How To Stir Fry

Stir frying is a wonderful way to cook quick, healthy meals. There's nothing like the sound of veggies and meats hitting a sizzling wok, then quickly turning into a piping hot meal in minutes.

For those of you who have never stir fried before, check out these step by step instructions:

What Equipment You Need

1. The Wok or Pan.

Almost any wok, stir-fry pan or frying pan can be used for stir-frying. Woks are various sizes, and designs. Woks can have lids, steaming racks, and wooden or metal handles. Traditional woks are made from carbon steel, and are the best woks to use for stir-frying. The only disadvantage to woks is they have rounded bottoms, which makes them difficult to use on a stovetop. Stir-fry pans are a variation of the wok. They usually have a handle, and have flat bottoms so they can be easily placed on the stovetop. Normal frying-pans can be used for stir-frying, too. Non-stick pans are good for stir-frying, because you need less oil and the food isn’t as likely to stick. Traditional carbon steel woks need to be seasoned before use. Electric woks are another good option.

2. Cutlery.

A good knife is necessary for cutting the food into uniform pieces for stir-frying. There are many types of knifes, such as cleavers, chefs’ knives, and paring knifes. The type of knife you choose is mostly personal preference; however, you should use a knife that is comfortable in your hand. A chef’s knife or cleaver is the most efficient, because they can quickly cut lots of ingredients. Be sure to use a sharp knife; dull knifes are dangerous because they can slip.

3. Utensils.

There are only three necessary utensils: a spatula, chopsticks, and tongs. The spatula you use should be heat resistant, and definitely not a rubber spatula used for mixing. Metal or plastic spatulas designed for stir-frying will have slightly raised sides that allow you to easily scoop the ingredients. Chopsticks are useful to toss leafy ingredients, pick out sample pieces of food, or aromatics into the oil. If you cannot use chopsticks, a good pair of tongs will work just as well.

4. Cutting Board and Dishes.

A cutting board is necessary to organize and prepare ingredients. Any cutting board that you are comfortable with using will work. A larger cutting board will allow you to set ingredients aside for when you begin cooking. An assortment of dishes and bowls will help you to organize your ingredients into the appropriate order for cooking. Meats, vegetables, sauces, etc can be arranged in each bowl and set aside for use during cooking.

The Ingredients You Will Need

A stir-fry is a plethora of options. The cook can mix or match whatever ingredients he wants, and have good results. He doesn’t have buy specialty ingredients to have a delicious meal; however, one or two unique ingredients add interest and variety.

1. Meats.

Beef, pork, and chicken are used in stir-fry. Choose tender, lean cuts of beef and pork to stir-fry. The high heat will not tenderize tougher cuts of meat. Chicken is a fast-cooking choice for stir-fry that can embrace any seasoning. Stir-fries normally contain only small amounts of meat, which makes them healthy and affordable, since most meat is fairly expensive.

2. Vegetables.
Root, stem, or leaf vegetables can be stir-fried. The choices are limitless. Common stir-fry vegetables are carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and onions. Chinese vegetables like bok choy (sometimes called pac choi), snow peas, or choy sum are authentic additions.

3. Aromatics.

Ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and scallions are the most common aromatics for a typical Chinese stir-fry. Fresh ginger should be used for stir-fries, as it is more pungent and has a fresher taste than dried. If fresh ginger is not available, then diced ginger in a jar is a good alternative. Fresh garlic is savory, and flavors the stir-fry throughout. As with the ginger, if fresh garlic is not available, then diced garlic in a jar is a good alternative. Fresh chili peppers add heat and color to any stir-fry. Green or red chilies work well. Dried chili flakes also work well. Thinly sliced scallions, the green and white parts, add color and freshness. These aromatics will perfume your kitchen the instant they hit the hot oil.

4 Specialty Ingredients

There are thousands of specialty ingredients that add variety to a stir-fry. Mushrooms like shiitakes and cloud ears add a pungent flavor. Bean sprouts are crunchy and fresh. Black beans are salty, and dried lily buds are earthy. The best way to experience unique ingredients is to explore them in an Asian market, or to pay close attention at your local supermarket for any unusual ingredients.

5. Sauces and Seasoning.

Almost any Asian sauce can be used for stir-frying. Bottled sauces are time-saving. Fresh sauces are more time consuming, but can be worth it for a truly authentic flavor. Soy sauce, teriyaki, hoi sin, fish sauce, stir-fry sauce, and sweet and sour sauce are all good choices for stir-frying. Refer to Chinese cookbooks for stir-fry sauce recipes.

6. Oil

The oil used for stir-fry is important. Since you will be cooking at a high temperature, you should choose oil that has a high smoke point. Light tasteless oil is desirable because you do not want cover up the ingredients’ flavors. The best choices are canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. Olive oil has a relatively low smoke point, and should not be used for stir-frying. Do not worry about oil in stir-fry, for only a small amount is used to lubricate the wok or pan.

The Preparation

1. Cutting the Ingredients.

A key to successful stir-frying is uniform size of the raw ingredients to ensure even cooking. Meat and poultry is usually cut into thin strips. Vegetables are cut into bite-sized chunks. Tougher vegetables should be cut into smaller pieces since they will take longer to cook than tender vegetables. Most leaf vegetables can be left whole, as they will wilt during cooking. Aromatics should be cut into small pieces to distribute them evenly throughout the stir-fry.

2. Marinating the Meat.

Once the meat is cut into thin strips, it can be marinated for several minutes before stir-frying. Consult Chinese cookbooks for marinades. Marinating will add flavor.

3. Arranging the Ingredients.

Good organization is essential for successful stir-frying. You should put ingredients into bowls or stack them in piles on your cutting board. Arrange the ingredients clockwise in a semi-circle, so that you can easily start from one end and finish on the other. Aromatics should be first, then the meat and tougher vegetables, then the tender vegetables, the leafy vegetables, and finally the sauce.

The Cooking

1. Heating the Wok.
Heat the dry wok over high heat.

2. Adding the Oil.
When the wok is hot, drizzle a tablespoon of oil around the edges.

3. Adding the Aromatics.

When the oil begins to simmer slightly, add the aromatics. Act quickly, because they can easily burn. Constantly stir the aromatics.

4. Adding the Ingredients.

When you can smell the aromatics, or after about 30 seconds begin adding the remaining ingredients, going in order. Each time you add the next ingredient, create a well with the spatula to let the new ingredient receive the most heat, and to avoid overcooking the previous ingredient. Use a paring knife to test the doneness of the vegetables.

5. Adding the Sauce.

Near the end of cooking, make a well in the center of the wok and stream in the sauce. Let the sauce bubble, and then toss it with the remaining ingredients.

6. Serving.

Stir-fry is the best immediately after cooking, served over steaming hot white or brown rice.

5 Reasons to Cook At Home

It's always fun to go out for a nice meal, but there are some compelling reasons to stay at home and whip up a nice home cooked meal. Check out my top five reasons to cook at home

1. Control of Ingredients
   When you cook a meal yourself you can hand pick every ingredient you want to put in that dish. You can even pick some special seasonal ingredients that may be a rare treat just to make your meal extra special. You can decide if you want local produce or imported, or fresh, canned, or frozen.
   
2. Control of Quality
   This almost goes hand in hand with control over your ingredients, but if you pick your ingredients you will be able to have a more steady hand over the quality of the ingredients you are using. If you go to a restaurant, you are never quite sure whether the ingredients are high quality or cheapo brands. If you are paying a lot of money at a restaurant for cheap food, you may as well cook cheap food at home. (And, no, i'm not totally apposed to cheapo brands all the time.)
3. Sanitation
   Have you ever seen someone around whose level of personal hygiene is questionable, then cringe when you see them walk back into the kitchen of a restaurant? Well it has happened to me, so I think this is one major reason to cook at home. You can be the one who decides how clean or unclean your kitchen will be when you cook, but let's hope you opt for the more sanitary option. Remember, cleanliness is next to godliness; but if you need a little help, check out this link.
   
4. Price Reduction
   The average meal eaten out will cost on maybe between $5-$10, but that adds up quickly over a week. Save a little money, which for me as a college student is hard enough to do, and start cooking at home. You can buy a whole mean for four people with the same money you would spend on one dish at a restaurant. If you need some inspiration to cook at home, try invite some friends over to help or bring a dish to share. Offer to cook the main course and they can bring some of the sides.
   
5. Accomplishment
   Even though some work is involved, you will certainly feel a sense of accomplishment if you start cooking a meal occasionally. It's nice to see the food nicely prepared, waiting for you and your dinner guests to dig in. And don't fuss about the dishes, they are just another sign of your great achievement.

Involvement

In The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan – a great book for anyone, foodie or non-foodie alike –the author sets out to make a meal out of food he has had a direct connection with. I'm not talking about picking out the nicest squash or carrots at the supermarket. I mean true involvement: blood, sweat and tears – slightly exaggerated. Pollan gathers fungi in the forest, and hunts wilds boars in the mountains. He cooks a meal, invites some friends over, and later reflects. The meal showed him a what it is like to know where your food comes from and to have had at least some kind of role in the harvesting, raising, catching, or gathering of it.

What I took away from The Omnivore's Dilemma was the concept of being involved with what you are eating. That involvement can be as simple as knowing if those grapes came from Chile or California, or as deep as raising a bed of strawberries: planting, training, weeding, protecting, watering, picking, cleaning, and finally eating what may be only a bowlful of strawberries. But, how truly involved can you be with food, and how much is enough?

It’s not a simple question, especially for us modern, mostly city dwelling humans. We don’t always have access to prime hunting and gathering spots, and it’s not always possible to be involved with our food. We live in a society of convenience. Everyday tasks need to be simple, otherwise we may not have enough ambition to actually do them. For most people, myself included, convenience still rules; therefore, we have let a lot of convenient foods into our lives: boxed and canned foods, frozen meals, pre-washed vegetables, sliced up chicken. One could argue that all food sold in a grocery store is convenient food, since it is all in one place with little work involved to “harvest” it. But so what? It's easier, it's faster, and it's fairly healthy – largely depending on what you are eating. But, how do convenient foods change our involvement with what we are eating?

I think that we have to use a little personal judgment to really understand how involved or uninvolved we are with our diets. Even the act of picking our food from a grocery store is in a way affecting our diet. We can choose what we want, and that at least in some way, is a small way to be involved. I don’t know how realistic it is for many people to go hunt a deer every time they need some meat or to go harvest berries in the woods for dessert, but definitely go for it if you can do it. The rest of us need to watch from our windows.