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Wok Size?

Jersey Doug
Jersey Doug Posts: 460
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I bought a 16" wok to use in the Large but I am wondering if it's the right size. With the Spider legs up, the wok almost touches the rim of the fire ring.

wi8ymd.jpg

With the Spider legs down, the wok seems to be a long way from the lump.

zk5q4m.jpg

I know there was an change to the dimensions of the fire ring in the Large so that a Medium CI grid fits in the older Large but not in the newer ones like mine. I wonder if the same thing applies to a wok and I should be looking for a smaller wok. Any thoughts?

Comments

  • DrZaius
    DrZaius Posts: 1,481
    It looks right to me.
    This is the greatest signature EVAR!
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    cooking with a wok is fast, get the egg up to temp and it should work fine. i use a long handled 14 inch wok and dont shut the egg anyways when using it, they cook so fast you need quick access to the food and shutting the dome wont allow you to cook with it correctly. i would probably cook with that one in the raised position so i could grab and remove it quikly with a gloved hand when needed.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • beautiful wok where did you buy it?
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    DSC07930a.jpg

    From the pictures, it looks mine is a tick smaller than yours, but it still looks like you have enough room for air around the one you have. Are you hip to the method for seasoning a wok?
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    if your ever in boston check out the eagle kitchen supply in china town, 20 bucks and you can get a couple nice hammered ones. ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    I'd fire that baby up and give it a run. I think you'll be surprised on how hot it will get with the set-up in the fire ring. t
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • Jersey Doug
    Jersey Doug Posts: 460
    I should have looked more closely at the photos in the earlier thread. My setup looks like DrZalus's. Just intuitively, it looks like thirdeye's would permit more airflow and, as a result, a hotter cook. One thing I could do is temporarily remove the wood handle from my 14" "indoor" wok and do a comparison.

    lilaccityhearth, The wok in the photo is from the Ceramic grill Store. My "indoor" woks came from the Wok Shop in S.F.

    thirdeye, Seasoning a wok is an interesting topic. Most sources recommend multiple applications of oil and heating cycles in the oven. The traditional Chinese method is to stir fry chives in pork fat. A Chinese chef friend told me to wash it, rub it inside and out with peanut oil, wipe off as much of the oil as possible and start cooking with it. That's what I did with my "indoor" woks years ago.

    fishlessman, I seldom get into either NYC or Philly to visit the shops in Chinatown. Around here, the best sources for woks and other kitchen paraphernalia are the big Asian grocery stores.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    unless your doing a long cook, dont worry about the airflow. i bring the egg up to around 700 for a bit to get things good and hot, then open the egg and shut the bottom vent completly til the fire subsides, and then start woking with the bottom vent shut. its alot hotter than my 18000 btu wok burner inside. ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Well, I wasn't suggesting that yours is too big, maybe the picture is a little deceiving, but I see plenty of room for airflow. It's not like you need a blazing hot fire and like fishlessman mentioned, you control the temp with the bottom vent only.

    DSC08081a.jpg

    A lot of my wok cooks are a combination of boiling/steaming first, (like I did with this corn) and other veggies, then I add a sauce. I'll bet in this meal I didn't use a tablespoon of oil.

    DSC08089a.jpg

    DSC08094a.jpg

    As far as seasoning, multiple cycles are a must. 3 or 4 actually. The Egg is wonderful for seasoning a wok, but I use a MAPP torch to get the final section around the rim. Here is my how-to on I do them. It's kind of long winded....just like me. All it takes is an hour and a half.

    Actually, you can take a brand new one and season it in an hour and a half tops using three heating sessions. Or re season your old one in one or two. The key is proper oiling, while heating and cooling the wok several times.

    Session 1 - If it's a new one, scrub off any factory oil (or scrub off any thick build up off your current wok) and put it on a spider in the Egg over a small low fire. Do all of your heat control with the lower vent. All of the oiling will be on the INSIDE surface only......

    With the lid closed, let it heat up for 4 to 6 minutes, then add some peanut oil (or lard) and use a paper towel and tongs to coat the entire inside surface. Close the lid for a couple of minutes, then make a few more passes with the oiled paper towel. Do this several more times, adding more oil as needed. By now the bottom should be seasoned and nice and dark. Using gloves, remove the wok from the cooker and let it cool to room temperature. You should still have some oil in the bottom of the wok when it's removed.

    Session 2 - Put the wok back in the cooker but this time oil the paper towel only, and coat only the areas that are not dark, which should be most of the upper 1/2 or 3/4 of the sides. Occasionally coat the bottom lightly but you are concentrating on the sides. Try tipping the wok in the spider ring so the heat is focused on the side rather than the bottom. Close the lid for a couple of minutes at a time. Do this routine several times, rotating the wok as needed for good coverage of the sides. Any time the steel is dry, make another pass with the oiled towel. When you get your sides partially seasoned (within a few inches of the top rim) remove the wok and let it cool to room temperature. Now all that is left is the upper band.

    Session 3 - You can do this in the cooker, but it's easier with your MAPP torch. On an outside table on your pizza stone or some fire bricks, take that little ring that is used for stovetop wokking and set your wok in it. Oil the paper towel, coat the upper band that is not seasoned. Working with your MAPP torch (medium heat is all you need) from the OUTSIDE, heat the wok using a up and down, ziz-zag pattern maybe 2" or 3", just concentrate on the areas that are not seasoned. Heat about 1/4 of the circumference of the wok at a time, but don't stop the torch. You can tell from the smoke when your heat is right. Watch the inside, it will season right before your eyes. Re-oil as needed, and heat until you get the color right. After the first 1/4 you will see how well this works. Then just move around the wok doing the other 1/4's. When you are all done with the upper band, you can also use the torch to spot-season any other areas. Allow the wok to cool down. Now you are ready to cook.

    Following cooking, wash your slightly warm wok in hot water. In the beginning you might need to lightly scrub a spot or two using a wooden utensil or a scrub brush. After a few more cooks, hot water is all that is really needed. Dry the wok and place in a warmed oven for a few minutes. Remove and give it a light coating of oil before storing.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • thebtls
    thebtls Posts: 2,300
    I don't use a spider I place mine right on the grid as demonstrated on several of my cooks on my blogsite blogsite
    Visit my blog, dedicated to my Big Green Egg Recipies at http://www.bigtsbge.blogspot.com You can also follow my posts on FaceBook under the name Keep On Eggin' or the link http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Keep-On-Eggin/198049930216241