STIR-FRYING
Recommended temperature probe setting -
‘High Sear’ for stir frying meat.
12 - 14 for vegetables and seafood.
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Stir frying is an energy efficient and
healthy way of cooking foods. The benefit
of this method is its speed and the flavour
result. The non-stick cooking surface on
your wok also means that less oil is
required for cooking. The cooking action
for stir frying is a continual tossing
motion to ensure the food is evenly
exposed to the heat and cooks quickly and
evenly in a couple of minutes.
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Stir frying should be carried out using a
high heat setting.
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Preheat your wok before adding any
ingredients, allow the temperature light
to cycle ‘on’ and ‘off’ several times.
This will allow the wok to reach an even
high temperature.
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Stir frying is a dry heat cooking method
and is best suited to tender cuts of meat.
Timing is a key factor when cooking them
as over cooking will give a tough, dry
result. Cooking times depend on the size
and thickness of the cut, as the bigger the
cut the more time is needed.
RECOMMENDED CUTS FOR
STIR FRYING
BEEF
Lean beef strips prepared from rump,
sirloin, rib eye and fillet.
CHICKEN
Lean chicken strips prepared
from breast fillets, tenderloins, thigh fillets.
LAMB
Lean lamb strips prepared from fillet, lamb
leg steaks, round or topside mini roasts
and loin.
PORK
Lean pork strips prepared from leg,
butterfly or medallion steaks or fillet
VEAL
Eye of loin, fillet, round, rump
or topside.
COOKING TECHNIQUES
COOKING TECHNIQUES cont’d
12
STIR FRY TIPS
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Buy meat strips from your butcher or
supermarket, or prepare meat strips from
recommended cuts listed above by
removing any fat and slicing thinly across
the grain (across direction of meat fibres).
Slicing across the grain ensure
tenderness. Cut into very thin strips,
approximately 5-8cm in length. Partially
freeze meat (approximately 30 minutes) to
make slicing easier.
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Stir fry meat strips in small batches
(approx 200 - 300g) to stop meat shedding
its juice and ‘stewing’, resulting in
tougher meat.
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When adding meat strips to the frypan,
the strips should sizzle.
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Stir fry meat strips for 1 - 2 minutes. Any
longer will toughen meat.
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Remove each batch when cooked and
allow frypan to reheat before stir frying the
next. By cooking in small batches the heat
of the frypan remains constant, ensuring
the meat doesn’t stew and toughen.
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A small amount of oil can be mixed
through the meat strips before adding to
the frypan, along any other flavouring
such as garlic, ginger and chilli. A little
sesame oil can also add flavour. Mixing
the meat with the oil rather than heating
it separately in the frypan eliminates
using too much.
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Drain off thin marinades from meat
strips before stir frying to prevent stewing
and splatter.
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Stir fry vegetables after sealing the meat in
a little oil (or sprinkling of water) until vivid
in colour for:
3 MINUTES
Onion, quartered
Broccoli, flowerets
Carrots, sliced
Soaked Chinese dried Mushrooms
2 MINUTES
Snow peas
Capsicum, sliced
Zucchinis, sliced
Water chestnuts
Bamboo shoots
1 MINUTE
Garlic, minced
Chilli, minced
Ginger, minced
Shallots, chopped
Bean sprouts
This brief cooking time will keep
vegetables crisp.
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Peanut oil is traditionally used for stir fry
Asian style dishes. However other oils
such as vegetable, canola and light olive
may be used.
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Do not over fill the wok. If necessary cook
in batches and reheat at the end of stir
frying. If using this method remember to
under cook slightly to not overcook the
end result.
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Serve stir fried foods immediately to
retain their crisp texture.
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