Must I use the yuppie plank from the gourmet store? Can I use cedar
from the lumber company?

The yuppie plank package says to soak them for 30 minutes. My fish
market hands out a recipe that says soak the plank for 3 minutes. Which
is correct?

Both sources say place the planks on the unheated side of the grill and
cool for about 12 minutes with the cover closed, but neither mentions
what temperature to cook at.

Steve
--
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff
Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com

Steve B. wrote:
> Must I use the yuppie plank from the gourmet store? Can I use cedar
> from the lumber company?
>
> The yuppie plank package says to soak them for 30 minutes. My fish
> market hands out a recipe that says soak the plank for 3 minutes.
> Which is correct?
>
> Both sources say place the planks on the unheated side of the grill
> and cool for about 12 minutes with the cover closed, but neither
> mentions what temperature to cook at.
>
> Steve

Soak the plank (and if you buy it from the lumber store make sure it isn't
"treated" lumber... they aren't selling you cooking wood) for 1 hour at
least.

Oil the wood then place the salmon skin side down and cover on the grill and
let it smoke about 20-25 minutes (depends on the thickness). Until it
flakes.

Jill

Steve B. wrote:

> Must I use the yuppie plank from the gourmet store? Can I use cedar
> from the lumber company?

According to the following website, you should use Western White Cedar,
not Eastern Red Cedar.

http://www.barbecuen.com/faqsnew/coo...edarplanks.htm

Q: The native Americans I know from the Quinault tribe in WA state
cooked salmon on a cedar stick, and also on a board, as they didn't
have frying pans or grills, and didn't hurt them!

A: Aye, Cederman,

They were cooking on either Port Oxford or Western White Cedar which is
limited to the Pacific Northwest. Folk in the rest of the country have
Juniper or Eastern Red Cedar which is very aromatic and has substantial
pesticidal (toxic) properties. Chests and closets, built or lined with
Red Cedar, prevent moths from attacking the contents. Fungi and
bacteria which quickly consume most woods eschew Red Cedar. Boats built
of Red Cedar don't rot.

So, if you live in the Pacific Northwest and want to cook on a cedar
plank, have fun. Anywhere else in the country, you should have your
planks shipped in.

Have fun,
Smoky

---

Derek Juhl

In article >,
"Steve B." > wrote:

> The yuppie plank package says to soak them for 30 minutes. My fish
> market hands out a recipe that says soak the plank for 3 minutes. Which
> is correct?

30 minutes.

> Both sources say place the planks on the unheated side of the grill and
> cool for about 12 minutes with the cover closed, but neither mentions
> what temperature to cook at.

400 to 425 F works for us. The temp range is a bit finicky, actually.
Too high and the plank will burn, or char. Too low and you don't get
much of a smoke/aroma effect. If you are at the right temp, and pop the
grill (only momentarily) you may see tiny wisps of smoke coming from the
wood, but it should not be on fire. Or you can put your nose near the
grill vents. If you are near the right temp you will smell a distinct
and pleasant woody aroma, but you should not be getting heavy smoke.

By cooincidence, we are grilling some planked halibut in mustard glaze,
as I write this.

--
Julian Vrieslander

Well, we tried it last night with Home Depot rough sawn cedar, and we
both awoke this morning. I think Eastern red cedar is the stuff they
carve hillbilly souvenirs from. Very red and does not grow large enough
for lumber. This must be the white stuff.

I used only melted butter for seasoning and mild farmed salmon so we
could taste the cedar effect, which was not much. Grill reached 550
degrees but wood on the cool side did not smoke much, although it did
char a little. More baked than smoked. Cooked 1 1/2" thick belly
fillets in 20 min, but it had to sit another 10 min on the cooling grill
because the wife was late.

Delicious meal, but the highlight was a bottle of Arroyo del Sol Pinot
Noir from A Taste of Monterey, a wine club that specializes in the wines
of Monterey County.

Steve
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff
Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com


Steve B. wrote:
> Must I use the yuppie plank from the gourmet store? Can I use cedar
> from the lumber company?
>
> The yuppie plank package says to soak them for 30 minutes. My fish
> market hands out a recipe that says soak the plank for 3 minutes. Which
> is correct?
>
> Both sources say place the planks on the unheated side of the grill and
> cool for about 12 minutes with the cover closed, but neither mentions
> what temperature to cook at.
>
> Steve

"Steve B." wrote:

> Well, we tried it last night with Home Depot rough sawn cedar, and we
> both awoke this morning. I think Eastern red cedar is the stuff they
> carve hillbilly souvenirs from. Very red and does not grow large enough
> for lumber. This must be the white stuff.
>
> I used only melted butter for seasoning and mild farmed salmon so we
> could taste the cedar effect, which was not much. Grill reached 550
> degrees but wood on the cool side did not smoke much, although it did
> char a little. More baked than smoked. Cooked 1 1/2" thick belly
> fillets in 20 min, but it had to sit another 10 min on the cooling grill
> because the wife was late.

We used to plank fresh caught fish on split cedar logs on canoe trips. There
was nothing fancy about it, just a quick and easy way to cook a fish, and the
best part is the clean up. You just toss your cooking medium into the fire :-)

> Delicious meal, but the highlight was a bottle of Arroyo del Sol Pinot
> Noir from A Taste of Monterey, a wine club that specializes in the wines
> of Monterey County.

I often hear that Pinto Noir is the wine for grilled salmon, but I always find
that it goes well with a nice Gewurztaminer. It is a wine that I don't
particularly like on its own or with many other foods, but I think it is
really good with grilled salmon.

I love Gewurztaminer. I will give it a try with salmon.

"Steve B." > wrote in message
...
>I love Gewurztaminer. I will give it a try with salmon.
=====

It's really good with turkey, too!

"Rick & Cyndi" > wrote in message
news:OOyFe.3264$Eo3.1544@trnddc08...
>
> "Steve B." > wrote in message
> ...
> >I love Gewurztaminer. I will give it a try with salmon.
> =====
>
> It's really good with turkey, too!

Really? I like it best served cold, with glass, and more of the same!

BTW, McGuigan's makes an *excellent* IMO, GWR! (Gewurztraminer Riesling). In
fact I love all their wines, and at £5 a bottle, they're a damned *steal*.
Here's a link (ignore their prices - they're over charging):

http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products...&PHPSESSID=cd6
bcbe1b5fec9c81771e3d784087b83

They're merlot is delicious, and the shiraz, beautiful IM(NS!)HO.

Shaun aRe - It goes great with fresh langoustine LOL!

"Shaun aRe" > wrote in message
eenews.net...
>
> "Rick & Cyndi" > wrote in message
> news:OOyFe.3264$Eo3.1544@trnddc08...
>>
>> "Steve B." > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >I love Gewurztaminer. I will give it a try with salmon.
>> =====
>>
>> It's really good with turkey, too!
>
> Really? I like it best served cold, with glass, and more of the same!
>
> BTW, McGuigan's makes an *excellent* IMO, GWR! (Gewurztraminer Riesling).
> In
> fact I love all their wines, and at £5 a bottle, they're a damned *steal*.
> Here's a link (ignore their prices - they're over charging):
>
> http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products...&PHPSESSID=cd6
> bcbe1b5fec9c81771e3d784087b83
>
> They're merlot is delicious, and the shiraz, beautiful IM(NS!)HO.
>
> Shaun aRe - It goes great with fresh langoustine LOL!
>
>=======

We recently had a Shiraz-Cabernet blend that was really good... heavy... but
good. A nice deep red feel on the tongue.... Yummmmmmmmmm. I'll have to
look around for who it was by; I'm thinking it was Australian.

Cyndi

"Rick & Cyndi" > wrote in message
news:UfTFe.6166$6M3.3424@trnddc03...
>
> "Shaun aRe" > wrote in message
> eenews.net...

> > BTW, McGuigan's makes an *excellent* IMO, GWR! (Gewurztraminer
Riesling).
> > In
> > fact I love all their wines, and at £5 a bottle, they're a damned
*steal*.
> > Here's a link (ignore their prices - they're over charging):
> >
> >
http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products...&PHPSESSID=cd6
> > bcbe1b5fec9c81771e3d784087b83
> >
> > They're merlot is delicious, and the shiraz, beautiful IM(NS!)HO.
> >
> > Shaun aRe - It goes great with fresh langoustine LOL!
> >
> >=======
>
> We recently had a Shiraz-Cabernet blend that was really good... heavy...
but
> good. A nice deep red feel on the tongue.... Yummmmmmmmmm. I'll have to
> look around for who it was by; I'm thinking it was Australian.
>
> Cyndi

Hmmmm! I love what a lot of the (esp. S.E.) Australian wineries do with the
grapes - they turn out very flavour and sugar rich grapes, and make them
into some of the fattest, roundest tasting wines you can find ANYWHERE, IMO.

One thing I dislike about some (most of the 'everyday' priced ones) European
reds, is I find a lot of them are thin and overly acidic, while lacking the
depth of tannins to back it up, or indeed see them mellow and mature well
with aging. Of course, looking well and paying more will turn up far better.
I've still not had a better wine under £10 than anything from McG's at
~£5...



Shaun aRe