Seasoning a Carbon Steel Wok

While many types of woks are available today, carbon steel is still the best. With proper treatment, it will last forever. It is important however, that these woks be “seasoned” prior to your using them. Seasoning a wok removes the protective coating applied at the factory and seals the pores that exist in carbon steel that would otherwise soak up oils and cause food to stick. Seasoning a steel wok enables foods to glide smoothly over the cooking surface of the wok, in essence making it into a “non-stick” wok, of sorts.

In a properly seasoned wok one should be able to make perfect omelets. If the omelet sticks, even a little, the wok is not properly seasoned and must be re-seasoned.There is an article on the web site of the Wok Shop (http://www.wokshop.com/tips_hints.html) that goes through 3 various methods of accomplishing this.

They also have a video called Walking You Through Seasoning a WOK posted on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNPe5-swL-k that shows how to accomplish this. By the way, it’s a great site to check out if you are thinking of buying anything wok related.

To summarize 2 of the methods described on their site:

Stove-top Seasoning Method
Scrub the wok in hot soapy water to remove the protective layer of oil that is applied in manufacturing. Dry thoroughly over heat. The Chinese then “burn” the wok. To do this, place the wok over a high heat until it is hot. Put about 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil into the wok. Spread the oil by moving the wok back and forth. Continue heating the wok and moving the oil about with a spatula and by tipping until the oil “burns” into it. The inside surface of the wok will start to darken and will get darker the more you cook with it. Use caution to prevent a grease fire.

After cooking, wash the wok under hot running water using a bamboo brush to loosen the food particles. Dry immediately by heating on the stove. A light coat of oil may be applied as a preservative.

Oven Seasoning Method
First, wash the wok thoroughly and dry over heat. Next, coat the wok, inside only, with cooking oil. Bake in the oven at 450° for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, wash (scour) and dry over heat again. Repeat this process three or four times. Your wok should look bronze in color when seasoned this way. Note: If your wok has a wooden or plastic handle that cannot be removed, cover the handle with a damp dishcloth then cover the dishcloth with foil before baking. This will keep the wood or plastic from getting scorched or melting.

Cookbook author Grace Young (who happens to have an awesome web site at http://www.graceyoung.com/) has something to say about this topic as well.

"Every carbon-steel or cast-iron wok must be seasoned before it can be used for cooking. The process infuses fat into the wok’s porous metal, sealing it from rust. Then, as you continue cooking with the pan, the intensification of the seasoning creates a patina that with time creates a natural nonstick finish to the pan. You’ll need to first scour the pan with dishwashing liquid using a stainless steel scouring pad. Once the pan is washed and dried, stir-fry ginger and scallions using vegetable oil. It’s an easy process. The seasoning recipe is described in more detail in my new book, Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge."

Tips:

1. Flat bottomed woks are better for electric ranges. Round bottomed woks can reflect heat back on the heating element, damaging it.
2. It is important to thoroughly clean the wok to remove the manufacturer's protective coating (done during the seasoning process).
3. It is better not to purchase a non-stick carbon steel wok, as the high heats required for Chinese cooking may damage the non-stick coating.
4. If you do purchase a non-stick wok, follow the seasoning and cleaning instructions carefully, or you may damage the coating.