Why You Need A Wok For Stir-Fry Dishes

There will be all sorts of people who turn the page when they see this title, but I say STOP! At least take a look at the advantages of stir-frying in a wok as opposed to in a skillet.
I know what you're saying; "But, I already have a big skillet. Why should I spend money on a wok, too?" The answer is simple; because a wok works better. Here are some things you want to know before you decide to skip the wok.

The Right Shape

A proper wok has a small flat bottom with high sloping sides, creating lots of frying surface. The small flat area on the bottom has two purposes; it sits flat on a gas or electric burner, and it provides a reservoir for the oil. That oil in the reservoir stays hot and ready to be swirled around up the sides of the wok, coming in contact with the ingredients just long enough to cook, then draining back into the reservoir until needed for the next step.

The high sloping sides provide a semi-horizontal, semi-vertical surface that is used to quickly toss and fry the food. This large surface gives plenty of stirring surface while keeping the food out of the majority of the oil. When used properly, this design results in the ingredients being fried super-quick in very little oil, maintaining the crisp-tender texture and healthy aspects of the food.

The Right Material

A classic carbon steel wok is your best bet. They are made to get very hot, and stay very hot. The heat conducts well right up those big sloping sides. Most good woks have wooden handles as well as a lid. Stainless steel woks are fine, but the carbon steel just seem to heat a bit better up the sides, and you will find quite a price difference between the two.

You'll find electric woks and woks with non-stick surfaces, but I can't recommend either. An electric wok heats in cycles, turning on until it reaches temperature, then turning off to keep from overheating, then turning back on to bring back up to temperature. And, of course, non-stick surfaces are not made to withstand temperatures high enough to make a good stir-fry, and actually break down when heated too hot.

But My Skillet Will Work, Right?

Yes, your skillet, if it's large enough, will stir-fry food. Keep in mind that the sides of the skillet are most likely not sloped much, and are not very high. In other words, you are not going to be cooking on the sides of the skillet, only the bottom, where a skillet is meant to get hot. This limits the cooking space for your stir-fry.

If you do use a skillet, you'll need to use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet and follow the same rules. Remember, the oil won't have anyplace to go (a reservoir like the wok), so the food will be frying in all the oil in the bottom of the skillet. For that reason, you'll need to use smaller portions of oil, stir-fry smaller portions of food, remove each portion after it's cooked, add more oil, wait for it to get hot, then add another ingredient, fry, remove, add oil, and continue. For a rather small investment in a simple wok, you could avoid all that work and frustration.

Are you ready to commit to making excellent stir-fry dishes? Go ahead and buy that wok. It's a tiny investment with a big return on fantastic flavors!