Mr. Bar-B-Q Cast-Iron Wok
by MR. BAR-B-Q
List Price:
Our Price: $44.00
Availability: Usually ships in 3-4 business days
Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: MR. BAR-B-QBrand: Mr. Bar-B-Q
Model: 06106p
Color: Black
Product features:
- Cast iron heat retention provides quick, efficiant and even cooking, perfect for gas
- Perfect for charcoal grills
- Excellent for electric grills
- Mr. Bar-B-Q Cast-Iron Ribbed Fajita Platter Set
- Mr. Bar-B-Q 7-Piece Rubber/Finger Grip Tool Set
- Mr. Bar-B-Q 4-Piece Gourmet Cookware
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Mr. Bar-B-Q Cast-Iron Wok
Customer Review: good product, inconsistent quality control -- works great when properly seasoned
Summary: 4 Stars
The quality of the cast iron is definitely not as good as Lodge's skillets. But I'm sure you knew that. My first wok had a divot in the cooking surface almost as big as a dime. Thankfully the Amazon return was easy and smooth. The second wok turned out fine. Seasoning the wok is the worst part of the process, in that the oil fumes from the evaporating oil is not my cup of tea. Make sure you have lots of ventilation if you are sensitive to odors like me. Cast iron cookware is great, it holds the temperature well and you can heat it really hot for that searing the flavors in. Now what I want is add on wooden handles, so I don't always have to use pot holders.
Here's my update after using it 7 months.
After re-seasoning the wok, I love it. It's now non-stick and I can cook at high temperatures if need be, which you can't do with Teflon.
The problem: the seasoning layer kept coming off the bottom of the wok even though I pretty much followed the directions from the wok company and after each use I put on a little bacon lard on and heated it over the flame.
Here's what I did to reseason the wok, and what I should have done to season it initially. After I was done, I had a great non-stick wok.
The keys were
Clean the wok first. I scrubbed off a lot of the poorly sticking seasoning with a brill pad but that might now have been necessary. In retrospect, all of this layer would have turned to ash at high temperatures. I didn't scrape the Lodge when reasoning and it turned out just fine.
Choice of oil. There's lots of debate of shortening vs. oil vs. lard. Everybody's got a different twist. I used canola oil; it has a high temperature smoke point. The smoking is an essential part of the process since, it carbonizes the oil and forms a layer of hard carbon for a non-stick surface. Low temperature oil/back lard will smoke much faster and carbonize quicker. However, if you use a high temperature layer, it would seem that you can use the cast iron in the oven or maintain its integrity at high temperatures better.
Temperature range - I've seen low temperatures recommended even in the 300-400 Fahrenheit range vs. doing a high temperature (e.g. 500-550 F) range. I chose to do the seasoning at the high temperature range which again works better to carbonize the oil. I did this on my gas grill outside, because of the smoke issue. Besides the old time pioneers would have done it over an open fire anyway. I did use an oven thermometer I put on the grill grates to monitor the temperature --- the one on the grill lid is not going to do the job because that's not the temperature we're interested in.
Turn the cookware upside down - this helps forms an even layer of seasoning rather than letting it pool on the bottom of a right side up pan. If it pools, it forms a gummy layer rather than carbonizing. I didn't do this step in my initial seasoning and I think it's a pretty big reason why things turned out the way they did. If its gummy after your done seasoning, it hasn't been done long enough, its now like tar. By turning the pan upside down, the process also goes much faster since you don't have the pooling at the bottom. This step is recommended in the LODGE directions as well. If done in the oven, you can use a cookie sheet or aluminum foil to catch the dripping oil.
Make sure the oil is smoking while "cooking."
Do several layers - I did mine at around 15-40 min. intervals, I was in a rush and did the later layers at shorter intervals than the initial one which was done the longest. Now, its turned black and glossy when done.
Now after cooking, I just rinse lightly with water and wipe off with a paper towel when hot. For some kinds of food, I don't use any water and just wipe it clean. I don't even put any oil/lard in it anymore after cleaning it and the coating is non-stick as can be. - I love it. After this turned out so well, I did the same process to re-season my Lodge cast iron skillet with the exception of the brill pad- though the Lodge didn't have quite the same problems with the seasoning the wok did. That's turned out great as well.
The only down side to doing the seasoning on my grill is now my grill grates have a bumpy layer of seasoning that I can't scrape off, now matter how hard I try. I'm actually happy about that because I know that if it doesn't scrape off my grill grates, it's not likely to come off the wok either. Besides there's always oven cleaner to clean the grill grates, but I'm not likely to do it anytime soon.
You can refer to this for more info on high temperature seasoning of cast iron. http://www.melindalee.com/Cast-Iron.html. I used the information from a different web site for which I can't find the link now. It seems to capture the process described above pretty well.
Description of Mr. Bar-B-Q Cast-Iron Wok
Cast iron wok, the very best in gourmet cooking. This will be cooking at it's finestMuch heavier than traditional steel woks, this solid cast-iron wok absorbs and retains heat at the high temperatures needed for superior stir-fry cooking. A flat bottom sits the wok securely on a stovetop, gas grill, or charcoal grill, while two loop handles allow for safe lifting with oven mitts. The wok measures 14 inches in diameter (17 inches with handles), and 4 inches deep--generous enough for a family-size meal.
The wok must be seasoned before first use to create a nonstick patina that also helps prevent rusting. After washing, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil and heat the wok for one hour. While the wok can be seasoned on a grill, an oven works best. Instructions for the seasoning process are included with the wok. After subsequent use, the wok should be washed by hand and dried before storing. Mr. Bar-B-Q covers the wok with a five-year warranty against defects. --Ann Bieri
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