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RSS FeedMike Pardus here. Thanks for the welcoming comments and encouragement. I’m posting this “Intro to the Wok” video used for students to view before beginning my course. It’s pretty monotone and dry, but your comments induce me to put it up for those who wanted a more complete explanation. I promise a more entertaining clip later this week.
MR and I didn’t really have anything planned, so I thought I’d start with a basic technique and then maybe move into something Asian later in the week. I’m so used to my kitchen that it never occurred to me that the woks would be the focus of attention. I hope this clarifies things, they sure are neat toys.
Chef, this is great. I am very eager to soak up some of this asian cooking.
Please don’t make it gadget dependent because there are lots of folks out there on youtube land posting great recipes using decrepit kitchens.
I want to know vegetables.. I want to know sauces and how they should go together…..
I have RATIO but now I need LOGIC???
thanks in advance chef
I’ve got a question for you about lemons. I was in Phoenix over Christmas and my brother in law has a great lemon tree. This is it’s third year and it was covered in lemons. He told me to pick what I wanted to bring home. I pulled four of them off the tree and one was obviously not ready, because part of the rind was left behind. I needed to use that one right away and it smelled so good I couldn’t help peeling it and taking a bite. It wasn’t lemon sour. It wasn’t as sweet as an orange, by any means, but I did eat it about half of it. The color of the outside peel was much more orange than store bought lemons.
Is there a degree of ripeness to look for even in lemons? Any tips on lemon choosing at the store?
I was thinking about your shrimp demo all day today. My stove is capable of heating water to boiling so didn’t even give a thought to the equipment – just can’t wait to cook some shrimp properly! The peek at the technique was such an awesome gift.
Looking very forward to the rest of your guest posts…
hmm, guess I’ll have to add this to my list for my dream kitchen.
Thanks for explaining the wok range – I was focussing on it yesterday, wondering what all the water was, swirling around your burners. Great stove!
As to Jackie (above), sounds like your bother has a Meyer lemon tree – a cross between a lemon and tangerine (I believe). I have one also, and the fruit is definitely less tart than empire lemons, the juice is a little less concentrated. But, the lemon pies you can make from these lemons is heavenly.
One of my good friends an 04 grad told me about that very kitchen..can’t wait to see the next post
Thank you Lisa!! I never thought of that.
Chef, I’ve given up trying to use a wok at home because I can’t get the wok hot enough on my home stove. Is this an accurate assessment? Any workarounds for this limitation? Thx.
Kim, I’ve found that stirfrying in doors at home without a high volume air vent system is ill advised, the vaporized oils produced at the high heat permeat the house and coat the walls and ceiling in the kitchen. Unless you have such a system (1000cfm+), try this instead:
Get a turkey frying kit from a discount store. Put the cheap aluminum pot in the basement for boiling corn next summer. Take the 40,000 btu propane burner that comes with it and hook it up to a propane tank outside on you patio. Using a few cinder blocks to surround the burner, create a wok “range”. For a minimal investment of less than $100 you’ll get the heat you need without having to scrub down the kitchen walls after dinner.
Good luck!
Funny – trying to teach and reply at the same time, I spelled my own name wrong! And I pretend I can multi-task! Ha…
Thanks for the turkey frying tip – an outdoor wok sounds fantastic to me.
Chef, I teach culinary operations at the high school level and my partner and I have often thought of making some ‘how-to” videos. Love the concept, the simplicity, and the delivery.
Many thanks to Mr. Ruhlman for providing the platform. I read his often humorous blogs and own his very informative books… recommending both to my students.
I am actually escorting a student up to Hyde Park in March – would LOVE to see K1. In the mean time, I look forward to more great videos. Thanks again.
Loved the cinder block “range” idea. If it’s not too cold outside, I’ll have to try it next month for Chinese New Year’s. Past years Chinese New Year’s celebration dinner, I typically use nearly every dish I own, destroying the kitchen in the process, and the house does have a “chinese-esque” aroma for a few days. But.. ahhhh the food and fun.
Also wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed (and learned from) your you tube duck videos. Can’t wait to see your next lesson.
Amazing setup. I am jealous.
A charcoal grill can also be used to great effect…you just need a way to get the wok right down over a good bed of hot coals. That’s how I wok.
Ben – yes, that works as well if you have a charcoal grill and it’s usually what I do when I’m grilling something else to accompany.
A gas grill won’t give you the heat and if I’m not grilling anyway, it’s just easier to use propane than wait for the charcoal to get hot.
Oh, gosh. I’m dreaming of that wok.
The outdoor tips are great… we’ve definitely put our charcoal grill to great use, but I never thought of the turkey fryer trick!
Jackie,
the lemon you describe sounds a lot like a meyer lemon. I had a tree in my backyard and it was just like that.
Chef I am just soaking up this entire post of pure knowledge.
This video is nothing short of beauty and perfection in a kitchen.
When I die and go to heaven I want this kitchen or if I divorce and marry a Trump.
I recently watched a video from ming tsai on youtube that suggested we could put the wok in a hot oven like the hottest prior to stir frying. Then transfering the wok unto a hot burner say electric burner and go. He pretty much dumped the meat and soon after the veggies and everything in one shot. The tip is a good one for the cast iron woks I have but to suggest taking the oil to 500+ is very scary. That flame thrower at the CIA vaporizing oil….is a bit scary. Not for the night out restaurant experience but for the weekly stir fry experience. When I read the break down don’t cross the line temp on my oils and I have lots of different oils… they always caution me that the oil should not exceed 400 deg and LOWER….
I once remember tossing extra virgin olive oil on a hot wok and it broke down excreting all sorts of white streaming solids.
I don’t wok at high temps with olive oils. But even the peanut oils warn about letting anything reach over the 400 deg. Canola… 300+ vegetable 350 tops..and so on.
So there is something here that escapes me.
But we are talking and I am the student and that’s a good thing.
In a typical chinese restaurants those ranges fire like jet boosters. I had a week’s exposure cooking in those. They wok heats up quickly and food cook super fast and yet so dangerous sometimes.
Jackie , Lemons…I concur that you had a Meyer Lemon. They’re coming into season in the west during the winter and into the spring.
As for general lemon-shopping advice:
Lemons are typically winter fruits in North America, best in the colder months. Look for lemons that are smooth skinned and appear “full”. Thinner skin is better for yield of juice, thicker skin is better for making marmalades or for a “twist” in your vodka. The lemon should be heavy for it’s size – indicating more juice and if you “scratch and sniff” the skin should have an appealing aroma. Avoid light-weight, hollow feeling fruit and those that appear old, soft, or shriveled. Green color on citrus fruit is not always a bad thing. If a lemon (or orange, grapefruit, tangerine) meet the above criteria, a green cast is actually a sign of ripeness, showing that the fruit hung on the tree until fully ripe and got enough sunlight to begin developing chloraphyl., in produce marketing lingo this is called “re-greening”.
Store them in the refridgerator in a paper bag and they should be in prime condition for at least a week. After prolonged cold storage these sub-tropical fruits will start to show signs of “chill damage” – developing brown, scabby patches, cosmetically unappealing but should not affect the flavor or use of the juice.
I hope this is helpful – mp
Chef Pardus has a great suggestion with the outdoor butane burner, I bought an extra large wok at the Asian grocery store for not a lot of money and use it to do stir fry for large groups of people on my outside burner and it’s a HUGE hit. The checkout girl laughed at me the whole time thinking I was going to put it on my stove but I had the last laugh.
Thank you Chef. That’s very helpful. My last question on lemons is this – can I freeze the zest if I’m not going to use it right away?
Dear Chef Pardus,
Ex-ACT-ly like Michael Ruhlman to take a holiday just when I sent him a Tweet about recipes using Black Garlic.
Since this ingredient is used often in Asian Cooking, I shall ask you instead.
Also, is it possible make this Black Garlic from garlic bulbs at home, or does the cost of the heating equipment justify the higher Market price?
Happy New Year!
Wilmita
Jackie – Freeze the zest in an ice cube tray either in it’s own juice or in an oil that you will likely use in cooking it – olive, canola, etc. It can also be candied, but that’s another lesson for another time.
Luis- Smoking points for common oils:
avocado 510
almond 495
apricot kernal 495
canola (super high heat) 460
safflower (SHH) 460
sunflower (SHH) 460
palm fruit 450
saflower (high oleic) 445
sesame 445
canola 425
grapeseed 425
Thank you chef, SHH oil has higher smoking point than common supermarket oil makes it safe to wok at higher temps. I always thought oil was oil…This is indeed a pearl of wisdom. who’d thunk it?
Chef Pardus!
Thanks so much — you squeeze so much technique and info
into just a few minutes! Wonderful teacher!
With Ruhlman off in Ixtapa, we can attempt to improve our asian
cooking skills in his absence!!
Sure you don’t have time for a blog?
Best wishes!
I have had my turkey fryer for about 10 years now and I only ever did one turkey on it. But I have wok’ed it hundreds of times. Terrific. Beef filet shreds cook in about 10 seconds. A complete dish, start to finish in a minute or two (not counting lots of prep work of course.