5 Foods You Should Avoid Cooking in a Wok

Woks are a staple in Chinese cuisine, known for their bowl-like shape and steep sides. While they're most famous for stir-frying, they are also quite handy for other cooking methods such as deep-frying, braising, and steaming. One of the key advantages of woks is their lightweight design and excellent heat distribution, making them ideal for high-heat cooking with minimal mess. Their high sides are perfect for tossing ingredients in stir-fries or sautés. However, some dishes are not best suited for wok cooking, and it's important to use the right pan for the job to maintain your wok's longevity and achieve the best flavor. Below, we'll highlight five foods you should steer clear of cooking in a wok and suggest alternatives.

Whole Cuts of Steak

To achieve a perfect crust and maintain a precise internal temperature, whole steaks need consistent heat and even contact. Woks, which excel at quick, high-heat cooking with constant stirring, are not the best choice for cooking steak. For a flawless steak, opt for a grill or a sturdy cast-iron skillet, as a wok would likely result in unevenly cooked meat.

Acidic Ingredients

Woks are usually crafted from carbon steel or cast iron, materials that can interact with acidic foods and cause an undesirable metallic flavor. This interaction can also affect the wok’s seasoning. Foods like tomatoes, citrus, and vinegars are particularly acidic. When making dishes like tomato sauce, it's better to use cookware that won’t react, such as stainless steel, ceramic, or non-stick pans.

Creamy Sauces

Cream-based sauces, such as Alfredo or hollandaise, require low and steady heat to prevent curdling, something that’s difficult to achieve in a wok, which reaches very high temperatures. For cooking these delicate sauces, a stainless steel saucepan or a double boiler would be a better option.

Pasta

Using a wok to cook pasta is far from ideal for a number of reasons. For one, it doesn’t provide enough space to hold a large amount of water, and the uneven shape of the wok causes the water to heat inconsistently. This not only makes it hard to stir the pasta but also complicates the draining process afterward. The takeaway? Traditional pasta pots are tall and durable for good reason – they're specifically designed to make cooking pasta easier and more effective.

Soft-Scrambled Eggs

A wok can indeed be used to cook eggs, especially if you prefer a fried egg or a quick, high-heat scramble. However, if you're a fan of the creamy texture of soft scrambled eggs, you’ll want to use a different cooking tool. For the best soft-scrambled eggs, try this recipe for Parmesan Scrambled Eggs, which calls for a large, nonstick skillet.