Stir-Fried Beef with Snap Peas and Red Peppers
Using a traditional Chinese wok on a flat American cooktop is a recipe for sorry stir fries with steamed meat and underdone vegetables.
While the bottom of a traditional round wok reaches an average of 564 degrees (a temperature sufficient to brown meat and vegetables), the temperature drops by more than 100 degrees halfway up the edge good for steaming but not for searing.
The right pan is a nonstick skillet. Its flat shape allows the entire surface to stay above 550 degrees, hot enough to achieve a good sear. And avoid overloading the pan - the meat needs space to brown, and some vegetables need more cooking time than others.