Are there any resources specifically on cooking with high-heat wok burners?

Question

I recently got myself a high-power wok burner, like the ones they use in professional Asian restaurants. Cooking with it is a ton of fun, but sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the heat output. The wok is getting too dry, the seasoning is burning off, stuff starts to stick like crazy, and so on.

Are there any books/video guides/websites on specifically cooking with high-power wok burners? I know there are many Asian cooking channels on Youtube, but the ones I found just cook, and don't explain any theoretical basics.

Answer 1

You're in luck -- there was a paper earlir this year than analyzed the physics of making fried rice by professional Chinese chefs:

• https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsif.2019.0622

My take away from that was that you have to flip things fast when you're dealing with high heat -- three times per second.

Almost every list that I've seen of wok cooking recommendations calls for re-seasoning at the beginning of your cooking. Most go into wok selection and what's needed to initially season a wok. Some discuss prepping all of your food in advance, as when you're cooking with that sort of heat, taking a minute to chop up the next ingredient means you've already burned what's in the wok.

Here's a small sampling, although not all are specifically about high heat cooking (except maybe for the one that's from a manufacturer of stoves, so it seems a little spammy):

• https://inquiringchef.com/how-to-cook-with-a-wok/
• https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-cook-with-a-wok-article
• https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/wok-skills-101-stir-frying-basics.html
• https://firstwefeast.com/features/2016/10/how-to-cook-with-a-wok/wok-two
• https://www.bluestarcooking.com/top-10-tips-for-mastering-wok-cooking-at-home/

Answer 2

Through an endless clicking odyssey, I finally discovered this youtube channel.

It has both explanations and flawless English subtitles, and is by far the most useful resource I've seen so far.

This channel is also great, although not as helpful because there is just the cooking without any explanations.

Answer 3

To add to the existing answers, J. Kenji López-Alt published The Wok: Recipes and Techniques in 2022; it collects similar information from the above in book form. (López-Alt is one of the authors of the Serious Eats page in the accepted answer.)