Anatomy of a Stir Fry

Kayak · March 2017

The result was good, if not great, but I'm more interested in the process I went through, and mining others' ideas.

First, the setup:

XL with 4 fire bricks, filled to the top with mixed lump. Someday a lump reducing ring will be under the tree, but 6 of these were $10.

Is this necessary? Should I just fill 'er up and light in the middle?

Kayak · March 2017

Next, light the fire and get set for a Wok:

Took about 20 minutes to reach this flame. The little cooking grid is because my 14" wok rides too low in an XL spider. It would rest on the coals.

Like this, it's about 5" above them.

Without a bigger wok to drop in, the only way to get closer is to mound up more lump.

Any suggestions?

Mattman3969 · March 2017

Get rid of the firebricks, fill the egg up to desired level and light 2 spots in the middle. Use the Woo and grid your have pictured or since your wok is flat bottomed put your grate at OEM level on the fire ring. Your making it too difficult.

Carolina Q · March 2017

I used to just set the wok directly on the coals in the egg. Then, I started using an old chimney starter with a wok ring. Until our last snowstorm. It was buried under 18" of snow and I ran over it with my snowblower.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/n3/847y21hh1mjh.jpg

Kayak · March 2017

Wait, I'm not supposed to buy specialty things???? It sounds wrong, but maybe...

At least I got all of the prep done ahead, and had a drink while 'cooking outside'.

I hate that plastic box.

Next, I put the 'hard' veggies under a lid to steam a little.

Definitely no screaming heat.

tjv · March 2017

couple thoughts for you.

eliminate the grate, put the wok in the woo's lower ring. you want a good steak fire going under the wok. you can spread the fire out a bit if you like.

a bigger wok will let you use the side of the wok to manage the cook better. plus drives more heat into the food too.

I don't see the aromatics.....ginger, garlic, .....

cut your food into smaller pieces. they will cook quicker. for example. shave the carrots thin with a potato peeler instead of cubing them. some veggies like broccoli do better by being slightly precooked. steam them over the stove or quick microwave with damp paper towel. Chinese joints precook veggies a bunch.

There is a process to adding the food: oil, aromatics, meat, hard veggies, soft veggies.

that's a lot of liquid. wokking is high heat and fast movements. a bunch of liquid slows down the whole process. you can get flavor by using actual spices. liquids like chicken stock and such, use it to precook your veggies and use corn starch to thicken the stock if using in the wok.

American make two common mistakes when wokking. first, we see a big pot and want to fill it up full. second, we don't take the time to cut the food into uniform small pieces. wokking is more prep work than cook work.

a great place to get veggies for a wok cook is a good salad bar at your local grocery store or deli restaurant. A lot of the work is already done for you and you can get a wide variety without buying a bunch of excess.......tip of the day.........lol

t

stompbox · March 2017

I made 4 batches of stir fry last weekend. Unreal. I told my wife I will no longer buy take out. It was that good.

stompbox · March 2017

tjv said:

couple thoughts for you.

eliminate the grate, put the wok in the woo's lower ring. you want a good steak fire going under the wok. you can spread the fire out a bit if you like.

a bigger wok will let you use the side of the wok to manage the cook better. plus drives more heat into the food too.

I don't see the aromatics.....ginger, garlic, .....

cut your food into smaller pieces. they will cook quicker. for example. shave the carrots thin with a potato peeler instead of cubing them. some veggies like broccoli do better by being slightly precooked. steam them over the stove or quick microwave with damp paper towel. Chinese joints precook veggies a bunch.

There is a process to adding the food: oil, aromatics, meat, hard veggies, soft veggies.

that's a lot of liquid. wokking is high heat and fast movements. a bunch of liquid slows down the whole process. you can get flavor by using actual spices. liquids like chicken stock and such, use it to precook your veggies and use corn starch to thicken the stock if using in the wok.

American make two common mistakes when wokking. first, we see a big pot and want to fill it up full. second, we don't take the time to cut the food into uniform small pieces. wokking is more prep work than cook work.

a great place to get veggies for a wok cook is a good salad bar at your local grocery store or deli restaurant. A lot of the work is already done for you and you can get a wide variety without buying a bunch of excess.......tip of the day.........lol

t

This is all fantastic advise. Please listen to this.

he mentions not filling it up. This is the key to working properly. You need it hot and fast. This is why I noted above I made FOUR batches.

Kayak · March 2017

We'll, on with too much stuff. This isn't real time, by the way. Happened a couple days ago.

Once the first batch got a little soft, in went the rest of the veggies. Now we're talking overload!

Took a while to get much searing action. Eventually they all looked OK, so out with the veggies and in with the chicken. Heat looked good..

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/yt/rgs1pntw7nbb.jpg

But a big old disappointment in the searing Dept.

This is one large breast.

Eoin · March 2017

Kayak said:

We'll, on with too much stuff. This isn't real time, by the way. Happened a couple days ago.

Once the first batch got a little soft, in went the rest of the veggies. Now we're talking overload!

Took a while to get much searing action. Eventually they all looked OK, so out with the veggies and in with the chicken. Heat looked good..

But a big old disappointment in the searing Dept.

This is one large breast.

You need a lot more heat, there should be steam / heat haze over the veg and the chicken is letting the water out and stewing. This is what happens on a domestic hob without enough burner power.

Eoin · March 2017

stompbox said:

I made 4 batches of stir fry last weekend. Unreal. I told my wife I will no longer buy take out. It was that good.

Unless you are very lucky to have a good place, take out is normally pretty dull compared to what you can cook at home.

Stormbringer · March 2017

Eoin said:

stompbox said:

I made 4 batches of stir fry last weekend. Unreal. I told my wife I will no longer buy take out. It was that good.

Unless you are very lucky to have a good place, take out is normally pretty dull compared to what you can cook at home.

... or just non-existant where we live.

Kayak · March 2017

So, the chicken is more like stir-stew at this point.

Pull it out, make the sauce, and put it all back together, and cook through.

Finally, over rice.

Cooked nicely, but no browning to be had

Kayak · March 2017

Eoin said:

Unless you are very lucky to have a good place, take out is normally pretty dull compared to what you can cook at home.

Not always...

vb4677 · March 2017

In addition to what @tjv said, take a trip to a real Asian store and get some of the basics, too. Oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, gochujang paste, sesame oil, etc. Then get some of the food ingredients while you're there- start easy with some bok choy or fresh shiitake mushrooms.
It'll be overwhelming at first, but you'll start to really expand your wokking skills and flavors in no time flat.

Eoin · March 2017

Kayak said:

Eoin said:

Unless you are very lucky to have a good place, take out is normally pretty dull compared to what you can cook at home.

Not always...

Go big on the fire next time. When you see proper Chinese cooking on TV, the burners sound like jet engines!

Kayak · March 2017

By the end of 20? Minutes of cooking, there wasn't much lump left, so I went from medium to low during.

Definitely going to implement some changes for my third try.

Skip the bricks altogether or mound the lump higher?

Drop the woo down into the notches (didn't notice that).

Get a bigger Wok?

Prep the veggies a little better. Cook in smaller batches.

Do an aromatic step.

Apparently cooking is like everything else, it's a skill you have to do as much as read about.

Kayak · March 2017

tjv said:

couple thoughts for you

that's a lot of liquid. wokking is high heat and fast movements. a bunch of liquid slows down the whole process. you can get flavor by using actual spices. liquids like chicken stock and such, use it to precook your veggies and use corn starch to thicken the stock if using in the wok.

t

Are you saying the veggies contain a lot of liquid, or did you see all the liquids I had going on the side?

Eoin · March 2017

Kayak said:

By the end of 20? Minutes of cooking, there wasn't much lump left, so I went from medium to low during.

Definitely going to implement some changes for my third try.

Skip the bricks altogether or mound the lump higher?

Drop the woo down into the notches (didn't notice that).

Get a bigger Wok?

Prep the veggies a little better. Cook in smaller batches.

Do an aromatic step.

Apparently cooking is like everything else, it's a skill you have to do as much as read about.

Fill it up and get it hot.

Have you not been a cook before having the Egg?

Carolina Q · March 2017

Eoin said:

Kayak said:

Eoin said:

Unless you are very lucky to have a good place, take out is normally pretty dull compared to what you can cook at home.

Not always...

Go big on the fire next time. When you see proper Chinese cooking on TV, the burners sound like jet engines!

Love this pic...

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/69/ezxyns9449oy.jpg

Kayak · March 2017

Eoin said:

Fill it up and get it hot.

Have you not been a cook before having the Egg?

Ouch!

Good thing I like you.

Eoin · March 2017

Kayak said:

Eoin said:

Fill it up and get it hot.

Have you not been a cook before having the Egg?

Ouch!

Good thing I like you.

Honest question given your comment about doing not reading!

Spring Chicken · March 2017

I really enjoy seeing wok posts like yours. It always creates some new interest in woking, especially on the Big Green Egg.

A few years ago I started to copy the wok photos of your fellow Eggheads and put them into a couple of videos. The idea was to encourage others to think about adding woking to their Big Green Egg cooking skills.

This is the second video I assembled just to show how simple it is and how creative these cooks were with their meals.

Woking is also an inexpensive way to add a really great EGGcessory to your Big Green Egg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuAf_jEMzIg&t=17s

Thanks for posting your own experience with woking.

The TJV I spoke of in my video is non other than Tom Vogds at Ceramic Grill Store. https://ceramicgrillstore.com/ He got me started in woking and he can help you get into it too.

Spring "Woking Around The Clock" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

tjv · March 2017

Kayak said:

tjv said:

couple thoughts for you

that's a lot of liquid. wokking is high heat and fast movements. a bunch of liquid slows down the whole process. you can get flavor by using actual spices. liquids like chicken stock and such, use it to precook your veggies and use corn starch to thicken the stock if using in the wok.

t

Are you saying the veggies contain a lot of liquid, or did you see all the liquids I had going on the side?

measuring cup,

Anatomy of a Stir Fry

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