Eastman Outdoors 22″ Carbon Steel Propane Wok

Eastman Outdoors 22″ Carbon Steel Propane Wok

A screaming-hot wok is the only way to get what’s called “wok hay” – a Cantonese expression that is loosely translated as the “breath of the wok” – that refers to the particular essence or aroma that is created in a dish when you stir-fry it authentically. This is the “restaurant” taste that your dish has when the guy at the Mongolian BBQ cooks it on the large gas-fired wok right in front of you. You can use the freshest high-quality ingredients and even cook it in a stove top wok, but you will never attain wok hay without the intense heat that only a propane or gas-fired wok.

This wok is ideal for someone who wants to be able to prepare professional-level Asian cuisine in very little time. The actual cooking time is a fraction of the time that it takes to prep your vegetables and meat or seafood. If you’re food takes longer than a couple of minutes to cook with this wok, you’ve either overcooked it or overloaded it.

I can’t emphasize enough how short the learning curve is on a propane-fired wok like this one. Most guys will concede that it takes some time to learn the art of grilling and searing a mouthwatering steak to exactly the desired level of doneness or to get just the right amount of bark on your brisket during a 15-hour smoke. In contrast, you’ll probably surprise yourself with how good your first stir-fry in a wok like this turns out.

This sounds cliché, but I’m serious – if you have neighbors, be prepared for them to stop by and ask you what smells so good. I get more compliments on the food I make in my wok than I do with my smoker, on which I have spent far more time honing my craft.

Getting restaurant-quality results with this wok isn’t hard as long as you use the right amount of oil (I prefer peanut oil for its high smoke point and the way it complements Asian food), add the ingredients in a logical order, and keep the food moving.

I don’t think I could ever become a vegetarian, but if I did, it would only be under the condition that I could cook my vegetables with this wok. It’s just so easy to elevate basic vegetables into an amazing entree with nothing more than a little bit of your favorite sauce or seasoning. Some of my favorites are soy sauce, oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic paste, and ginger.

This kit comes with everything you need to get started except for a standard propane tank. They even include a couple of cooking utensils and a thermometer (which is useful if you want to use it to deep fry and need to check the temperature of the oil). I did buy a lid at the same time that I bought my wok, but have since gotten rid of it at the friendly behest of some experienced wok masters who I admire. You essentially want to continually “chase” the food around with a spatula (here are the basic wooden ones that I use that are much better than the metal one that comes with it), so the food really should not be sitting still at any time. If you need to increase the temperature, forget the lid and just turn up the gas.

You might think that a specialty setup like this would require special care, but that’s not the case at all. The wok cools down in a matter of minutes because of how thin it is. Once it’s completely cool, clean it up with some diluted Simple Green or dish soap, hose it out, and dry with paper towels to prevent rust. Just like with a cast iron skillet, this wok will develop a natural non-stick seasoning overtime that will make cleaning it a little bit easier every time.

At 22″, this wok is huge, however it will only take up about as much storage space as a charcoal grill since you can tuck the propane tank right underneath it.

If you buy this wok and find that you enjoy cooking with it and want to explore more authentic Chinese cuisine, I highly recommend the book The Breath of a Wok. The authors cover the history and evolution of the wok as well as technique. The storytelling is weaved throughout the 125 authentic recipes that you’ll definitely want to try for yourself.