How to Slow Cook in a Wok?

Woks are a staple in most kitchens and are known to support a variety of cooking styles. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to slow cook in a wok. Before diving into how you can slow cook in a wok, let’s look at what is slow cooking.

What is Slow Cooking?

This method refers to cooking food on a low flame for a long time. “Slow” can range anywhere from an hour or two to a couple of hours. Barbequing, braising, pot roasting, stewing, etc. are different variations of the same method.

By maintaining a low heat, the food doesn’t burn, and while the liquids might evaporate, a little water in between should do the trick (if needed). This method is mainly used for making stews and for making soft and tender meat.

The book to the right will help you with some of the recipes for slow cooking with a wok. Check to see the availability at Amazon.

In some cultures, people even leave the food on a slow cook for days together. Check out “perpetual soup” once you finish with this. When they say perpetual, they mean it.

How to Slow Cook in a Wok?

In all honesty, there isn’t anything that a wok can’t do. With that said, here is how you should go about slow cooking in a wok.

Gather up the meat or veggies (or both), and place them into your wok. Light up your stove and keep the wok on the smallest burner. If you remember, a low flame is the name of the game. Also, cover the wok with a lid to retain maximum flavor.

If you don’t have a smaller sized burner, place it on the larger one but remember to turn the knob to reduce the flame. Surprisingly, many people out there don’t realize that there are knobs that can control this.

Most slow-cooked dishes are one-pot dishes. It means that the result will have one wholesome taste with each of its components contributing to it. Woks are easily temperature-controlled, which makes it very viable as a slow-cooker.

A lot of professional cooks prefer using woks over slow cookers and crockpots. Given the simplicity and flexibility that it offers, it does not surprise us why the wok has become a household name when it comes to slow-cooking.

Always remember that you can use a wok as a slow-cooker, but you can never use the slow-cooker as a wok. You can try, but the results have always favored this side.

Benefits of Slow Cooking in a Wok

The temperature control that you get while using a wok is ideal for cooking your food using this method.
It works well when your main aim is to let all ingredients share the flavor.
Works wonders if you plan on slow cooking chicken, beef, and fibrous vegetables. This method allows for the thick connecting tissues to dissolve, thereby giving the meat a stringy and soft texture.
A wok and this method go well if you’re trying to make any types of soup.

Now that you know how slow cooking in a wok works, we highly recommend that you give this a shot. Enjoy the flavor-filled results that the slow-cooked wok dish has to offer.

What is the Best Wok for Slow Cooking?

There are no “best” woks for slow cooking. Any carbon steel or cast iron wok will work fine.

I happen to have used this wok for several years and it has worked just great. This is a Helen Chen wok and it is a flat- bottomed wok. Check it out at Amazon to see if it fits your needs.