From: tunxis@netcom.com (Gary A. Gorgen)
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: Re: $.50 WOK ( Story )
Summary: Seasoning ( How to )
Keywords: wok season hand hammer
Date: 2 Sep 92 23:44:20 GMT
Organization: Tunxis Design Inc. (408-749-9463)


I've received a lot of mail, asking for more information on how I seasoned
my wok, & woks in general.

I am not an expert on woks, but I have played with these things for a while.
This is what I know. ( opinions ):

There are several types of woks.
	1. Stainless steel. ( I've never used one )
		a. Easy to maintain.
		b. Poor heat transfer. ( Not used commercially )
	2. Spun steel.
		a. Very thin. .5-.75mm. ( Uneven heat transfer )
		b. Must be seasoned. ( Difficult to do properly )
		c. Easy to burn food. ( Not used commercially )
		d. Food sticks, because of the concentric lines,
		   caused by the spinning process.
	3. Stamped steel. ( Hot die formed )
		a. 1-3mm. thick, depending on size. ( Good heat transfer )
		b. Must be seasoned. ( Used commercially )
		c. Readily available in the US.
		d. Size 12-48 in.
		e. Smooth inside & out.
	4. Hand formed steel.	( Cold )
		a. 1-3mm. thick, depending on size. ( Good heat transfer )
		b. Must be seasoned. ( Used commercially )
		c. Hard to find.
		d. Size 12-48 in.
		e. Noticeable hammer marks, inside & out.

Hand formed woks may be a thing of the past, because of labor costs.
In Hong Kong, I have seen people pounding on woks, & when I asked why, 
I was told, it makes them cook better. It is sometimes difficult to
separate, (fact, tradition, superstition) especially when a lot gets
lost in the translation. Pounding, does do two things, (1) it makes
the steel more dense & harder, for better heat transfer, & (2) the hammer
marks allow you to pile food up the side, without it sliding down.
I wouldn't recommend trying this yourself, unless you know what you're doing.

Several people have indicated that my $.50 wok, is one that is sold on
TV for $40. Others say they have seen them in stores for $25.
I think the tern "Hand Hammered" means, "Take a stamped steel wok, pound
it with a hammer". I think this term is misleading, because my initial
interpretation, is "Hand Formed", which probably, is exactly how the company
wants you to interpret it.

DISCLAIMER: Do the following at your own risk. Use extreme caution.
	    Past performance is not indicative of future results.

I just know someone is going to tell me this is how its been done for
the last 2000 years. 

RECIPE: Cooked Wok
------------------
How I seasoned my $.50 wok:

Do this outside, ware heavy gloves, be CAREFUL.
Don't try this with a spun wok, I don't think it will work.
-----------------------------------------------

All steel woks will have oil on them to prevent rust. This most likely
a mineral oil, like you put in your car. 
Sand with 220 grit emery cloth, you can use oil here. Steel wool will work
also, to remove any gray oxide that is on the surface. Make it shine.
Remove all oil, by scrubbing with detergent.
I used my high pressure propane burner (aka. "Pot Rocket"), for a heat source.
Any substantial flame will work, ( camp stove, gas BBQ ? ).
Don't put any peanut oil on.
Heat, starting at the center until you see a color change. Swirl slowly,
try to keep the color even all the way to the outer rim. The color will
go from gold to pale blue to dark blue. Try to stay in the blue range.
This process removes the oil still in the metal.
At this point there should be no smoke.
Remove from flame. 

Be careful, you're holding a very dangerous weapon.

Rub with peanut oil, inside & out. I used a paper towel.
Return to flame, and heat from the center, out. Swirl slowly.
The oil will become dry looking, and stop smoking. If the oil is glossy
in patches, cook it there, some more, until it dries.
Add more oil and repeat even heating. Each coat of oil will be darker.
Repeat until it is the shade of black you like. 3 or 4 times should do it.

A few people referred to this process as burning. This is not burning!
( This is a cooking news group, we try not to burn things here :-) ).
Imagine the wok filled with $15.99 lb. shrimp, and you have to cook it.
The only difference is, we've removed the shrimp, to make it easier.

Gary.


-- 
Gary A. Gorgen      | "From ideas to PRODUCTS"
tunxis@netcom.com   | Tunxis Design Inc.
                    | 422 S. Murphy, Sunnyvale Ca. (408) 749-9463
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking