoned. Of course, > >> everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. NEVER wash it with any > >> kind of soap. Instead, clean it with salt and paper towel. I prefer > >> Kosher salt, it's coarser and more abrasive (available at any grocery > >> store), but regular salt will do. > >> I also keep a special ScotchBrite around that I use only on my cast > >> iron and my wok. It only sees soap when it gets dirty. Then it gets > >> washed and thoroughly rinsed before being used again. Or just gets put > >> through the dishwasher. > >> After you scrub out the wok with salt and/or the Scotchbrite, rinse it > >> and dry it thoroughly. If I don't dry it well enough, I still get rust, > >> which I just scrub out. > >> It seems, at first, like a lot of work, but after it becomes part of > >> your routine, it's nothing. I love cooking in the wok, and when I have > >> friends over, it usually gets a comment. Ok, so I'm shallow and like to > >> impress! > >> Hope this helps in your world. > > > > Reread my message. I might not have been clear when I said: > > Of course, > >> everytime you cook with it, you reseason it. > > I didn't mean you had to go through this whole procedure, I meant that > > you automatically reseason it when you cook in it. > > many thanks to all. if you are impressing your friends you must be doing > something right ! any tips you can give a novice for a simple but good > stir fry please? > > The possibilities are endless. I usually cook pork or chicken, beef occasionally, most any cut will do. Cut it up into long, thin, bite-size pieces. Cut up some pepper(s), any color works, but red/yellow/orange give a nice color, some snow peas and throw in a can of waterchestnuts or bean sprouts if you have some. Really, almost any veggie will work. Start the rice if you want it over rice. Any good rice will do. Get it all cut up, along with chopping a couple of cloves of garlic. Make a simple sauce of soy sauce, sherry and brown sugar, proportioned to taste. (Americans usually like it much sweeter than Asians) If you like your sauces thick, put a tablespoon of cornstarch in a 2-3 tablespoons of water, mix it up, set aside. Start heating the wok on high heat (all the way up on most gas stoves, med hi on electric). When the oil just barely starts to smoke, turn it down just a bit, then throw in the meat. Stirfry until about 3/4's done. Start putting in the veggies. Put in the ones that cook slowest first. Carrots are dense, cook slower than peppers or snow peas. You have to move quickly, you want the meat done just right, and the veggies nice and crisp. (Once you've done it like this, you'll never, never want to go to a "Chinese Buffet" place again. Veggies have been on a steam table for hours, cooked to death, no flavor). Keep adding veggies until they're all in. The last veggie should only take a minute or so, something like snow peas or mushrooms. Just long enough to be hot. Add the sauce right after you add the last veggie. Cook another minute or so. If you want it thick, add the corn starch/water, stir it for a few seconds to thicken, then turn off the heat. Should only take about 5 min from start of cooking until it's done. Dig in! Oh, I've found that a little chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley) is delicious on most of my Asian dinners. Especially my home made sweet & sour. I make my own from a Chinese recipe I got out of a genuine (ok, in-English genuine) cookbook I bought in San Fran years ago. It's not nearly as sweet as the syrup they serve in most Asian restaurants in the US. I like it tangy, as I'm told, do many Asians. The recipe is simple. Let me know if you're interested. If you like stirfry, you ought to go to an Asian market. If you live in even a small city, there'll be one around. I love to go and get authentic Asian veggies, sauces, noodles, etc. Occasionally I see an interesting sauce, buy it, take it home and give it a try. Be careful though, if you don't like hot food, some of these sauces put anything I've had in Mexico (the real Mexico, not the American-Mexico like Cancun or Mazatlan or the tourist places). They can scorch you! Hope this helps in your world. |
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