Wok'n Question

Bart1434 · January 2016

All,

I apologize in advance if this is a "newbie" question but I am inclined to ask anyways. After seeing numerous posts regarding some delicious stir frys and wok cooked meals I can't help but notice how I am easily capable of cooking these meals at home myself. However, can someone inform me what the proper set up is for one of these cooks? Do I need any specific accessories (wok obviously) but other than that? Can I place the wok on top of the coals? Also, as for Woks - I have a large egg and am wondering what size/brand ppl suggest.

Thanks for taking the time to help a novice egger.

Bart

SciAggie · January 2016

Talk to the good folks at the Ceramic Grill Store (CGS). The spider for the large will hold a 14" or 16" wok according to their website http://ceramicgrillstore.com/large-big-green-egg/wokking-spider/

If you have not visited The Wok Shop, that's a good next visit for woks, spatulas, ladles, and so forth http://wokshop.com/store/main.php

Speaking of woks, it is my opinion that a carbon steel wok is the only way to go if you will be stir frying on the egg. I advise you to stay away from non-stick and other materials. The Wok Shop offers a THIN cast iron wok that is traditional - I have never used one but that is also an option.

Other than that, get a good cookbook; Grace Young has a couple of good ones. @Mattman3969 has been rockin' some of her recipes. He can also voice an opinion about wok size as he cooks on a large. I have 14" woks I have owned for decades but I'm cooking on a mini max.

Hope this helps and have fun!

jeffwit · January 2016

My rookie opinion is that you will need something to hold the wok steady while it sits in the egg, rather than the wok resting on the bed of coals. The spider/woo from Ceramic Grill Store does this perfectly. Just be careful, you go on their website to buy one thing, and all of a sudden you've found 3 or 4 more that you can't live without....

Bart1434 · January 2016

thanks for the suggestions/knowledge - hope to be wokking soon!

Mattman3969 · January 2016

Looks like @SciAggie covered everything for you. If you are cooking for 2-3 I would get a 14" wok nothing wrong with the 16" but all that space isn't needed for everyday cooking.

You may want to start here with some of these recipes to make sure you are going to continue to stir fry before you drop coin on a cookbook. Lotsa really good recipes . You can thank @caliking because he is the one you gave it to me

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/Stir-frying/52366.aspx

caliking · January 2016

Mattman3969 said:

Looks like @SciAggie covered everything for you. If you are cooking for 2-3 I would get a 14" wok nothing wrong with the 16" but all that space isn't needed for everyday cooking.

You may want to start here with some of these recipes to make sure you are going to continue to stir fry before you drop coin on a cookbook. Lotsa really good recipes . You can thank @caliking because he is the one you gave it to me

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/Stir-frying/52366.aspx

Man, my mouth waters every time I click that link!

On a side note, Fine Cooking is a good resource for the pro-am home cook. lots of great recipes. I got tired of the recycled recipes and New England-ness of Cook's Illustrated, and canceled my subscription a couple of years ago.

fence0407 · January 2016

Listen to @SciAggie. I will only add in what I decided to do for my setup on a large egg. I typically only cook for 2 on the wok, but decided to get the bigger one instead just in case I wanted to make bigger meals. Get one and start using it - you will love it!

16" Carbon Steel Wok from The Wok Shop
Wok Chuan (Spatula) - Use this for every wok cook
Wok Hoak (Ladle) - I rarely use this
Large Spider from CGS

Here are a few pics of my setup:

16" Wok

Spatula. You can see one of the legs of the Spider on the bottom left:

Spider:

SciAggie · January 2016

I almost think if I was starting from scratch with a large egg, I'd go ahead with a 16" wok. You can cook small amounts in a big wok. Might as well put those available BTUs to work heating steel instead of your arm. The only hassle might be size but I doubt it's that big a deal. That's my .02 cents worth.

Bart1434 · January 2016

yea I think I will go for the larger wok, cant hurt to add some size...plus I enjoy cooking for others. I am going to reach out to the people at the CGS and see what option is best for me regarding a raised two tier grid with wok capabilities.

ChokeOnSmoke · January 2016

I use a spider from CGS for my XL and it works great. I'm sure everyone has their own technique but I've found that cooking each item separately and then combining at the end works best. For instance, cook the mushrooms, throw em in a covered pot, cook the peppers, throw em in a covered pot, cook the meat, throw it in a covered pot, etc. them throw it all back into the wok and add your sauce, stir it up and serve!

The more you use you wok, the better/more non stick it becomes.

Also, season your wok before you use it. Here's one article that will help:
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/blog/how-to-season-a-wok/

Have fun!

HeavyG · January 2016

Definitely no need to buy a cookbook. Google is your friend. Tons of sites and videos available showing how to use a wok and what to throw in it.

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