Sugar cane question

Little Steven

Just got back from my local Oriental/Asian/Carribean market. Noticed they have sugar cane stalks. I assume these are green and my question is whether they should be dried before use as a smoking wood.

caliking

That is interesting. You can use them as they are now for some interesting things - grind up some shrimp, add a little binder like bread crumbs, seasoning and mold portions of it around little sticks of sugar cane You would need to peel the sugar cane first, then cut it into maybe pencil thickness sticks or even as thick as a marker maybe. Smoke/grill until shrimp mixture is cooked, Kind of a sugarcane shrimp kabab.

Not sure how it would do as smoking wood- all the sugar in it might burn?

Little Steven

I've heard about guys using it but never paid attention cause it doesn't grow around these parts a lot

Eggcelsior

I read that a dude on the Texas BBQ forum likes using green cane, especially on poultry. He said that he cuts them at the "nodes". He is an Egghead as well.

Mickey

Frank uses them all the time and I think he told me he just puts them in the freezer till needed.

Skiddymarker

Mickey said:

Frank uses them all the time and I think he told me he just puts them in the freezer till needed.

I've heard of this, never used as a smoking wood, but I know a guy who does/did. Like Mickey says, he kept them in the freezer, chunks were about same as most wood chunks, he cut them up with a pruning loper. 

boatbum

Slice off a couple of pencil size pieces - stick them through a nice chunk of yellow fin or blue fin Tuna.   Roll that around on the grill for a few minutes to sear the outside, leaving the inside uncooked.   The sugar cane imparts a very nice flavor.

Little Steven

Thanks man! I'll see if I can get a second mortgage to buy a piece