Seeing that I rediscovered close to 80 lbs of rice that was hiding in my freezer that I posted about. I started to do a very dangerous thing.

Thinking !



Been in a semi rut as far as meals go, in that most of my cooking is just to fill the belly and make it to another day then repeat!

But that rice was bothering me, some I did refreeze for bug control and all, but dam it ! I just could not stop thinking of rice and some recent posts that I made that forced me to think of the past.

Then I remembered I did have a wok that seems to got hidden or was hiding from me for many years, that I stalked and then found. It is one that I got shortly after I returned from Thailand while in the air force because I did develop a taste for Asian cooking , with Thai and combos of Thai/Chinese/Burmese/Cambodian/Laos/Vietnamese and Indian cooking.

Very good eating and the sky is the limit when it comes to food combos.

Mine was sadly neglected for more years than I really can not be sure of in that some rust on my wok developed (carbon steel hammered) that I have and will spend hours getting it back into shape and seasoned correctly. (carbonized oil and fats for a slick finish)

Woks are not just for stir fry but for sure stir fry is tops in what they can do!

There is a problem, because of their shape, they are awkward to use, for a round bottom, one needs a wok ring or modified stove top grate, (years ago I cut out the center of one of my grates, works fine of all pots and pans) that allowed the round bottom to sit over the burners.

But at least for me there is no way to store one like pots and pans can be done, other than hanging on a wall or off a ceiling.

Memory is returning as I am posting this, seems that when I got married to my one and only wife (evil woman, but I did try) did not care and even hated my wok ! (side note I still have the wok, she is history, but out of sight out of mind) My wok survived, it was up in the attic.

Anything and everything can be cooked in one, as long as meats and vegs are cut small so everything can cook evenly, tho true wok use is the bottom is hottest and the sides give temp control.

Wok cooking is eyeballs on and very fast, that demands the cooks full attention, get distracted even for a short time things will burn.

Wok care if steel is work up a good seasoning, (black) just like cast iron, never never wash it nor scrub it, unless there has been a major screwup that only scrubbing will cure , and then start over with seasoning it. (Same with cast iron)

To clean just like cast iron, (my way) is to use newspapers after cooking to wipe clean while the wok/cast iron is hot with the stove burner is still going and re-oil under high heat then a final wipe and let it cool down.

The heat will kill any micro critters and helps build up the seasoning.

Sorry to say I have no recipes ...Yet..Still in the process of getting my sadly neglected wok back into shape and ready to go.

The only downside , as stated above is their shape when it comes storing when not in use.

Thoughts?



Edit: Flat bottom ones ? never used one!

Round is traditional an at least for me the only way, I have also made charcoal stoves out of coffee cans for cooking out side with my wok, tho when I learned to use one most were made out of hardened clay!

Ever seen a charcoal heated iron for ironing clothes?

Hoot !