Wok a brilliant idea!

[Emdiesse]

I fancied getting myself a dutch oven and a tripod... but then I always have done things a little differently.



I found the carbon-steel wok in Wing Yip, a chinese supermarket in Croydon for £15. To try and stop the wok from wobbling around I made some zig-zag hook like things that can go into the handles (1 metre 4mm steel rod £1.98). I cheated with the s-hooks £2 for 5 from B&Q BBQ section! Chains were £2.18 per metre (I got 2 * 1m lengths)



So heres the very cheap tripod which involves little/no work. I felt I could make a tripod for cheap with fencing pins (£2.30 from Jewson) and I have seen others have had the same idea. I have found a great little way to join these all together.



1. Simply hook one under the hook of the other
2. The key stone manoeuvre, the last one (keystone) has to hook under the one already hooking and the one that was the 'hookee' has to hook under the 'keystone' piece. (Does that make any sense!)



You can even grab one and pick it up and it stays together as a tripod! A good test to see if you have done it right.

All in all:
A tripod for about 7 quid!
- with hooks and chains for about £15
Wok for about £15

A whole cooking outfit for less than the price of a prebuilt tripod delivered, plus, when I am not cooking maybe I can use the other road pins as poles for my tarp!

Toying with spraying the fence pins with some rustoleam stove paint because the rust gets everywhere!

Can't wait to try it out.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

You may have just brought a touch of asian cuisine to the Bushcraft world!

al.

 

[spartacus]

Hi there, I've always used a wok I think they are ever so versatile. Never thought of your adaptation which is brill. Well done.

 

[Emdiesse]

I grew a liking to them at university. Why use anything else when a wok can be used for everything from stir frys to omelettes to baked beans and when you are camping something that is simple and capable of multiple tasks is a huge plus in my eyes.

I just hope I can get some good, regular use out of the wok so it can form a nice patina instead of becoming a helplessly rusty lump of metal.

 

[santaman2000]

Season it well and there won't be a rust issue. It'll give you a great non-stick finish as well.

 

[Rebel]

£15? Last time I bought a wok in Wing Yip they were £4. Prices have gone up. Mind you the 75cl bottle of soya sauce has gone up from 65p to about £1.20 in the last year or so.

Those woks are great though, they really last.

 

[Gagnrad]

Season it well and there won't be a rust issue. It'll give you a great non-stick finish as well.

The best way to season pans—albeit an expensive way—is to use very thin coats of flaxseed oil and bake the pan in a very hot oven multiple times:

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

For cooking, however, you should use a very heat-stable oil—that is, you should if you're doing it in the traditional Chinese way with very high heat and constant movement of the food to stop it burning. The Chinese use peanut oil. That has a smoke point of a whopping 232°C:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point

There's a lot to be said for cooking at low heats and using a more traditional fat; but if you're going to use high heat and stir-fry, choose an oil that can stand the temperature.

 

[Emdiesse]

£15? Last time I bought a wok in Wing Yip they were £4. Prices have gone up. Mind you the 75cl bottle of soya sauce has gone up from 65p to about £1.20 in the last year or so.

Those woks are great though, they really last.

Ah, this one could feed a small army though at 18" diameter...

 

[Emdiesse]

The best way to season pans—albeit an expensive way—is to use very thin coats of flaxseed oil and bake the pan in a very hot oven multiple times:

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

For cooking, however, you should use a very heat-stable oil—that is, you should if you're doing it in the traditional Chinese way with very high heat and constant movement of the food to stop it burning. The Chinese use peanut oil. That has a smoke point of a whopping 232°C:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point

There's a lot to be said for cooking at low heats and using a more traditional fat; but if you're going to use high heat and stir-fry, choose an oil that can stand the temperature.

Thanks for the tips. I shaln't be using peanut oil. My girlfriends allergic to nuts... eek! I fancy trying to season it through use. Great info on the smoke point, I did not know the 'smoke point' of oil had a name. I'll probably use Rape seed oil. Healthier . Plus a quick digh on the net says it has a high smoke point. Thanks

 

[Rebel]

Ah, this one could feed a small army though at 18" diameter...

I didn't realize it was so big. Mine's 13".

 

[Emdiesse]

I didn't realize it was so big. Mine's 13".

My original plan was for when I couldn't have a fire on the ground, to get a big wok for fire... but not being stainless I changed my plan of action and bought a 20quid asda firepit instead. A wok will probably make a better wok than a firepit anyway

 

[santaman2000]

Thanks for the tips. I shaln't be using peanut oil. My girlfriends allergic to nuts... eek! I fancy trying to season it through use. Great info on the smoke point, I did not know the 'smoke point' of oil had a name. I'll probably use Rape seed oil. Healthier . Plus a quick digh on the net says it has a high smoke point. Thanks

Another oil with a high smoke point is avacado oil. It's even healthier than olive oil but unfortunately it's also quite a bit more expensive.