Stir Fry

Too often, stir fry done at home is limp, and rubbery. To do stir fry right, the bottom of the wok needs to be hot enough to sear the meat. The whole process should be fast enough so the primary heat being applied to the food is from the hot oil. Too often we overload a wok that's too cold. When that happens, stir fry becomes simmering, steamed food.

That said, it would almost seem that a cast iron skillet would be a good choice for stir fry. Cast iron is better than any electric wok, or "non-stick" wok out there, but it has a problem. When the bowl of the wok is hot, so is the rest of the wok. We need to have a cooler place to stir in and out of so we can cook everything evenly. We need something that'll heat-up fast, withstand high temperatures, but doesn't hold heat. We need something thin. Carbon-steel is what we want.

A wok is more than just a frying pan. It has long, gently sloped sides. The idea is that the hot oil pools in a small area in the center, and food can be stirred into the oil, and then back out again to the cooler regions further from the center. If the sides are too steep, and the bottom too broad and flat, that doesn't happen. That brings us to another problem. How do we apply the heat?

An electric range is no good at all. The bottom of the wok isn't going to make enough contact with the heating element. Most of our heat is going to be lost to the air around the wok. A gas range is better. The flame can come in contact with the sloped sides of the wok. But we have two problems: One, the flames hit the wok too far up the sides, so the hotest part isn't in the bottom of the bowl, but the sides of the wok where we're hoping for cool spots. And, two, we would need a dangerously high flame in order for the hotest part of the flame to hit the pan. Most gas ranges won't let you adjust the flame that high.

Another problem on the range is the wok can too easily tip, and spill it's hot contents all over the place. Most woks come with stands, but they move the wok even further away from the heat! We're running into a lot of problems already. But I have a simple solution to it all.

Did you happen to buy one of those rigs for deep frying turkeys that were all the rage a few years ago? Do you want to get more use out of it? Dig it out. You can leave the pot. We just need the burner and stand. Notice how the uprights originally intended to keep the pot on the stand support the wok? Lots of stability there. Light it up. It's easy to adjust the burner for a flame high enough to hit a fairly small spot on the bottom of the wok. And we can adjust that flame to be extremely hot!

Warning: Don't do this inside. The only place in your kitchen that is designed to have such intense heat is the top of your range. However, unless the range hood is as high as a basketball hoop, and you're eight feet tall, you won't be able to work there. This cooking should be done outside on a solid, non-compustable surface. Brick or concrete are best. Certain asphalt could start to melt a little, but we should be done fast enough to avoid permanent damage.

The center of the wok needs to be hot enough to sear. We need to use oil with a high smoke point like refined peanut oil, sesame oil or soybean vegetable oil. Off the shelf canola will work, but we're pushing the limits. Under no circumstances should unrefined corn oil or olive oil be used. They smoke at far too low of a temperature.

I mentioned earlier that a "non-stick" wok is not a good idea. Non-stick coatings are not meant to be used at the temperatures we need to have at the very bottom of the bowl, and the plastic or nylon utensils needed to protect the non-stick surface could melt. If you're cooking at the right temperature in a carbon-steel wok, nothing will stick, and you'll be able to use metal or wooden utensils.

Make sure all our ingredients are chopped into small enough pieces, especially the meat. Not only does it take longer to cook bigger pieces, more liquid will escape during that cooking, which will dilute the oil. That means frying stops, and steaming begins. We don't want that. Start frying the meat before anything else. If necessary, remove the meat from the wok, and drain-off excess water. Heat some fresh oil, and get the wok hot before continuing.

Note: Do not let raw meats, or any tools coming in contact with raw meats (cutting boards, cleavers, your hands, etc.) come in contact with vegetables. I would suggest completing all chopping of vegetables, and segregation of those vegetables, before begining work on the meat.

The general rule in adding veggies is the harder, denser or thicker the veggie, the sooner it goes in. Diced carrots, for example, would be one of the first things to go in. (On the other hand, paper-thin, shaved carrots would be one of the last.) As you get ready to add a new veggie, clear a space in the hottest part (center) of the wok, and move things that have already cooked off to the cooler sides. Make onions, especially sweat onions, your last ingredient. Onions tend to sweat, and you don't need that liquid in there.

Now you're probably wondering about stir fry sauces or soy sauce. I never put any sauces in my wok. Liquid sauces, like soy sauce, will boil away, again ending frying, and starting steaming. Thick, "stir fry" sauces will carmalize, and stick to the sides of my wok, making for difficult clean-up. Soy sauce makes a good marinade for the meat before woking. Make sure there is no excess liquid on the meat as it goes into the wok. Any other sauce I add after the stir fry comes out of the wok.

Just as we let our steaks sit after cooking to stablize the juices, we need to let our stir fry sit. Don't empty it out of the wok straight onto the serving plates. Dump it into a pot. If you pour the sauce in at this time, the room temperature sauce will be heated by the time you serve the food.

So far while studying intense heat we've looked at steaks on the grill, steaks in a skillet, and stir fry. In our next chapter we'll look at some other uses of intense heat for cooking.

NEXT: Other Intense Heat Cooking >>
PREVIOUS: Steaks in the Skillet <<

 

Recommended Products

14-inch Round Bottom Carbon Steel Wok w/ Helper Handle This heavy 14-gauge wok is an easy and fun to use. The natural, blond, wooden handle and side spool handle allows the cook full command of the wok. The flat bottom wok is designed to sit directly on an electric stove or ceramic stovetop to take advantage of all the heat. Wok cooking is done with high heat. The flat bottom wok also works very efficiently on a gas stove. If cooking with gas, the same wok is available in round bottom. Wok measures 4" in depth. Cooking recommendations: 12" for up to 5 people, this 14" for 6 to 12 people, and 16" for over 12 people. Must be seasoned.

Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil Kadoya pure sesame oil from Japan. This 56 fluid ounce tin comes from one of the largest purveyors of gourmet ingredients in the Pacific Rim. This oil is an excellent choice for stir fry, and other high-heat cooking methods.

Farberware 3-Piece Poly Cutting Board Set Nonabsorbent, nonporous, and dishwasher-safe, these three poly cutting boards are ideal for kitchen prep work. The paddle-shaped board has a flat side for prep work or slicing and serving bread and a side with a channel to catch juices when carving meat or poultry. Because the set consists of large, medium, and small boards, most cutting and carving needs are satisfied. The large board measures 14-1/4 by 10-3/4 inches, the medium is 10 by 8 inches, and the small measures 7 by 9-1/4 inches. All three are 1/2-inch thick, have textured surfaces to reduce slipperiness, and include handholds that double as hanging holes. The boards contain Microban, an antimicrobial agent that inhibits the growth of bacteria that can cause odors and stains in the boards themselves. However, the agent does not protect against food-borne bacteria so the boards need regular cleaning for proper sanitation.