Eight dance steps to skip
Almost everyone, at one point or another, decides that stir-frying is the perfect technique for food preparation. Quick cooking, choice of material to cook with (as healthy as you like, or not), and not a lot of expensive equipment to buy. There are thousands of good recipes, dozens of good techniques, but not much about the basics.
Here are the steps that will lead you to compliments, cooking with a wok:
1. You have to prepare everything before you start cooking, even the sauce, because it goes fast.
You won’t be using large amounts of materials, so it’s not that strenuous: a cup or two of meat (or firm, drained tofu) and three to four cups of vegetables (total) is plenty. The meat must be cut into thin strips; vegetables should be no larger than bite size. Remember that everything but the meat will only cook, at most, a few minutes, so little is the key. A tip: cut the vegetables diagonally, so that the maximum surface area is exposed to the heat.
If you are going to eat rice, cook it and drain it during the preparation time.
2. Use the correct oil.
Many use peanut or canola oil, because stir-frying is done at almost the same temperature as frying. You need something with a high smoke point (the oil won’t burn) and one that doesn’t add a strong flavor of its own. Sesame oil? Use it for flavor only; when frying, it burns and does not taste good at all. Save it for your sauce.
3. Heat sufficiently before adding the oil.
Check how hot the wok (or skillet) is by pouring a few drops of water into it. If they steam instantly, too hot, set the pan aside and turn the heat down a bit. The water droplets should slide down for a couple of seconds and then disappear. (Like a perfect pancake grill.)
4. Add the oil and wait for it to heat up.
Pretty much everyone is on board with this: drop a small piece of veggie in there, if it sizzles but doesn’t blacken quickly, you’re there. Remove test piece before cooking.
5. A disagreement: choose your own path here.
Some experts say this is the time to cook the ginger, garlic, or whatever other “aromatic” you choose, while the oil is cool and hot. Those experts also say to only cook it until it darkens, then remove it, and any pieces, from the oil. This is also the time to add, for example, soy sauce.
Others say forget all that; cook those things with the vegetables, later.
6. Cook the meat first.
Do not pour more than 3/4 cup at a time; you don’t want the wok to lose too much heat. Continually move the meat from the center of the oil to the edge, until it is no longer pink. Then move it up the side of the wok, so that it continues to cook, but not continue to fry. You will add it back at the end, along with the sauce.
7. Now add the vegetables, in order of density.
If you didn’t add garlic, ginger, or whatever before, now is the time. Cook it with the rest of the vegetables.
Add the carrots and onions first, and sauté for about 2 minutes. Then add the broccoli florets and water chestnuts, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Then come the red and yellow bell peppers, and fry for 2 more minutes. (If you’re in the know, yes, the carrots have been around since the beginning…they cook about eight minutes.) If you want to add something leafy (like bok choy), that takes a few seconds. Remember, keep everything moving, from the center of the oil to the edge. This “wave” will make everything cook smoothly.
8. Put the meat back in, add your sauce and it’s time to eat.
This is the last movement of the symphony; you’re almost there. Add your sauce and mix the meat and vegetables together (gently) until everything is covered in a smooth layer of sauce. Remove it from the heat and turn everything off.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy your meal!