stir frying advice

[antongarou]

Well, so I got a new wok a couple of months back- it's a 30 cm cast iron monster and I love it to bits.Only problem is that when I stir fry in it I get a burned crust at the bottom every time, and in the two times I tried adding cornflour, hoping to alleviate this, I nearly smoked my SO right out of the apartment. Anything I can do to make it better?Only thing I do that I can think might influence it is that I marinade the meat for a night before I cook it.

[eschatonic]

if this is a new wok, it's probably not properly seasoned. The internet or one of our resident professionals can tell you how to do that correctly. I've never had to do it myself, as I've had the good fortune to get all my cast-iron pots as hand-me-downs.

[MadGastronomer]

At the bottom of the pan, you mean, not on the bottom of the food?

A) Yes, season moar. Make a pumice of kosher salt and vegetable oil -- that is, enough oil that it not only coats all the salt, but a little runs out all around it -- and use the salt the scrub out any remaining crust and to scrub the oil into the pan (inside and out). Leave the salt in the bottom and put the wok into a 350F oven for an hour. Turn off the oven and let the wok cool with it overnight. In the morning, it should be a deep matte black (if it isn't, repeat this process until it is). Scoop out the salt with a paper towel, and then with another coat it with a very very thin layer of oil, just enough to give it a sheen. For the next two or three times you use it, repeat this process afterwards every time. After that, once even three or four times you use it for a good year or so. You want a good depth or your seasoning.

B) You may not be using enough oil when you cook, and may not be moving the food enough. Stir fry should never be still, even for a moment, and you should always start with a good depth of oil at the bottom, at least .25-.33" to start, and it should always be enough to lightly coat all the food and still leave a small puddle at the bottom.

Cornstarch will never help with this. For Chinese food, you use cornstarch in a thin suspension of water only at the end to make the sauce, or to velvet the meat.

If you want to know the entire procedure for stir fry as I learned it in school, I'll be happy to type it all out.

[antongarou]

Thanks MG, you're a treasure!One question though: do I have to coat the outside?I'm using electrical stove rather then gas and I'm afraid the seasoning coat will cause problems.

Cornstarch will never help with this. For Chinese food, you use cornstarch in a thin suspension of water only at the end to make the sauce, or to velvet the meat.

I tried using it because all cooking books I read recommended rolling the meat in starch to make sure it has a dry surface when it meets the oil.

If you want to know the entire procedure for stir fry as I learned it in school, I'll be happy to type it all out.

I generally do it in these stages:cut meat into small cubes and marinade it, cut vegetables into similar sized bits and put in different bowls by hardness, heat oil in wok, fry meat in batches until it changes color(as it changes color it gets move from the wok to a different bowl), after all meat is done and removed I add vegetables by hardness, when all vegetables are in and nearly done I add the meat back give it about 10 secs and then add what's left of the marinade sauce and cook for 10-30 secs more by eye.  Could you tell me if it's vastly different?

[MadGastronomer]

Not vastly different, no. The only other thing I'd mention is that if you're using garlic and/or ginger, add it to the oil before anything else to flavor the oil.

Actually, coating the meat in cornstarch does dry the surface out, but all that does is make is sizzle a bit less in the oil. It prevents the popping effect you get when frying bacon. Mostly you coat the meat to get the velvet effect I mentioned.