I have cooked with a wok for many years, but never bought a cast iron wok until recently. I have frequently used carbon steel and have been content with that. The above wok I bought as a kit on wokshop.com. It is a 14-inch cast iron wok and also includes the kit, a metal spatula, wok ring, lid, and bamboo cleaning brush.

This wok is currently proving to be an indispensable piece of cookware in my house.

A couple of months ago I came across a book known as The Breath of your Wok by Grace Young and Alan Richardson, suddenly I was struck by a kitchen that I thought I knew a lot about. The Chinese speak of “Wok Hay”, which translates as “The breath of your wok”. This refers to the fantastic flavor that is infused into food with a properly seasoned wok. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t achieve the flavors you find at your favorite Chinese restaurant at home, you should probably think about the pan or wok you’re sautéing in, and whether or not it may be effective. seasoned.

In this book I discovered a seasoning method that I had not seen before. It really is more of a recipe than a method and is one of the many techniques outlined in Breath of the Wok for seasoning a cast iron wok. This approach worked so well for me that I thought I would have to share it here.

Seasoning a cast iron wok with excess pork fat and Chinese chives

Adapted from “The Breath of Your Wok”

Ingredients:

10 ounces off-weight pork cut into 1-inch cubes

9 ounces Chinese chives (do not substitute Western chives like garlic or onion. Chinese chives are wider and longer and have a significantly stronger flavor)

1 cup of drinking water

Addresses:

If you are using a rounded wok and have a gas stove, you may choose to attach a wok ring to your burner to support the wok. In case you are using an electric stove, you may want a flat-bottomed wok.

Before you season your new wok, you should wash it in hot soapy water, scrubbing it with a steel wool pad (this is the only time you need to soap a cast iron wok) to remove any metal residue. This will likely require a handful of washes.

Turn on your exhaust fan and keep it large, you may also want to open a handful of windows for this, as frying that much chives to an unwanted weight will produce strong aromas.

Place your wok on the burner and turn the heat as high as it will go. Heat wok over high heat until a drop of potable water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.

Add the pork body fat and reduce the heat to low. Stir using a metal spatula and allow the extra fat to liquefy.

As the body fat cooks, work the excess fat up the sides of the wok so that the rim covers the inside surface of the wok with the excess fat. When the unwanted weight no longer releases liquid turn the heat up to high and add the scallions.

Stir this mixture over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, spreading it all over the inside surface of the wok, but don’t neglect the top edges. Very carefully add 1 cup of potable water (this may splatter) and cook for an additional 5 minutes, continuing to spread the mixture inside and up the sides. Very carefully pour the mixture into an old can or other container where it can cool before proper disposal.

Wash the wok in cold potable water and pat dry with paper towels. Put it back on the stove and let it dry on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Your wok is now seasoned and ready to use.

If you find that a bit daunting for you, don’t let it stop you from trying to get some great Chinese food at home. It’s possible to buy a pre-seasoned wok at an amazing website, like Eleanor Hoh’s, which also has some notable how-to videos and seasonings included in their kits.

As always, I hope you have a great time cooking!