Wok comparisons and recipee's?

[Aahz]

Im interested in getting into wok cooking (mostly stirfry and steaming bao) and im lookin for some kind of online community that has info on this kindo thing... Iv got lotsa questions!!!

Im trying to decide between a cast iron wok or one o the expensive calphalon style woks. Iv heard that a thinner cast iron wok is more traditional and gives you that wok hee (wok flavour) Thinking about the le creuset cast iron enamel wok but it's expensive and I heard from anyone who has first hand experience with em!

I'v (unfortunately) gotten stuck with an electric stove/range which fortunately is fairly good at pumping out the btu's So Im trying to decide between getting a separate butane burner specially for woks or goin with a wok that is made to work on an electric stove

anyone who knows of a forum or place I can find info like this and who will let me pick their brains for various info would be much appreciated

I did a basic search key work "wok" on the foodie forums here and absolutely nothing showed up!!

[Fred]

You wouldn't want a real cast iron wok. It would be too massive. Woks need to be able to change temperature quickly. The "cast iron" woks you see are actually puddled steel and work very well. Regular carbon steel works just as well in my experience. Stay away away from teflon coated woks. I recommend you go to the Wok Shop http://www.wokshop.com. They have some decent and affordable products there.

I don't have a terribly powerful range either. My approach is to heat the wok and then cook various ingredients of the stir fry separately so as not to load too much food at once and cause the wok to cool. Then everything can be assembled at the end for sauce. It isn't the same as having a 50,000 btu burner but it works well enough for home use and prevents sauteeing or braising the ingredients.

[chefjohn]

i ahve a wok shop POW wok in 12" i send to whom ever would like to try it just pay the shipping and it is yours?

[Octaveman]

anyone who knows of a forum or place I can find info like this and who will let me pick their brains for various info would be much appreciated

I cook Chinese all the time in my two woks on an electric stove so pick away.

[kamkazmoto]

If you really need a lot of heat I suggest that you use the burner from a turkey frying kit. it pumps put a whole bunch of btu's and works great when I have to stir fry for a bunch of people.