[thechat] Re: Woks

[Madhu Menon]

At 09:05 PM 31-10-02, Luther, Ron wrote:
>TO: The 'Mad Chef' (Madhu)

Sounds like a good name for a regular column, eh?


>In today's "letters from readers", our frient Ron
>from Texas writes and asks if there really IS any
>difference between "spun" and "hand hammered" woks.

Yes, but not big enough.

Hand-hammered woks are supposedly better conductors of heat and therefore
superior. I happen to have a hand-hammered wok too and while I find a
slight difference, it won't matter to most people. My first Ken Hom spun
steel wok lasted for 10 years and would've lasted longer. Unfortunately,
its surface was damaged when I rubbed it with some oil and went travelling
for a couple of months. When I returned, I found that the oil had somehow
gone rancid and turned into this thick sticky gel, which screwed the
surface when I cleaned it out.

My hand-hammered wok is also lighter than my regular wok, which weighs
about 5 pounds.

Bottom line: If you take good care of your wok, cook often with it, season
it properly, clean it immediately after use with hot water, and never scrub
it with a scouring pad or soap, your spun steel wok will do just fine.

>He's been told by other chefs to stay away from
>"spun" woks and only use "hand hammered" - but the
>true "hand hammered" woks can be so very hard to
>find here.

The Mad Chef has heard many good things about the Wok Shop in San Francisco
- http://www.wokshop.com
They also have a hand-hammered wok:
http://www.wokshop.com/products/woks_handhammered.html

While you're there, you might also want to get a good cleaver:
http://www.wokshop.com/products/cleavers_knives_cs.html

It's amazing what a cleaver can do. I use it for everything from mincing
garlic to cutting chicken.

Until next time,

Madhu the Mad Chef