You're Doing It All Wrong - How to Stir-Fry

Summary

This video provides key tips for making the perfect stir fry. It highlights common mistakes, such as overcrowding the pan, using wet vegetables, and cooking with non-stick cookware. The ideal pan for stir frying is a 14-inch carbon steel wok, which heats efficiently. The video also emphasizes the importance of cutting vegetables and meat evenly and marinating beef for flavor and tenderness. The cooking process involves high heat, using the right oils, and ensuring the beef is caramelized while vegetables remain crunchy. By following these steps, you can achieve a stir fry with tender beef and perfectly cooked vegetables.

Takeaways

• 😀 Non-stick cookware is not ideal for stir-frying, as it prevents proper caramelization of meat and vegetables.
• 😀 Wet vegetables lead to a braise instead of a stir fry, as excess moisture reduces heat and prevents proper stir-frying.
• 😀 Crowding the pan is the biggest mistake people make when stir-frying, leading to unevenly cooked meat and vegetables.
• 😀 A 14-inch carbon steel wok is ideal for stir-frying, as it provides fast and even heating.
• 😀 Choose a wok with a flat bottom for better heat distribution and stability on the stove.
• 😀 Woks with wooden handles are more practical as they don't require pot holders.
• 😀 Cut vegetables and meat evenly to ensure they cook at the same rate during stir-frying.
• 😀 When slicing beef, cut across the grain to ensure tenderness and prevent toughness.
• 😀 Marinades enhance beef flavor and tenderness, and they only take about 5 minutes to prepare.
• 😀 Use a high-smoking point oil, like canola or peanut oil, for stir-frying to achieve the right texture and caramelization.
• 😀 Stir-fry beef in a hot wok until it’s caramelized and no longer pink, then set aside to prevent overcooking.
• 😀 Stir-fry vegetables just until they're bright green, ensuring they remain crisp and sweet.
• 😀 The addition of a sauce made from oyster sauce and dry sherry enhances the flavor of the stir fry.
• 😀 A well-cooked stir fry results in caramelized beef, tender vegetables, and an overall sweet and crunchy texture.

Q & A

Why is non-stick cookware not ideal for stir frying?

Non-stick cookware is not ideal for stir frying because it prevents the meat from caramelizing properly. The ingredients do not get the correct amount of heat to achieve the desired texture and flavor.

What happens when you use wet vegetables in stir fry?

Using wet vegetables in stir fry results in excess moisture, which turns the stir fry into more of a braise. This also lowers the sizzling sound that indicates a proper stir fry is happening.

Why should you avoid overcrowding the pan when stir frying?

Overcrowding the pan prevents the ingredients from cooking evenly. It leads to gray, mushy meat and burnt vegetables on the bottom that are raw on top, making the stir fry uneven and unappetizing.

What type of cookware is recommended for stir frying?

A 14-inch carbon steel wok is recommended because it heats quickly and evenly. It should have a flat bottom to sit close to the heat source and ideally feature wooden handles for easy handling.

Why is a carbon steel wok preferred over larger or smaller woks?

A 14-inch carbon steel wok is ideal because larger woks are harder to heat on an American stove, and smaller woks lead to overcrowding of ingredients.

How should vegetables be prepared for stir frying?

Vegetables should be cut to an even thickness to ensure they cook evenly in the stir fry. This helps maintain a consistent texture and flavor throughout.

Why is it important to cut meat across the grain?

Cutting meat across the grain helps prevent the beef from becoming tough and fibrous, ensuring a more tender texture in the finished dish.

What ingredients are used in a simple marinade for beef in stir fry?

The marinade consists of cornstarch, soy sauce, dry sherry or rice wine, salt, pepper, and a small amount of oil. These ingredients infuse the beef with flavor and tenderness.

What is the correct method for stir frying beef?

Heat the pan on the highest heat until water evaporates instantly. Add high-smoking point oil like canola, peanut, or grape seed oil. Spread the beef in the pan and stir fry until it's caramelized on all sides and no longer pink.

What makes the vegetables in stir fry bright and crunchy?

The vegetables, such as snow peas or sugar snaps, should be stir fried just until they are bright green. This ensures they remain crisp and fresh in texture.

How can you make a quick stir fry sauce?

A quick stir fry sauce can be made by mixing oyster sauce and dry sherry, which is then added to the stir fry towards the end of cooking to enhance flavor.