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Problem with stir frying beef

  • 15-07-2007 4:01pm
    #1
    jos28
    Registered Users Posts: 7,195 ✭✭✭


    Ok this might make me sound stupid but here goes. I can never seem to stir fry beef properly. Yesterday I bought strips of organic beef(not cheap), heated the wok until it was smoking, threw the meat in. Lots of liquid comes off the beef and it just seems to broil.Ended up tough and tastless- YUK !
    Is it just that the wok is not hot enough or should I add the meat gradually. What am I doing wrong ?


Comments

  • #2
    county
    Registered Users Posts: 6,800 ✭✭✭county


    looks like you are trying to cook too much meat in the wok,try cooking less or cook the beef in batches


  • #3
    bonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,443 ✭✭✭✭bonkey


    Its most probably a problem with the quantity of beef you add at once. There are other possible causes though.

    Depending on the quality of the wok you're using, you can have a situation where the base is really hot, causing the oil to smoke, but where not so much heat has transferred into the sides. IIRC, this is particularly common with flat-bottom woks which are what you'd typically be using on anything but flame-based cookers. In this case, as soon as you start frying, you lose temp pretty fast as well.

    On electric cookers, I prefer to use a big, heavy carbon-steel wok rather than some modern, lightweight, teflon-coated jobby. It takes longer to heat, sure, but once you get it up to temp, it bloody-well stays there. If I had gas, I'd like to try out a lighter, round-bottom wok...but again I'd probably go for non-coated carbon-steel.

    Another factor can be the oil you're using. Different oils have different smoke points - the temp at which they begin to smoke. From memory, olive oil is maybe 10% lower than sunflower.

    Other than that...have a look here:

    http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blstirfrytips.htm


  • #4
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Small batches as mentioned, the water coming out will be boiled off really quickly. I stir fry mince like this, if it is not all squished up you can separate mince bits by lightly ruffling it up, then sprinkle on a really hot pan. Great for filling pittas.

    Also do not start stirring right away, allow it to sear and seal in the juices.


  • #5
    jos28
    Registered Users Posts: 7,195 ✭✭✭jos28


    Thanks for all your advice, everyone. I now realise that throwing 2lbs meat in the wok at once is NOT a good idea. I like the sound of the carbon steel wok, I shall invest in one of those.
    So the new rules are a new wok, sunflower oil instead of olive oil and SMALL batches of meat.
    Thanks again.


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