On Saturday, I cooked dinner for my mother’s 75th birthday. The menu included grilled shrimp on sugarcane (chao tom), a southern Vietnamese classic that my mom hadn’t had for decades. I’d steamed off the shrimp so they were already cooked on the sugarcane sticks (a great eco-friendly skewer that you can chew on!). But I had a little problem with the last-minute grilling.
I typically grill chao tom on my gas grill at home. However, my parents do not have an outdoor grill, though they have an whole 4-burner stove in the patio for deep-frying and cooking stinky food! How to get the charred, slight smokiness that makes the grilled shrimp in sugarcane sing? My solution was to buy a cheap cake cooling rack at a Chinatown restaurant supply/houseware shop (on Hill street in downtown, Los Angeles). There's a smaller version available at Japanese markets, I believe, but the cooling rack comes in various sizes and is inexpensive. I bought a double rack so it would extend over two burners and be good for indirect heat. The cost was a whopping $3.99.
How did the rack do? It heated up a bit too much at the beginning and the metal warped and glowed red. Once you figure out how to tame the flame, the rack functions just great. I wouldn’t recommend grilling fatty meat on this kind of makeshift indoor grill, but it works for anything that won’t drip juices and fat directly on the flame and flare the fire. It’s convenient in that the ‘grill’ takes virtually no time to heat up, you can reuse the portable rack, and the fragrance of the cooking chao tom was heavenly. Try it out next time you’re in a bind or just want an easy, cheap, fast way to grill indoors.
Have any indoor grilling tips? Don't keep them to yourself! Do share.
Jesse says
As you mentioned in some Japanese grocery / housewares stores you can find special made racks for doing this kind of grilling or broiling. These might not have the problem of the metal getting red hot and the rack warping. Some of them even have drip trays...
Jack says
Nice bit of MacGuyvering! Jamie Oliver does the exact same thing to grill his bread.
The special-made racks with the drip trays sound like they could be worth a shot!
Trent @ SmartShopIt says
Great tip. My wife would kill me though if I did this to her cookie cooling racks :0) The Chao Tom looks yummy!
Don't forget, your broiler is just an upside down grill. A broiler pan with some water underneath is great for catching the dripping fat from meats.
Anh says
Happy belated birthday to your mom! You have talked so much from her as inspiration to your cooking :D.
Oh I would love to do this but the fire alarm in my apartment will just ring on-stop. I will have to use outdoor grilling in my balcony for any grilling action.
thuy says
How wonderful a mind can come up with in a bind?
I made a grill for my friend on his outdoor patio. I used an old terracotta pot that was laying around in the backyard, cleaned it out and added some charcoals directly into the pot. I bought a rack at Home Depot for like $10 and we had an instant grill that worked better than most grills I have bought in the store in the past.
Andrea Nguyen says
I often grill sliced rustic bread for sandwiches directly on the burner grates to get a bit of smokiness. Eggplant and peppers too when it's too cold to go outside. My friend, Niloufer King, taught me to reheat wheat tortillas on a high flame for a quick and easy version of Indian chapati; the tortillas puff up.
Those clever Japanese -- with the drip pan and all. See how my mom covered her burners with foil? That was mighty handy of her!
Thuy, your terracotta pot idea is GREAT. I've been looking at traditional Southeast Asian clay grills but haven't wanted to invest in one. But maybe Home Depot has my answer. Of course, I've got recyclable pots in the yard too...
Thanks for the ideas, everyone!
Vuthy says
I have thought about doing this too, but have been afraid of drippings and smoke agitating my sensitive smoke detectors. I know to avoid anything fatty or juicy, but I'm still afraid to try it.
Was it messy at all?
Rasa Malaysia says
Great idea Andrea. I love chao tom but had to fry it the last time I made them (cheated). 😉
This is a great idea. I also figured out how to grill fish with banana leaf on my stove top too. So happy!
Andrea Nguyen says
At first, I didn't have the exhaust on because the grilling wasn't all that dramatic. Then the house started smelling like a Southeast Asian street food market stall. The smell of direct fire cooking was fabulous. My mom comes over and turns on the exhaust. It wasn't messy at all. The chao tom has a little oil on it but it wasn't spewing anything weird.
Rasa Malaysia -- grilling banana leaf packets would totally work. Great idea!!!
This is great, like we can all come together and open up an Asian street food market as a cottage industry. Open up the garage doors, set out some tiny tables and chairs and invite the customers in. Wouldn't that be just like the home-cum-restaurants in Asia?
Diane says
Oh man - that terracotta pot idea is GREAT. I'm definitely going to give that a try this month.
Thrifty DC Cook says
This is amazing! Such a great idea. I miss the taste of chao tom.
Andrea Nguyen says
Thrifty DC Cook, you've got no excuse now!
School Supplies says
Where can I see this in Vietnam?! I will go there this April.
credit card says
WOW! I can go camping with these new things on mind. Thanks for sharing it here buddy!
Jenny - Best Investments says
I would like to have this set..I think this brings out really realistic "outdoor" grills.
Jenny - Best Investments says
I would like to have this set..I think this brings out really realistic "outdoor" grills.
Online Business Degree says
It is really happy to know that gadgets are invented to make life easier and...at the same taste!
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marlon says
This is amazing! Such a great idea. I miss the taste of chao tom. This thing here is exactly what I needed!