I've been realizing that high-fat food really doesn't agree with me (sux to give up pizza!), so I've been studying cooking with a wok for a couple of months now. What I'm beginning to see is that it's a LOT quicker than I thought. Prep time is increased, but the stuff I've been able to cook is, well, "interesting". And there are no side effects on the ol` intestinal tract! Stuff like Kung Pao elk or General Tso's pheasant. Getting a bamboo steamer makes it really easy to do things like dim sum, too. I liken a wok to the West's Dutch oven; both have been around for centuries, but the wok has had an extended life of two thousand years or more, so I'd have to give the historian's nod to the wok for longevity. I figure it's been around so long that if they could have screwed it up, they would have already done so. However, getting one seasoned is difficult if you don't know how to do it properly, and western stoves usually don't put out enough heat to cook properly. Meat is cooked at a very high temperature and sears almost instantly, so all the juices are locked in.
If you're interested, Uwajimaya will have most-but not all-the cooking implemets. To do it properly, you really need only a few simple things, but I'd start with a flat-bottomed wok rather than a round-bottom one. Those little rings raise the bottom of the wok too high above the heat in most cases. Follow the instructions from the Wok Shop (.com) for seasoning. And get the wok spatula and the ladle they sell, along with the little oil can for the peanut oil. A bamboo steamer from Uwajimaya and you can make some elk dim sum easily:
1/4 lb ground venison, finely sliced green onion, garlic, salt & pepper, finely diced shitake mushrooms, a teaspoon of cornstarch, and season with a little soy sauce. Mix it all up in a bowl and let it marinate in the fridge for an hour or so. Get a package of wonton wrappers at the grocery store, put a little line of the meat in the middle, and fold the wonton wrapper around it. line the steamer with parchment-you'll have to cut it to fit-load it up and steam it for about 15 minutes. Serve with small dishes of soy sauce, Mai Ploi, and maybe some garlic chili sauce. and a good beer!
If you're interested, Uwajimaya will have most-but not all-the cooking implemets. To do it properly, you really need only a few simple things, but I'd start with a flat-bottomed wok rather than a round-bottom one. Those little rings raise the bottom of the wok too high above the heat in most cases. Follow the instructions from the Wok Shop (.com) for seasoning. And get the wok spatula and the ladle they sell, along with the little oil can for the peanut oil. A bamboo steamer from Uwajimaya and you can make some elk dim sum easily:
1/4 lb ground venison, finely sliced green onion, garlic, salt & pepper, finely diced shitake mushrooms, a teaspoon of cornstarch, and season with a little soy sauce. Mix it all up in a bowl and let it marinate in the fridge for an hour or so. Get a package of wonton wrappers at the grocery store, put a little line of the meat in the middle, and fold the wonton wrapper around it. line the steamer with parchment-you'll have to cut it to fit-load it up and steam it for about 15 minutes. Serve with small dishes of soy sauce, Mai Ploi, and maybe some garlic chili sauce. and a good beer!