UJRefugees.net

anyone use just a carbon steel wok. my stove is gas and I bought a wokman thing that i place on the burner and then a ring that sits on the stove grate and the wok goes on that. I like to cook my ingredients first and at very end start adding spices sauces, because that is when things seem to burn quite easily so I shut off the flame, add spices and sauces and cook for just a minute or so with no flame, but the wok is still plenty hot at that point. It just seems like when sauces / spices burn to the wok when I then clean it it seems to scrub off the seasoning. One thing to note if you haven't seen it, the restaurants always seem to have the jet fire under the wok, but they also use alot of oil and liquid, and I like to stay away from that, I just like to stir fry, say rice,egg,carrot,peas etc, doesn't take long and even at below medium it is plenty hot, get food cooked and then add spices, sauces, and then empty it. In restaurants there seems to be so much liquid / oils that it doesn't get to burning stage, but I don't like all the added oil / liquids. I realize this might be a lost cause, I have my doubts any of you "M'Fer's" do any wok cooking.

I have a 16" cast iron wok I use all the time.

A little oil is a must. But first it has to be seasoned properly and care has to be taken not to remove the patina when cleaning.

Also, you have to be careful with the sauces. Depending on the sauce base it could have an effect on the patina.