This One Cooking Method Is Key To PF Chang's Flavor

There is nothing like a hearty plate of well-made Chinese American food. Fragrant heat steaming off well-sauced stir-fries is more than enough to rouse anyone's appetite. But making a good stir-fry takes an immense amount of skill, and at P.F. Chang's, it also takes a dedicated team of cooks that specifically prepare food using the wok. "The wok line is basically the very foundation to do the kind of food that we do at P.F. Chang's," said P.F. Chang's co-founder Philip Chiang in a video on the company's official YouTube Channel. So what exactly is so special about this cooking method?

The most important aspect of a wok is its structure. While this kind of cookware can be made with different metals (stainless steel, carbon steel, cast iron, etc), it is characterized by its bowl-like shape. This helps disperse heat quickly under the wok's sloped sides. The thermal energy becomes incredibly concentrated at the base, which can reach temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This, in turn, enables the wok to sear ingredients quickly, giving them tender-crisp textures.

Another important characteristic of this cooking approach is that it imparts "wok hei" (Cantonese for "breath of a wok"), which has been popularly explained as the beloved smokey charred flavor of Chinese restaurant food. This is achieved during the rapid tossing and heating of ingredients in a well-seasoned wok. The process builds layers of flavor as the proteins and sugars in the dish interact. Doing this properly can be easier said than done. A mistake that many folks make when stir-frying food is not getting their wok hot enough. To completely avoid it, you need not only skill but the right equipment.

Is it even possible to transform your food in the same ways as P.F. Chang's when you're cooking at home? The chances are unfortunately unlikely, unless you have a commercial Chinese kitchen gas range at your disposal. But even without one, many stir-fry recipes can be significantly improved when cooked in a wok, as long as you build and maintain sufficiently high temperatures. To see how that pans out in practice, try using the cookware to make this spicy Szechuan green beans recipe. Not a fan of green beans? Peruse our ranking of the most popular P.F. Chang's menu items to find your next dish to replicate in the kitchen.