Propane Burner Shielding Question

[bbqgeekess]

We LOVE making stir frys out in the backyard with a carbon steel wok over the 150K BTU propane burner. It's so vibrant, cooked on the inside yet crunchy on the outside... real stir fry (as opposed to stir-braise indoors on low BTU burners).. world of difference.

However we do get some wind sometimes and it messes with the flame/heating of the wok, delaying the cook. The faster it cooks the better it is. We get some nice caramelezation / mallaird reaction going on the veggies and meat we add in.. even a little char if we want.

So, what's the best way to shield a cheap $50 150K propane burner? I need a simple low cost solution

Stir Fry Sauce I used today: 2 parts kikkoman soy sauce, 1 part bottled great value lemon juice, minced garlic, minced ginger. (Also threw minced ginger and garlic in with the veggies when we stir fried them -- we do the one handed flip thing.. no utensils needed really.) Veggies we used: juliened mirepoix & cabbage -- along with the minced ginger & garlic. Meat: thinly cut strips of boneless skinless chicken breast. (Btw, cabbage is a nice low carb noodle substitute in outdoor stir fries, stays somewhat crunchy and gets mallaird reaction.. cut thin like noodles; I'm diabetic so I can't eat noodles.) EDIT: oh dang, I forgot to put the crushed red pepper in as well.. oh well. it still tasted great.. next time I will put it in.

 

[Swine Spectator]

Pics of your set-up?

 

[bbqgeekess]

Pics of your set-up?

Excuse the mess (leaves & dirt).. backyard is waiting for the spring cleaning Dog is also annoying chewing up stuff into little bits scattering it around yard lol. I really should of swept that up before taking the photo but I can wait until spring

 

[bbqgeekess]

I really haven't done much cooking out there until starting the other day with the pork butt.. now the stir fry. Gonna clean it up out there in a few days.. tis ugly lol.

 

[Big Andy]

We have one of those burners for making stew and jambalaya. the pot is on a three legged stand. My buddy cut off a metal drum to go around it. I think you could make something similar with a 30gal. drum that's cut, or make an apron out of sheet metal.

 

[ModelMaker]

Fold a sheet of alum. foil in half length wise and fold over the outside rail, or if you have a buddy in a sheet metal shop, cut a strip of 24 ga. about 7 3/4" X 12-18". Put a 1/8" slot 3/4" deep every 3/4" and acute and flat the edge @ 3/4". make enough of this to encircle the cooker rail and just bend and push for a very steady wind break.
Ed

 

[drallan81]

We have regular oyster scalds and often run into issues with wind (sometimes blows out burner). We have gotten cheap 55 gal drums, cut to height and in half (2 clam shells) that we place around to block wind. Can even get fancy and put a hinge to help keep together.

Takes a bit of trial and error depending on day for placement so that it blocks wind without interfering with cook.

Other thing we have done, although not as cheap anymore with wood prices, is just prop a piece or 2 of plywood to make a makeshift wind block. You can start by just propping up things, and refine and make more sophisticated as time goes on depending on how often you use it. Or even get cheap corrugated roofing material and make a light frame out of 1x1. Two 4-5ft sections hinged will stand and provide decent blockage, can add more sides as needed.

 

[Swine Spectator]

Here's what I use. My FIL tack-welded two piano hinges to three pieces of stainless steel. I adjust it depending on conditions. It works great and folds flat for storage.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I agree with Swine Spectator. I have a pretty isolated area for my fryer/brewing burner, but some sort of wind screen (Cardboard, plywood, foam, etc) is what I have done in hte past.

 

[SmokeOCD]

How about a few more of those blocks and tiles that are under your burner - got any laying around the yard somewhere? Lots of good ideas - just depends how good of a hoarder you are as to how good/cheap your solution is going to be.

 

[JbTech]

Excuse the mess (leaves & dirt).. backyard is waiting for the spring cleaning Dog is also annoying chewing up stuff into little bits scattering it around yard lol. I really should of swept that up before taking the photo but I can wait until spring

If that's a winter mess, I'll never take another picture again!


And dogs...They found a jawbone a week ago!

 

[Curt.P]

I just bought a wok and was looking at this, specifically because it said it was wind shielded: https://www.amazon.com/Concord-Professional-Single-Burner-Brewing/dp/B0BCCJNNP5

I'm just not sure about the 16" height.

 

[bbqgeekess]

I just bought a wok and was looking at this, specifically because it said it was wind shielded: https://www.amazon.com/Concord-Professional-Single-Burner-Brewing/dp/B0BCCJNNP5

I'm just not sure about the 16" height.

Wow 270K BTU.. that looks sweet. I do find I do well without the drop in. My old 14" wok had rounded bottom and the bayou classic propane burner worked perfectly. The pan stayed put, the rounded bottom resting in the cutout. Just wanted to mention in case you wanted the burner to be multi-purpose. Also I think I like it heated more directly in the middle bottom of pan. The flame will lick around the sides a bit, but the main focus for heating is in center.. you can push other contents up to the sides if you want them to cook more slowly. I do this say when cooking the veggies first followed by meat.. I push the cooked veggies up the sides and drop the meat directly in the middle for quick cooking... then mix all together towards end. But I am no Asian chef so I don't know what I am talking about perhaps

 

[1MoreFord]

My suggestion is to get some aluminum flashing and attach it to the top and maybe the bottom of that central cylinder w/ pop rivets. Leave some clearance for the flames to wrap around the wok.

 

[sudsandswine]

I wish I could cook food on a wok and gas burner but every time I’ve tried it hasn’t gone as well as I hoped. Would love to see some of the food you cook on it.

 

[Swine Spectator]

I wish I could cook food on a wok and gas burner but every time I’ve tried it hasn’t gone as well as I hoped. Would love to see some of the food you cook on it.

Same - I suck at stir-frying. Could you post some tutorials?

 

[SmokeOCD]

How about Copper Flashing. Comes in rolls, pick your width, pick your thickness, pick your price. Easy to work with, I initially though just flashing and realized it's galvanized so the cheaper stuff is a no go. Still a small roll should be an under $20 solution.

 

[bbqgeekess]

I wish I could cook food on a wok and gas burner but every time I’ve tried it hasn’t gone as well as I hoped. Would love to see some of the food you cook on it.

Same - I suck at stir-frying. Could you post some tutorials?

I'll shoot a video of a cook some time soon for ya. But with my cook I use sliced cabbage instead of wheat/rice for noodles. It's quite delicious actually because the cabbage gets mallaird reaction / caramelization / charring going.

Outdoor stir fry tastes so good.. like food from Asian restaurant which stir fries with high heat. Beats all indoor stir fry in homes on 10-20k BTU burners -- which should be called stir-braise really (they just don't get hot enough). Can get some really expensive tasting food out back with a $15 wok and $50 propane burner. It's really a BBQ chef type thing to do. Just like we get the best BBQ in town out back, same with stir fries, using a tool commonly used for BBQ as well: the propane burner -- e.g. I like my charcoal chimney with propane burner.. so fast.

 

[bbqgeekess]

For outdoor wok cooking, start with a lightweight carbon steel wok. One you can shake, shuffle around and do one handed flips with. Doesn't need thick steel to retain heat because it's cooked on a BTU flame. Needs to be lightweight so you can do the one handed flip thing.. because it cooks so fast, utensils are often too slow. I usually use a curved wooden spatula along with the shaking/flipping.

Season the carbon steel like you do cast iron.. Rub some canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc. on it and heat it until it just starts to smoke and then just keep rubbing the oil around while it is lightly smoking. Then let it cool down.. Should be a nice shiny slick polymerized coating like on cast iron or carbon steel skillet.

Note: Just after getting a new carbon steel wok you will want to burn off any wax coatings or perhaps wash off any factory oil before that. Then you heat it up and blue the steel. Then do the seasoning mentioned above.

Wash without soap, I even use a scrubber and water without problems. The stir fry puts a lot of carbon on the steel so you have to scrub it sometimes, or use some salt with a paper towel to scrub it off.. maybe a rounded scraper. Then just rub some oil on it once it's cooled down. I don't have mine rust this way and it stays seasoned.

EDIT: definitely don't use cast iron wok, stainless steel nor non-stick. Cast iron is too heavy and you can't manuever the pan flipping the contents. Non-stick can't hold up to the heat. Stainless steel is too sticky.

 

[bbqgeekess]

When it comes time to cook put the wok on the burner, turn the propane burner as high as it will go and light it up. Wait about 30 seconds or so and then throw in a couple tbsp or w/e amount of high smoke point cooking oil in to the wok, immediately followed by all the prepared veggies in a bowl. Stir fry that and flip every so often after it is caramerilized/charred to your liking. Push the veggies up to the sides. Cook the meat but not overcook it (espeicaly thinly sliced meats which take no time to cook). Then mix the two together. Add your sauce and cook until sauce has reduced to desired syrupy consistency.

In both my veggie bowl and sauce I add minced garlic and minced ginger. Key ingredients in stir fry. Veggie bowl is often celery, julliened carrot and juliened yellow onion. ANd hte juliened cabbage for noodles. I also do it with broccoli, green beans, snow peas, brussel sprouts, green peas, or whatever else I have on ahdn that would taste good in it.. maybe some mushrooms.. etc.

If the meat is large chunks instead of say fine strips, you may want to cook the meat first, then take it out and then add the veggies and cook them.. then after that re-add the meat and sauce and reduce sauce to desired consistency.

EDIT: have the oil, veggies, meat and sauce all ready in separate bowls or containers, premeasured if you can .. its goes really fast and you don't want to leave the wok unattended otherwise you can burn the food. I bring out all the bowls and set up right next to the wok and just pour them in when it's time for that step. Personally I do eye the amoutn of oil and pour out of bottle quickly , same with the sauce. But I do have the veggies and meat in bowls right next to the wok ready to go along with the two bottles.