Post by blackcrowheart on Jul 20, 2006 13:57:02 GMT -5
Plank-Cooking
Plank-cooking, originally used by Native American
tribes in the Pacific Northwest for cooking salmon
and on the East coast for cooking shad (herring) next
to an open fire, is now one of the hottest trends in
gourmet cooking. Most up-scale restaurants now
feature some sort of plank-cooked entrée on their menus.
Planked Trout with Cayenne and Herbs
There are two methods of plank-cooking: use a special
heavy-duty plank designed for repeated oven use that
is about an inch thick, or use lighter-weight and
thinner planks on the grill. While most gourmet shops
carry specialty planks designed for oven use and most
barbecue shops offer grilling planks, you can get
untreated planks from a local lumberyard and cut your
own. Grilling planks should be about 14-inches long,
7-inches wide and about 3/8-inch thick. If apple,
alder or cedar grilling planks aren't available
locally, several Internet sources exist, including:
www.acadian-woods.com
www.justsmokesalmon.com
www.barbecuewood.com
www.cedarplanks.net
The planks —untreated virgin alder, maple, oak,
hickory, mesquite or apple—char during cooking and
impart a unique smoky flavor, more subtle than
traditional smoking in an offset or bullet smoker.
Soak the grill planks in water for two to four hours.
Preheat the grill on high or prepare a direct-heat
charcoal fire. Once the grill is hot, brush the
planks with olive oil and place them on the cooking
grate. Heat the planks until they begin to smoke.
When the planks begin to smoke, flip the planks over
so the charred side is up and reduce the heat to
medium, or move the planks for indirect cooking on a
charcoal grill.
Place the food on the plank and cook, with the grill
covered to retain the smoke, until done. Because the
wood also acts as an insulator, most plank-cooked
foods will take longer to cook than
grilled foods.
A few years ago, a seasoned camp chef was overheard
explaining how to cook carp on a plank. "First, you
have to catch carp," he told his companion. "It's
harder than it sounds as they are wily, and a
tough fighter. You want one that is about two pounds.
Fillet the carp and stake it to a plank preferably
apple, peach, alder or cedar. Place the planked carp
in a large pan and pour in enough
cheap, but drinkable, red wine to cover. A half
gallon should do it, as that way you have some left
over to drink. Marinate planked carp in the
refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove planked
carp from the refrigerator, and fire up the grill.
"Cook the planked carp. When it's done, remove the
carp from the plank and throw the carp away. Eat the
plank accompanied by some more of the cheap red wine."
That might be true for carp (and herring for that
matter), but for other fish and vegetables,
plank-cooking is a great method. It is such a
simple process—it's almost foolproof. It's also a
great way to impress your friends, neighbors and family.
Plank-cooking, originally used by Native American
tribes in the Pacific Northwest for cooking salmon
and on the East coast for cooking shad (herring) next
to an open fire, is now one of the hottest trends in
gourmet cooking. Most up-scale restaurants now
feature some sort of plank-cooked entrée on their menus.
Planked Trout with Cayenne and Herbs
There are two methods of plank-cooking: use a special
heavy-duty plank designed for repeated oven use that
is about an inch thick, or use lighter-weight and
thinner planks on the grill. While most gourmet shops
carry specialty planks designed for oven use and most
barbecue shops offer grilling planks, you can get
untreated planks from a local lumberyard and cut your
own. Grilling planks should be about 14-inches long,
7-inches wide and about 3/8-inch thick. If apple,
alder or cedar grilling planks aren't available
locally, several Internet sources exist, including:
www.acadian-woods.com
www.justsmokesalmon.com
www.barbecuewood.com
www.cedarplanks.net
The planks —untreated virgin alder, maple, oak,
hickory, mesquite or apple—char during cooking and
impart a unique smoky flavor, more subtle than
traditional smoking in an offset or bullet smoker.
Soak the grill planks in water for two to four hours.
Preheat the grill on high or prepare a direct-heat
charcoal fire. Once the grill is hot, brush the
planks with olive oil and place them on the cooking
grate. Heat the planks until they begin to smoke.
When the planks begin to smoke, flip the planks over
so the charred side is up and reduce the heat to
medium, or move the planks for indirect cooking on a
charcoal grill.
Place the food on the plank and cook, with the grill
covered to retain the smoke, until done. Because the
wood also acts as an insulator, most plank-cooked
foods will take longer to cook than
grilled foods.
A few years ago, a seasoned camp chef was overheard
explaining how to cook carp on a plank. "First, you
have to catch carp," he told his companion. "It's
harder than it sounds as they are wily, and a
tough fighter. You want one that is about two pounds.
Fillet the carp and stake it to a plank preferably
apple, peach, alder or cedar. Place the planked carp
in a large pan and pour in enough
cheap, but drinkable, red wine to cover. A half
gallon should do it, as that way you have some left
over to drink. Marinate planked carp in the
refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove planked
carp from the refrigerator, and fire up the grill.
"Cook the planked carp. When it's done, remove the
carp from the plank and throw the carp away. Eat the
plank accompanied by some more of the cheap red wine."
That might be true for carp (and herring for that
matter), but for other fish and vegetables,
plank-cooking is a great method. It is such a
simple process—it's almost foolproof. It's also a
great way to impress your friends, neighbors and family.