My New Wok

 

I did my homework and researched the different kinds of woks and the recommended woks from a whole array of different people and perspectives. I finally made, after about 5 weeks research, made my decision and purchased a wok. This wasn't an easy thing to do with all of the different types of woks that are out there. I knew right off that I didn't want an electric wok or a non stick finish wok and the more I read I knew I wanted an authentic wok.

It only took me a couple of websites to make me realize that I wanted to purchase my wok from the Wok Shop in China Town, San Francisco. All of the reviews for the site were superior and so complimentary that I knew right off the bat that I would make my final purchase from them. Now, not only would I devour all of the information on their website but I would be surfing and goggling everything there was to do with a wok. 

Then came the daily surfing of an assortment of different businesses that offered woks. The price seemed to stay about the same from site to site so that didn't factor into my decision at all. The information was endless but oh so helpful. At the end of each session I would ponder on what I had learned and even made a list of pros and cons for the different types of woks. 

  

I went to different brick and mortor stores that carried woks, not the exact model I was looking for, but I was able to handle the different sizes and handle configurations. I might have made the decision to buy local if they had offered the exact wok I was looking for but they didn't. Unfortunately they cater to the average home cook that wants to do things the easy way, not that there is anything wrong with that. With today's hustle and bustle a lot of men and women alike don't have the time or desire to cook when they get home from work. Not so with me. I'll cook my heart out, Sunday through Monday and love every minute of it. My husband's favorite saying goes like this, "Is this Sunday?"

It didn't take me long to figure out that Carbon Steel was the material I wanted my wok to be fashioned from Then I had to decide if I wanted the regular wok, for lack of a better term, or the Pow Wok which in some of the photos featured a pocked looked surface. I still haven't found much information on the difference between the two but intend to find out somehow and possible purchase one of the pow woks in a smaller size for those side dishes.

I never realized how much there was to know about a wok and the culture behind it but I intend to continue my search for information.

Well the time came to make the purchase, Todd ordered me a 14" Carbon Steel Wok with wooden handles, one which was long and the other an "ear" handle as it seems to be called.

I couldn't be happier with my Mother's Day present. When it arrived we dived right into seasoning our new wok. After more reading on what to do this involved scouring off the sticky finish that it arrives with, rubbing it inside and out with a thin layer of oil then baking it in a 450 degree oven to reach a golden brown color. It was beautiful.

So far I have stir fried chicken and broccoli, pork and veggies, veggies and potatoes and garlicky veggies in it and everything is really tasty. It does seem to be sticking a bit so I will need to do some more reading and figure out if I need to retreat the pan to try and achieve a better patina. Rust is said to be common when the patina is not good and I do not have any rust so maybe I am trying to rush the process of seasoning to a point that it doesn't stick at all. It is said to happen over a period of time. As usual I want to perfect it immediately but I know these things come slow sometimes.

Now to reach wok hay!