Pretty catchy title, eh? Stir-fries are one of those dishes that most of us love, as long as they're done right, of course. So, how's your stir-frying? Have your attempts at this age-old cooking method yielded less than spectacular dishes? If so, I ask you to read this article carefully. Doing so may just result in a meal fit for an emperor.

Identifying The Problem
A crucial step in creating a great stir-fry is identifying the characteristics of a bad one. For me, the analysis begins with the ingredients. While the overall freshness and quality of the ingredients are important, telling you to use only the best available is the culinary equivalent of pointing out the obvious.

Instead, I would like to address the number of ingredients you're using. Let it be known that when it comes to most stir-fries, less is definitely more. Think about the stir-fry dishes in most Asian restaurants. Combinations such as beef and broccoli, chicken and cashew, and shrimp and snow peas are a few that come to mind.

Do you notice how they're all comprised of two main ingredients, usually one protein and one vegetable? The reason for this minimalism is that it keeps the stir-fry focused. Flavors are clean and combinations are on point. It's rather hard to accomplish either of these goals when your stir-fry includes everything but the kitchen sink.

The next aspect of a bad stir-fry would be either overcooking or undercooking the ingredients. What you should know is that by taking my advice and limiting the number of main ingredients within each stir-fry, you are dramatically improving your chances for success in this area. It only stands to reason. The more ingredients you use the harder it will be to get them all perfectly cooked.

It's Time for a Change
Now that you understand what not to do, it's time to talk about the things you should be doing.

First and foremost, in order to pull off a great stir-fry, you need a wok. Regular frying pans are no match for a piece of cooking equipment that's been around for thousands of years. The issue for most home chefs is which wok to buy and where to buy it. Since I could write several articles on the subject of wok selection, I will keep it simple by giving you a few tips to get you started.

1. Look for a wok 14-inches in diameter
This is the most common size of wok, as well as a manageable piece of equipment for most home kitchens. Anything smaller will only yield enough food for one or two people.

2. Look for a wok made from carbon steel
Cast iron woks are very heavy and in turn very clumsy. Woks made with a non-stick surface are bogus for all sorts of reasons. Whether it's machine stamped or hand-hammered, the carbon steel wok is perfect. It is relatively lightweight, a good conductor of heat, and with proper usage it is naturally non-stick.

3. Get a handle on the handle
Most woks have either a long single handle, or two rounded handles on opposite sides. They can be made of either metal or wood. Metal is sturdier than wood, but it does get hot to the touch. Choose the style and material that works best for you.

4. Shop smart
The most authentic woks are found in specialty shops and kitchen stores located in Asian communities. Depending on the establishment they can range in quality and price. Restaurant supply stores are also great places to buy woks, as they offer a quality selection at reasonable prices.

5. Purchase a wok that's within your budget
As long as it is above average in quality, the wok is a big improvement over any fry pan. Remember, you can always upgrade or add to your collection the more stir-frying you do.

A Reason for the Season
Once you've purchased a wok, your mission has just begun. The next step is properly seasoning your newest piece of kitchen history. Most woks come with a protective coating that keeps them from rusting on the shelves. The first step is to remove it. Super hot water, dish soap and a synthetic scrub brush should do the trick. Give it a good dry and it's ready to be seasoned.

Put your wok on the stove and turn the heat on high. Fill it with two to three tablespoons of peanut oil and swirl it around. Once the oil starts to smoke heavily, turn off heat. Allow oil to cool and discard all but one tablespoon. With a clean paper towel, rub the remaining oil over the entire inside surface of the wok. It is now seasoned and ready for either cooking or storage.

From this point on, dish soap should never touch the cooking surface of your wok. After cooking, simply rinse with hot water and dry with paper towels. Before storing, rub the cooking surface with one tablespoon of peanut oil. This will not only keep it from rusting, but over the course of time it will create one of the best non-stick surfaces known to man.

It's Time to Cook
We're about to start cooking some fabulous stir-fries, but before we do there are a few last tips I would like to share.

1. Prep ALL of your ingredients before you begin to cook
The stir-fry process moves fast. Prepping while you are cooking only leads to disaster.

2. Cook with oils that have a high smoke point
While the burners on your stove at home will never get as hot as the rocket-like burners at Chinese restaurants, the goal is get your wok as hot as possible. Oils with lower smoke points, such as extra virgin olive oil, will burn under this intense heat. Stick to using peanut oil, canola oil, or grape seed oil.

BEEF with BROCCOLI and OYSTER SAUCE (serves 3 to 4)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
  
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• 1 tsp cornstarch
  
• 1 lb beef sirloin steak, cut across the grain into very thin slices
  
• 4 cups broccoli florets, blanched for one minute in salted, boiling water and then cooled in ice water
  
• 3 scallions cut into 1.5-inch pieces
  
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  
• 3 to 4 tbsp of peanut oil
  
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (found in the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores)
  
• 1/2 C canned chicken stock
  
• 2 rounded tsp of cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp of water

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine beef with soy sauce, sherry, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and marinate for a half hour. Before cooking, drain meat onto paper towels.

Place wok on a burner set to the highest heat possible. Once the wok starts to warm, add peanut oil. When oil starts to smoke you're ready to go.

Add half of the meat to wok. Using a metal or wooden spatula, move meat around wok until completely browned (about two minutes). Reserve on a plate. Add more oil if needed and allow the wok to get very hot again. Repeat with remaining meat.

Return all the meat to the wok and add scallions and garlic. Stir-fry until garlic is fragrant and scallions begin to soften.

Mix in oyster sauce and chicken stock. When liquid starts to boil, add the cornstarch and water mixture. The sauce will now start to thicken.

Mix in blanched broccoli and cover wok with lid. Turn the heat down to low. Once broccoli is heated through (approximately 1 minute), give it a taste. If necessary, re-season with a touch of soy sauce. If sauce is too thick, add a little more chicken stock. Serve.

FISH and BLACK BEAN SAUCE (serves 3 to 4)

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
  
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• 1 tsp cornstarch
  
• 1 lb cod or red snapper; skinned, boned and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
  
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 celery stalk, sliced ¼-inch thick
  
• 6 mushrooms, quartered
  
• 3 tbsp black bean sauce (found in the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores)
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp peanut oil
  
• Pinch of salt

In a bowl, combine fish, soy sauce, sherry, sugar and cornstarch. Marinate for 30 minutes. Before cooking, drain fish onto paper towels.

Heat your wok and add peanut oil. When oil starts to smoke, add fish to the wok. Using a metal or wooden spatula, move the fish around being careful not to break it apart. Once fish has browned (approximately 45 seconds), remove to a plate and set aside.

Allow wok to come back up to temperature and add more oil if needed. Once oil smokes, add onions, bell pepper, celery and mushrooms. Season with salt and stir-fry until vegetables have slightly softened.

Add black bean sauce and water and stir to combine. Once the sauce comes together, return fish to wok and allow it to simmer for 30 seconds. Serve.

SWEET and SOUR SHRIMP (serves 3 to 4)

• 1 lb. medium-sized shrimp (about 24 to 26 shrimp), peeled and de-veined
  
• 1 small onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks
  
• 1/3 C sliced water chestnuts
  
• 1 8-oz. can of pineapple chunks (packed in juice), drained and juices reserved
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 3 tbsp peanut oil

For the sauce:

• 4 tbsp any white vinegar
  
• 4 tbsp ketchup
  
• 4 tbsp sugar
  
• 5 tbsp cold water
  
• 5 tbsp reserved pineapple juice
  
• 3 tsp cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt
  
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

In another bowl, place shrimp and season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a wok over a very high heat and add peanut oil. When oil starts to smoke, add shrimp and quickly stir-fry for one minute or until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent. Do not overcook the shrimp. Remove shrimp from wok and set aside on a plate.

If necessary, add an extra Tbsp of vegetable oil to wok. Once oil starts to smoke, add onion, bell pepper and carrot. Season with a pinch of salt and stir-fry for two minutes or until veggies begin to soften. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

Add reserved sauce to the wok and stir. Once sauce starts to thicken, add cooked shrimp and pineapple. Allow shrimp to warm through and serve.

My job here is done. I've given you my best advice on the subject of stir-frying, as well as three great recipes to get you going. All that's left is for you to...wait for it...wait for it...wok this way!

Kirk Leins has been cooking his entire life. No stranger to professional kitchens, he currently devotes most of his time to cooking instruction, food writing, and producing television. Kirk also provides his services as a personal chef in and around the Los Angeles area. He has made several TV appearances on both the national and local level, and is the Executive Chef for YOU Magazine. Sign up for Kirk’s free newsletter and cooking blog at www.NoTimeToCookDinner.com.