I got a wok for Christmas - Recipes, I must have them!

[Village Idiot]

Anyone else like wok cooking? Well, I got one for Christmas and I'm looking to use it. I love Asian food. In fact, people that know me said I should have been Asian or I might even turn Asian because of all the stuff I eat. So, recipes, tips, tricks, etc... Share them!

My first thing I'm planning on cooking is porkbelly and scallions. I had this at the Schezuan Pavillion in Rockville, MD. It's a Chinese restuarant that has a Chinese American menu and a Chinese Chinese menu. It's a simple dish of pork belly, scallions, oil, and peppers, but it's delicious.

I also want to find a good General Tso's recipe for my girlfriend and my friends.

What do you guys have?

 

[Mick]

I have been doing oriental cooking in a wok for over 40 years.

start by preparing everything as you will not have time to cut anything after you start cooking. I put my vegies on a platter and leave the meat on the cutting board.

Start by putting the wok on the stove and turning the burner on to the highest setting.

Once you see smoke coming from the wok (it has to be spanking hot) add about 2-3 tbl of peanut oil (you can use other oils but peanut has a very high burn temp so won't burn at the high heat you need to cook at).

Immediately after you add the oil start adding your vegies, starting with the ones that need the most time to cook (carrots, broccoli) then progress to the ones that need the least amount of time like onions and bean sprouts. Good rule of thumb is about a minute to a minute and a half between adding vegies so that the wok has the time to come back to high heat before adding the next one.

The "ticket" is to keep things moving. You want to fry, not stew and if you let your vegies sit they will stew not fry.

Remove the cooked vegies to the platter you started them on.

Return the wok to heat and wait until it starts to smoke again, then add more oil.

drop in the meat and cook it.

Add the sauce you made to the meat and once it comes to a boil and thickens add the vegies again and coat with sauce, remove to a platter or serve immediately.


What you use in your dishes is up to you. Pick things you like to eat as anything can be cooked in an "oriental style"

 

[Mick]

Clean up....

NEVER use any soap or a scratchy pad to clean the wok

Put it in the sink and clean it with only HOT water and a vegetable (tampico) bristle brush.

IF things seem stuck, letting water sit inside the wok for a few minutes should be all that is necessary.

Your wok will eventually get a nice black center (like in the first pic above) this is just the mark of a well seasoned/used wok. You DO NOT want it squeaky clean shiny metal.

After washing take the wok back to the stove and turn the burner on until all of the water dries off otherwise you will get rust.

 

[ouch]

I also want to find a good General Tso's recipe for my girlfriend and my friends.

What do you guys have?

Who would have thought a recipe could be found in the very first post on this ancient thread-

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/66287-Gentlemen-s-Essentials-Official-B-amp-B-Cookbook