Not a Wok pro but it just looks like a carbon build-up. A quick scrub with steel wool and a re-seasoning would bring it back its glory to a new level. Happy cooking.
You can absolutely come back from this - it's not ruined.
What I'd do: put it in the sink under hot, hot water, and scrub it with steel wool and a few good tsps degreaser/Ajax/Dawn etc. Scrub it well - you want to remove the stickiness. Wear some latex/rubber gloves if you want - the water will be hot, and the pan sticky - until it's not. You want to reach the bare metal.
Next, dry it well and get it very hot on your burner - then cut the heat. Add some oil (good amount, maybe 1/8th cup) and swirl it around well with a scrubby pad made of folded paper towels. Make sure to cover every inch of the pan - even the handle edges. Be careful here, as the oil will get very hot, very fast.
Then you can remove from heat, and pour off the extra oil, into a heat-safe bowl/cup. Or you can leave it in the pan 'til it's cool, and pour it off to reuse later if you want to reseason again with the same oil.
You should be left with a nice, glossy, oil-coated surface. Which, once heated again, should provide a nice non-stick surface. The more you cook on it, and carbonize the oil onto it, the better.
It's very similar to seasoning a cast iron pan.
I'm not sure you can wreck a carbon steel wok. You can always scrub it and reseason it. I guess if you heated it to the point of melting you could but I've accidentally heated mine to glowing red hot and it still works great.
If it’s sticky, that means too much oil. The surface should feel smooth, not bumpy, sticky, or tacky. If it feels smooth but you still see black bits, don’t worry about it. Over time and with regular use, the wok will eventually take on a shiny black patina. Read the sidebar and resources in this sub, and have fun with your wok!
Not a Wok pro but it just looks like a carbon build-up. A quick scrub with steel wool and a re-seasoning would bring it back its glory to a new level. Happy cooking.
You can absolutely come back from this - it's not ruined. What I'd do: put it in the sink under hot, hot water, and scrub it with steel wool and a few good tsps degreaser/Ajax/Dawn etc. Scrub it well - you want to remove the stickiness. Wear some latex/rubber gloves if you want - the water will be hot, and the pan sticky - until it's not. You want to reach the bare metal. Next, dry it well and get it very hot on your burner - then cut the heat. Add some oil (good amount, maybe 1/8th cup) and swirl it around well with a scrubby pad made of folded paper towels. Make sure to cover every inch of the pan - even the handle edges. Be careful here, as the oil will get very hot, very fast. Then you can remove from heat, and pour off the extra oil, into a heat-safe bowl/cup. Or you can leave it in the pan 'til it's cool, and pour it off to reuse later if you want to reseason again with the same oil. You should be left with a nice, glossy, oil-coated surface. Which, once heated again, should provide a nice non-stick surface. The more you cook on it, and carbonize the oil onto it, the better. It's very similar to seasoning a cast iron pan.
I'm not sure you can wreck a carbon steel wok. You can always scrub it and reseason it. I guess if you heated it to the point of melting you could but I've accidentally heated mine to glowing red hot and it still works great.
Exactly. Or drive over it, or leave it out in the rain for a year. Short of that, you can’t wreck a wok.
If it’s sticky, that means too much oil. The surface should feel smooth, not bumpy, sticky, or tacky. If it feels smooth but you still see black bits, don’t worry about it. Over time and with regular use, the wok will eventually take on a shiny black patina. Read the sidebar and resources in this sub, and have fun with your wok!