Monday, May 9, 2011

How to cook with Planks - The perfect BBQ Salmon!


How to use our Cooking Planks

HOW TO COOK WITH PLANKS
On the Grill: Soaking your plank in water (or other liquid) is important! You don't want the plank to burn up before the food is cooked. Submerge them for about 2+ hrs. Longer is okay! You'll need less soaking time for fish and more for other meats that require a longer cooking time.
* The process for cooking with planks is different depending on the food you are preparing. For fish, you can soak less time and put the plank directly on the hot BBQ grill. For Beef, chicken and Pork, soak the planks at least 2 hrs and put the planks onto a cookie sheet and then onto the grill. This will keep the plank from direct contact with the flame and burning up before the meat is done. When using a cookie sheet on your grill, you can add smoking chips or chunks to the charcoal or flame if you want more of a smoke flavor.
* This is what I like to do with salmon - soak the planks (any flavor, rectangle or oval) about two hours in a bucket of water or in the sink - longer than 2hrs is okay. Put a weight on top to keep the planks down under the water. Trim your Salmon filet to fit the plank leaving about 1/2 inch from any edge. Slather the plank with olive oil. Slice THIN raw onion rings and place evenly. Salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Place your Salmon filet skin-side-down on the onions. Slice a lemon REAL THIN and put a couple on top along with some more salt & pepper. Get your BBQ REAL HOT. Place the plank down on the grill and put the BBQ cover down.
Check in 10 minutes. Any CRACKLING sound is a GOOD thing. That means the BBQ is hot and the wood is burning on the bottom. Keep checking but not too often. Don't panic! Soon the flames that are burning the plank will begin lapping around the edge of the plank. This fire will CRISP the edge of your Salmon filet all around the edge. Mouth watering yet? Experiment! Play! Don't be afraid! Salmon and other fish filets cook pretty quick so they will be done before the plank burns through.
Once cooked, I take the planks right off the grill with tongs and put them on a ceramic platter in the center of the table. Be careful! The bottom of the planks may be red hot but generally will stop smoking after a few minutes of being away from the grill. Garnish with Parsley or whatever greens and color you like. Serve with a spatula. No other flavorings necessary in my opinion!
In the Oven or Broiler: Soaking your plank in water (or other liquid) is important! You don't want the plank to burn up before the food is cooked. Submerge them for about 2+ hrs. Longer is okay! You'll need less soaking time for fish and more for other meats that require a longer cooking time.
* Put your food on the planks and put the planks on a cookie sheet and bake or broil away!
* As you experiment you will develop your own favorite way of cooking with planks.
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