After washing/drying wok, I don't know if I'm caring for it right.

[BAPyessir6]

I've had this wok 1 year, and I don't know if I'm caring for it right as, despite weekly use, it still hasn't developed a good, dark patina yet.

So, I fry in it, wash it out with water, sometimes soap, scrub when necessary, then put it back onto the hot burner to dry it. Then oil a paper towel and wipe the inside down. The wok generally smokes a bit (from the oil smoking), and after it cools, the wok can be anywhere from slick and oily smooth to a bit sticky here and there.

(I've let it get really hot about 4 times before, "bluing" the metal as some people say to care for it, and then put oil (vegetable oil) on it. Just a thin coating, and then I wipe it out. For some reason, I keep getting a yellow residue/stain on the bottom after this, and I'm wondering if this color is one of 3 things:

1. The beginning of a patina that I later/then wash/scrub off
2. Too much oil applied after washing/drying/re-oiling
3. It being dirty still.

I'd hate to be abusing my lovely wok, as I've gotten really good at it. But I still can't use it to fry eggs that easily, as it's not super nonstick yet. Any help/advice?

I'm pretty sure it isn't rust.

 

[dragnlaw]

Do the same as you do any pan that you've worked into being non-stick. But personally I think non-stick is a bit of a mis-nomer.

By non-stick do you think you will be able to cook an egg in there as is? Just heat and add egg?

 

[BAPyessir6]

I've seen people able to fry eggs in their wok by heating oil to just about smoking then adding the egg. Though I guess it's probably the oil and the intense heat making it "nonstick," (as you said, it is a mis-nomer) not the patina.

 

[Jade Emperor]

@BAPyessir6 you are well on your way and you are doing it correctly. Just keep going and (YMMV) don’t use soap. There’s a lot of debate over this, some say it’s okay but I’m just saying how I do it.
Travelling Thailand many times over the years and eating everywhere from wet markets to tiny villages, I can say that I have never ever seen anyone use a detergent of any kind to clean their wok. But that’s just me.
Some other things:
Never let your wok soak
Never leave leftovers in the wok
Be very gentle with abrasive cleaning - never steel wool

 

[dragnlaw]

Don't stress over it. As long as you don't get rust you are doing fine.

Just keep adding your oil and using as you have been.

 

[BAPyessir6]

@BAPyessir6 you are well on your way and you are doing it correctly. Just keep going and (YMMV) don’t use soap. There’s a lot of debate over this, some say it’s okay but I’m just saying how I do it.
Travelling Thailand many times over the years and eating everywhere from wet markets to tiny villages, I can say that I have never ever seen anyone use a detergent of any kind to clean their wok. But that’s just me.
Some other things:
Never let your wok soak
Never leave leftovers in the wok
Be very gentle with abrasive cleaning - never steel wool

YMMV? I don't know what this is, sorry.

 

[dragnlaw]

Jade and I posted together. See, I do both. Depending on what I intend to cook in it or have been cooking in it.
I have a small cast iron pan that is perfect for a single burger. I do NOT want my egg the next morning to taste like a hamburger. 95% of the time I use soap. Done quickly enough there is still a sheen of oil left but the contaminated oil with the smell of the beef (or whatevers) is gone. If I have accidently burned on food, I use steel wool. After I might have to give an extra wipe with an oiled cloth, but I do that 90% of the time anyhow.
BTW - I leave the piece of paper towel used with the oil stacked between between my CI pans

 

[Jade Emperor]

@dragnlaw I have an very gentle abrasive cloth that I use instead of steel wool.
Soap is not the sacrilege that some people think it is - sparingly is fine, but I just prefer elbow grease.
Quite honestly, even if you do find that you have removed the seasoning through your cleaning process, you can always just put it back in there by using the same method.

 

[pictonguy]

Are you mainly doing stir fries, meaning that food is cooked within a few minutes in a very hot wok. Are you experiencing any "wok hei" which is a distinctive smell and taste?

One of the main problems I see with friends and wok cooking is the temp is too low, the food is cooked too long and most recipes use an acids like vinegars, limes, wine etc of some kind and this combination will totally retard any seasoning with this longer lower heat method.

To season just add some oil and bring to the smoke point and wipe out and repeat 2 or 3 times.

For extensive wok cooking with various ingredients and methodology multiple woks are needed but the main wok for stir-fries shouldn't really take more than 2 or 3 minutes with very high heat only, otherwise this situation will never give you the vision of that black fully carboned wok that your hoping for. that's been my experience for what it's worth.

After washing put in on some heat to dry completely then add some oil and then wipe it out thoroughly.

 

[BAPyessir6]

Are you mainly doing stir fries, meaning that food is cooked within a few minutes in a very hot wok. Are you experiencing any "wok hei" which is a distinctive smell and taste?

One of the main problems I see with friends and wok cooking is the temp is too low, the food is cooked too long and most recipes use an acids like vinegars, limes, wine etc of some kind and this combination will totally retard any seasoning with this longer lower heat method.

To season just add some oil and bring to the smoke point and wipe out and repeat 2 or 3 times.

For extensive wok cooking with various ingredients and methodology multiple woks are needed but the main wok for stir-fries shouldn't really take more than 2 or 3 minutes with very high heat only, otherwise this situation will never give you the vision of that black fully carboned wok that your hoping for. that's been my experience for what it's worth.

After washing put in on some heat to dry completely then add some oil and then wipe it out thoroughly.

I have an infrared thermometer that I use to temp my work before I stir fry in it, and I let the wok get to at least 500 F before I add any oil/ aromatic ingredients. Do you think this not hot enough? My stir fried green beans (the last thing I made, with beef fat, fish sauce, MSG, garlic, soy and pickled ginger,) came together in about 5 minutes.

Would you say this is too long? I added a slight bit of water right at the end to steam finish the beans, as they were blackening/blistering very quickly and I didn't want to risk burning them. I am unsure if this is a totally incompetent/poor method, as I have never gone to culinary school nor received proper professional training (aside from pouring over asian cookbooks and Asian YouTube wok-ology.)

Unfortunately I do not have a gas stove (crying in Asian kitchen) but I have an electric glass top one that can get to at least 900F.

On another note, I did purchase that book you recommended. 11 Madison Park! Excited for it to get here at the end of the week!!

 

[pictonguy]

I have an infrared thermometer that I use to temp my work before I stir fry in it, and I let the wok get to at least 500 F before I add any oil/ aromatic ingredients. Do you think this not hot enough? My stir fried green beans (the last thing I made, with beef fat, fish sauce, MSG, garlic, soy and pickled ginger,) came together in about 5 minutes.

Would you say this is too long? I added a slight bit of water right at the end to steam finish the beans, as they were blackening/blistering very quickly and I didn't want to risk burning them. I am unsure if this is a totally incompetent/poor method, as I have never gone to culinary school nor received proper professional training (aside from pouring over asian cookbooks and Asian YouTube wok-ology.)

Unfortunately I do not have a gas stove (crying in Asian kitchen) but I have an electric glass top one that can get to at least 900F.

On another note, I did purchase that book you recommended. 11 Madison Park! Excited for it to get here at the end of the week!!

Yeah, it's hard to evaluate without watching but if your green beans are as you say blackening/blistering then they were cooked at too high of a heat, cooked too long or not enough oil or a combination of those. 5 minutes for beans or any veg is at least 3 minutes too long or more. Basically what I'm saying is blackening and blistering is not a desirable result for a stir fry, we're looking for a product that maintains it's moisture, still has a crunch, yet doesn't taste like it's undercooked, this is the result of cooking a reasonable amount of food based on the size of the wok in enough oil that helps protect against burning with enough movement that at no time is there a chance that it sits motionless

Flat bottomed wok are specifically designed for electric stoves, which is fine but there is a need to compensate for the short comings of that situation. The bottom gets all the heat and the sides are much lower than the traditional gas where the flames also heat the sides therefore the wok maintains heat more easily after foods are added to the wok. Basically too hot then not hot enough. Basically we've got a really hot bottom and I suspect you either didn't add enough oil or didn't move the beans around continually at first. Eventually near the end which is around that 1 or 2 minute mark there's no problem adding a liquid for a nice steaming near the end. You could julienne the beans as well for quicker cooking.

I wouldn't worry too much at all and actually embrace the challenge because this is what makes a good cook a great cook and without adversity we could never challenge ourselves and reach our full potential.

I hope you enjoy 11 Madison Park as much as I did and do.

 

[dragnlaw]

Are you experiencing any "wok hei"

How can one experience something when one has no idea how it is supposed to taste and smell?
Everyone talks about it and according to everything I've read you can only get it if your wok is seasoned over a ....
Commercial gas burners for wok cooking can have a BTU rating of 95,000 to 100,000. Most home stoves have BTU ratings between 10,000 and 20,000.

So I'm not surprised that home cooks have a tendency to overcook in their woks.
Of course, I'm not saying home cooks can't learn and get there but as you say pictonguy it is challenging.

 

[Badjak]

Replicating Thai stir fries on a home stove is difficult.
But you can still make a nice stir fry in a wok at home
And woks are not only used for stir frying....

A good book to check out is by Grace Jones (no, that's the singer), it's by Grace Young
"The breath of a wok". Her stir frying book is worth while as well

 

[Jade Emperor]

That’s why I purchased a standalone high powered commercial wok burner. Once you have that fiercely hot flame and get your first whiff of wok hei, it’s an aroma you can never forget. And you simply cannot get it out of a home kitchen stove top, they don’t get hot enough.

 

[dragnlaw]

That’s why I purchased a standalone high powered commercial wok burner. Once you have that fiercely hot flame and get your first whiff of wok hei, it’s an aroma you can never forget. And you simply cannot get it out of a home kitchen stove top, they don’t get hot enough.

My point exactly!
But as I was saying earlier, if you don't know or have never experienced, you can't begin to understand the taste.

and again, I'll repeat,
Home cooks can certainly learn to use their woks to cook pretty authentic recipes, with time, patience, a bit of guidance, and of course, more patience and perseverance.

and the dragn - with all her wisdom says.... just do your thing, if you're happy with the dish, then just eat it and enjoy.

 

[taxlady]

Replicating Thai stir fries on a home stove is difficult.
But you can still make a nice stir fry in a wok at home
And woks are not only used for stir frying....

A good book to check out is by Grace Jones (no, that's the singer), it's by Grace Young
"The breath of a wok". Her stir frying book is worth while as well

"The Breath of a Wok", I believe that wok hei means breath of a wok.

 

[BAPyessir6]

That’s why I purchased a standalone high powered commercial wok burner. Once you have that fiercely hot flame and get your first whiff of wok hei, it’s an aroma you can never forget. And you simply cannot get it out of a home kitchen stove top, they don’t get hot enough.

I'll honestly probably add a wok burner to my list of "hubby can we please get thisssssss??" eventually.

But for now I think I wanna just refine my wok technique itself.

 

[BAPyessir6]

My point exactly!
But as I was saying earlier, if you don't know or have never experienced, you can't begin to understand the taste.

and again, I'll repeat,
Home cooks can certainly learn to use their woks to cook pretty authentic recipes, with time, patience, a bit of guidance, and of course, more patience and perseverance.

and the dragn - with all her wisdom says.... just do your thing, if you're happy with the dish, then just eat it and enjoy.

I love my wok, and I'll probably be using it and refining my technique for years to come. Dang it cooking is so FUN!

 

[Jade Emperor]

I'll honestly probably add a wok burner to my list of "hubby can we please get thisssssss??" eventually.

But for now I think I wanna just refine my wok technique itself

I'll honestly probably add a wok burner to my list of "hubby can we please get thisssssss??" eventually.

But for now I think I wanna just refine my wok technique itself.

If you do get one, consider it the same as a barbecue - you do NOT want it inside the house!
And I agree with @dragnlaw - you can certainly get very good results from your home range top, it might just be missing that Chinese restaurant “something”. I hear that so often - you make a really nice Asian dish but it just doesn’t have that special something. That’s the wok hei.

 

[pictonguy]

You can definitely produce wok hei on a home stove, I've done it for decades. Only a few dishes that employ the correct method and I don't expect wok hei from very many of my dishes but when the opportunity comes up because the dish can allow for wok hei, then that should be what prioritizes that correct tecnique. Technique and heat will produce wok hei which is generally a dish for 2 people max, where the pan isn't crowded so heat can be maintained throughout with proper technique of dispersing and moving the food fast enough to maintain the overall heat. What a specific wok burner does is allow for that continual high heat allowing for less cool down during cooking which obviously makes it much much easier.

A professional wok's average surface heat is around 400-450 which can be reproduced very easily with just about any stove, so while it's about heat, it's about maintaining that heat after the food is added, which is where it all goes wrong at home and why I said it has to do with technique and specific dishes or amount of ingredients if you like. Also using a very high heat oil like peanut or sunflower is a given. Crowding a wok with food and basically cooking like it was like a regular steel frying pan is never going to produce wok hei and cooking with a wok and employing the right dish with the right technique is a learned experience and can take a while, but it can be done.

One of my favorite dishes to employ this technique is fried rice and when there's wok hei in fried rice, life is good.