Thai Street Vendor Wok, Large (18 inch)
Here is a larger wok, suitable for those who want an authentic large Thai wok that is exactly what our feature vendor uses to make Pad Thai.
This is a nice, true, heavy-duty steel.
Some customers have asked us for a wok such as this which is perfect for all kinds of Thai food, especially if you want to make larger servings.
The steel wok is a bit flatter than you might expect, with the two handles as shown. Click on the picture below to see a video of this wok in action.
Actual measurement is about 17.5", and height is 4.75".
Made in Thailand
Made in Thailand, this wok is slightly thicker than our smaller Thai street vendor wok.
See details below: How to Season Your Wok.
Message from our customer Michelle in Leonardo NJ:
I received the street-vendor wok (14") that I ordered and I absolutely love it! I was a little scared of it at first---I thought it would be smaller but it fits on my stove perfectly and I am addicted to it. The spatula you recommended is also great. I am also addicted to your chili paste with holy basil. I appreciate that you list all of the ingredients, I am a strict vegetarian so it helps to know what is in the sauces and pastes. Many thanks and looking forward to my next order!
Pad Thai
Pad Thai is often called the signature dish of Thai cuisine. There are several regional variations, indeed it has been said that Thailand has not only a different curry for every day of the year, but also a different pad Thai for every cook in Thailand! This is our variation, and please see our street vendor photos & videos (below left) for others.
Also consider our Picnic Table Pad Thai Recipe
How to Season Your Wok
Seasoning a steel wok is simple, and very important because it gives your wok an all-natural non-stick coating. Food glides over the surface of a properly seasoned wok without sticking at all. This is a smoky process, so you'll need to have good ventilation or do it outside.
Cleaning. Start by thoroughly cleaning your wok. Our street vendor woks come with a sticker right in the middle of the cooking surface, inconvenient but not difficult to remove. Peel away what you can, then use fingernail polish (acetone). If you don't have any around the house, you can buy a bottle for about $1. Acetone is an organic solvent, excellent for cleaning your wok the first time. Pour 1-2 tablespoons directly into the wok and swirl it around, then scrub with a paper towel or rag. Thoroughly clean both sides of your wok this way, removing all dirt, oil and residue. Next wash it with soap and water, and wipe dry. Now you have a bare, perfectly clean steel wok ready to season.
Seasoning. Put a few tablespoons of peanut oil in your wok, and as it heats up, swirl the oil around to coat the entire inside of the wok. Let the wok get really hot (so the oil smokes), then use a folded paper towel to wipe the oil around the sides of the wok. Hold the paper towel with chopsticks or tongs. Keep doing this for a few minutes or more, pulling the wok away from the heat occasionally to wipe the oil around. Dump any remaining oil out.
Put a tablespoon or two of oil back into your wok, and add several cloves of garlic. Using garlic and/or shallots is a great way to season your wok. Put it back on the heat, this time tipping your wok so the heat goes directly onto the side of the wok. Keep spreading the oil around, and rotate the wok so the entire inside surface becomes blackened. Throw out the blackened garlic.
With 1/2 cup of oil in a dish, dip folded paper towel into the oil and start seasoning again, over medium/high heat, wiping the insides of the hot wok with oil. You can repeat this half a dozen times. After 30 minutes or so, the entire inside of the wok is nice and brown/black. This coating is essentially carbon, and is no risk to your health. Congratulations! You've created a homemade nonstick surface, naturally.
Our Thai Street Vendor Wok sticker says the following in Thai language: 1. For the first use. Roast your wok by turn it over on top of the fire for 10 minutes keep moving until all turn to dark gray evenly. 2. Clean and wipe dry then roast your wok same way above for 20 minutes until the wok color change to dark brown. 3. Clean and wipe dry.
Care. Never scrub your wok with a scouring pad, as it will remove the seasoning. Just use water and a mild sponge after use, and wipe dry. Restaurant chefs simply pour water into a wok after each dish is prepared, bring the water to a quick boil, wipe the wok with a bamboo brush, dump the water and start the next dish. If your wok is used infrequently, wipe the dry wok with vegetable oil and this will prevent rust in storage.
Wok Seasoning Tips from Ronald in Holland. Ok, I'll try my best English here. Obviously I didn't buy a wok set from these guys because I live in Holland. Then again I recognized the brand they sell immediately. It's slightly thicker than China wok sets. Go ahead and buy them if your serious about cooking. By all means you won't regret it. Don't ever think you have a wok burner in your home similar to what street vendors have. That's where the thicker carbon steel is a plus. Fortunately I have a stove with a reasonable large burner but I never lower the heat, instead I take the wok away from the heat for short moments. (Never touch the controls!)
About seasoning: Use detergent only once with hot water to remove oil residue etc. Flush/rinse and set your gas-burner to the max and leave it this way. Now really burn-in your wok. Making sure the flames hit every corner (if any) on your wok. Typical colouring should appear (OCC exhaust type) when you think you're done, continue until the steel turns nearly dark, and turn of the heat. Now moisten? (slightly wet) a paper towel with good quality sesame oil or if you're allergic to that, sunflower oil. Rub the inside of your wok with this towel, it should smoke a lot. That's it you're done. Cleaning: Bamboo brush and hot water, goodbye Mr. Muscle and other crxp!. Enjoy!
Do I need to tell you more. Yes I'm afraid so. Get yourself 3 woks! 1 for sweet and sour dishes. 1 for spicy either meat or fish dishes. Finally 1 for egg/omelet dishes and only for that!. You can use your meat/fish; wok for noodles and or rice recipes just as long as you remember to make it piping hot!
Wok Seasoning
Wok Seasoning
Wok Seasoning
