Wok Cooking

Schrammy

Anybody have any experience using a wok on the BGE?  I would welcome any insight as to where to buy the necessary items needed to cook (websites, stores, etc...). Thx guys...cheers

ColtsFan

Check out ceramic grill store. You’ll want a “spider” and steel wok

HeavyG

Use the search function - lots of threads discussing woks.

EggNorth

BGE also has the items you need,  check out their Eggcessories link in the forum header section.

RRP

As @ColtsFan said look into buying a Spider. I have been a rabid wok on the BGE fan for years!
The best advice after buying a Sider that I can give you is get your BGE up to the temp you want with your steel wok on the Spider and then wok with your lower vent CLOSED but with your dome wide open!

Botch

Agree with all of the above, Spider and a carbon steel (or thin cast-ion) wok.  
 
That said, since getting a high-powered indoor stove I haven't wokked on the Egg since.  Stir-frying is a very "mise en place" style (sorry for mixing Chinese and French), several small dishes with certain ingredients/sauces to go in at separate times.  For me, it got to be a real pain to walk out all these portions to the back patio, find a place to set them all, and then carry them all back in (along with the finished dish on its own plate, then walk back out to grab the wok to wash it while it was still warm.)  
 
FWIW.  Wokking on the Egg does give you the high temps, and the "wok hei" if your fire is hot enough.  Enjoy!    

RRP

Botch said:

Agree with all of the above, Spider and a carbon steel (or thin cast-ion) wok.  
 
That said, since getting a high-powered indoor stove I haven't wokked on the Egg since.  Stir-frying is a very "mise en place" style (sorry for mixing Chinese and French), several small dishes with certain ingredients/sauces to go in at separate times.  For me, it got to be a real pain to walk out all these portions to the back patio, find a place to set them all, and then carry them all back in (along with the finished dish on its own plate, then walk back out to grab the wok to wash it while it was still warm.)  
 
FWIW.  Wokking on the Egg does give you the high temps, and the "wok hei" if your fire is hot enough.  Enjoy!    

ok Ok OK I agree! I should have said that my woking on the BGE is done when I have the time and during the summer months! Otherwise I do resort to a wok on my electric stove inside!

So, does this admission of guilt mean I will have to leave the BGE clan?

Botch

Oh, Sorry Ron!  
No, we can both stay.  And, I couldn't wok in the summer months, here, as my back porch faces west, and its hot as hell even without the open Egg.  I reserve summer for sushi, melon salads, tomatoes and lettuce thingies.  

Schrammy

Thank you guys, much appreciated 

BigGreenKev

https://www.wokshop.com is also a great place for wok items.  I know plenty of members on this forum Have purchased from this site. Very helpful when you call with questions.

Mattman3969

To add to the good advice above that you’ll need some good high heat gloves and a long handle wok shovel and ladle.  Depending on how you’re gonna position your wok in the egg you will need to decide if you want a wok with a long straight handle or one with D-rings.  For my large I use D-rings because I position the wok on the inverted spider down in the fire ring. This results in no room for the long handle. For my small I have a 12” wok with a long handle and for the mini I have a 10” with long handle. They both sit high enough that the ceramic doesn’t interfere with the handle.  

 I have plenty of descriptive post on stir fries here on the forum if your up for a search. You can also check out @SciAggie or @tarheelmatt for good pics and descriptions. If you run across @Village Idiot he is the true OG of the wok I'm sure I’m missed some guys that put out killer stir fries that you’ll run across during a search.  

One of my best purchases was to buy Grace Young’s Stir Frying to the Sky Edge. Very informative read if interested

fence0407

I agree with all of the above. I will say, I have a carbon steel wok and spider and have enjoyed cooking stir fry many times on the egg - BUT - since I bought a Blackstone Griddle I have not used the wok one time. Not trying to talk you out of it, just sharing my experience. 

4TheGrillOfIt

I have a question about using the Egg as a heat source.  Wok cooking is all about concentrating the heat at the bottom of the wok.  Then as ingredients cook we push them up the sides to slow cooking and add items to the hot spot and then incorporate.  How can I achieve this on the Egg?  

It seems like the heat would be much hotter on the side walls of the wok in the Egg.  I know the shape and distance will make a great hot spot in the bottom, but seems like the side would get too hot.  I assume I’m just over thinking this.  

Btw, I bought a wok and spider from CGS as add ons to an older months ago, but haven’t tried yet.  

mpenacho

I wok cook on the large about once every two weeks, using a spider and a wok from CGS. The CGS wok is a true round bottom wok, and not a flat bottom. Flat bottom woks are for electric stoves. I use a couple of wooden wok spoons from Amazon, and a metal strainer.

Things I’ve learned:

Don’t light too big a fire; a fire too big can get out of hand. I usually have the bottom vent closed once I start the food cooking, and close the lid periodically.  The wok still gets as hot as you want.
Use a timer for reference while cooking.
Use an IR thermometer when heating up the wok.
I use paper hot dog boats to hold dry ingredients (vegetables).
things cook quickly.
it can be a lot of fun, and wok specific recipes are easy to find.

Botch

4TheGrillOfIt said:

I have a question about using the Egg as a heat source.  Wok cooking is all about concentrating the heat at the bottom of the wok.  Then as ingredients cook we push them up the sides to slow cooking and add items to the hot spot and then incorporate.  How can I achieve this on the Egg?  

It seems like the heat would be much hotter on the side walls of the wok in the Egg.  I know the shape and distance will make a great hot spot in the bottom, but seems like the side would get too hot.  I assume I’m just over thinking this.  

The same thing happens on a gas stove; I usually reduce the heat by 50% at the end of cooking, before I pour in the finishing sauce (or else it thickens too much/too fast before I can give a final toss to coat everything).  Then, when I pour the food onto a plate, it sizzles loudly as it hits the upper rim of the wok; it's hot.  
 
The sides will be cooler in a flat-bottomed wok on a gas stove, but the angle is such that you can't push that much up them (although I've done that with my old setup).  
 
The pros that cook over a jet engine burner, where the wok sits in a hole, the bottom may be hotter than the sides, but not for long, and those guys move so fast I haven't ever seen any of them "push food off to the side".  My two cents.  

Mattman3969

@4TheGrillOfIt - I cook protein first then empty and stage the veggies in order of length of cook time, meat back in then sauce for a quick stir and thickening.  You’re correct on the sides being hot. 

Kayak

4TheGrillOfIt said:

I have a question about using the Egg as a heat source.  Wok cooking is all about concentrating the heat at the bottom of the wok.  Then as ingredients cook we push them up the sides to slow cooking and add items to the hot spot and then incorporate.  How can I achieve this on the Egg?  

It seems like the heat would be much hotter on the side walls of the wok in the Egg.  I know the shape and distance will make a great hot spot in the bottom, but seems like the side would get too hot.  I assume I’m just over thinking this.  

Btw, I bought a wok and spider from CGS as add ons to an older months ago, but haven’t tried yet.  

I remember that guidance way back when from my West Bend electric wok! The idea of using timing instead of positioning I think is a lot more practical, as you'll really be limited to smaller portions in a hot-on-the-bottom-only wok.

4TheGrillOfIt

Thanks guys, good suggestions and points

Raymont

Get: Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge by Grace Young. Excellent book with great recipes. 

SaltySam

This thread made me buy a 12” wok for my MiniMax, and a wok stand from CGS.  

Thanks, gang!

SaltySam

and now headed back to CGS because I forgot a spider for the wok.  

D*mmit

Mattman3969

@SaltySam - do you actually need the spider with the stand?  Couldn’t you just sit the stand on the grate?  All this assuming the stand is a wok ring 

Howdy_Doody

For stir fry, you are not looking for smoke flavor.  You want very high temperature cooking.  A turkey fryer is far better than using a BGE.

SaltySam

@Mattman3969 this is what I got.  I thought this was just a stand and not necessarily built for being in the fire.  

If I can put this in the heat, then you just saved me $25 and shipping!

Mattman3969

That is made to support a round bottom wok on flat heat surfaces. I think if you have no other need for a spider I would use what you have.  You could fill the charcoal up high in the fire ring so your heat is closer to the wok.