Salmon/Cedar Planks


 
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Scott Hoofman

TVWBB Super Fan
Has anybody done salmon or other fish using cedar planks on the wsm? If so, how did they turn out. Do the planks offer any taste difference?
 
Hey Scott,

Planking is commonplace in the Pacific NW for enthusiastic grillers however not that common for smokers. By the same token, cedar is commonly used for planking but not recomended for smoking - go figure.

In my opinion, having the wood on the WSM racks would be too far away from the heat. It would be worth the effort to remove the water pan and then try it...

Cheers

Brian
House of Q
 
Brian is correct. Planks are intended to b eused on direct heat for short periods of time. The direct heat burns the bottom of the plank & the smoke passes up through the wood into the fish. They would be pointless in the WSM, as the wood wouldn't be close enough to the heat to burn. No burn, no smoke, no flavor. There are also reports of cedar smoke imparting an offensive taste when applied for too long a period of time.
 
Thanks for the great advice. I just wish I had checked here before I before I went and spent 9 bucks on a four foot piece of cedar.
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Think I'd better hide that one from the wife.

Ps. I'm glad the forum's got a lot of members from the PNW. Helps a lot with fish questions.
 
You want to soak the plank in water for an hour or so before using.

If you did the thing where you place the charcoal ring up on the bottom grate so the coals are closer and there's no water pan in the way, it could work. Looking to get grilling temps.

The idea is to just get the edges of the cedar to char a little during the cook, but not get the whole bottom of it turning black. A little is a lot with cedar. Being an evergreen softwood, it's not a proper hardwood smoking wood and can introduce some noxious elements from the resins in it. (talking Western Red Cedar)
 
My local Ace Hardware, which has a ton of BBQ and smoking supplies has recently brought in a line of smokewoods, chips, and planks of various woods (not just cedar). The chunks were a little more than I wanted to pay-- didn't catch the plank prices, though.
 
Thanks Doug, my local ace hardware is on the smallish side. They carry a few bbq basics and thats about it. I think I'm going to do it both ways: salmon on the wsm and salmon on cedar plank with the gasser. See how both turn out.
 
This is the stuff. It's a sub-brand of Maine Cooking Woods, called Sugarwood Gourmet. Apparently aimed at the grocery market, it's not just plain old apple and cherry, etc, but "Wild Apple" and "Black Cherry". I'm looking at their wholesale price list-- looks like my Ace is bumping theirs $1 per bag over MSRP.
 
I wouldn't mind ordering some of their bulk boxed woods. Don't think I can talk the wife into that just yet, but I think I'm going to try. The black cherry and golden birch look interesting.
 
My impression was they are trying to make ordinary fruit and other woods into "premium" products by embellishing the names. If Cabela's would just get cherry and apple in stock together at the same time, I'd be ordering a box of each there-- for a lot less money.
 
I can't be the first one to think this: cooking on a plank seems to be a marketing ploy to get people to buy overpriced wood in the form of planks, and have them think they are really doing a foodie type thing. I found it to be a pain in the a--, with no real effect. Instead, use a combination of indirect heat and smoke, and direct heat, and you'll have a better product, AND the money you did not spend on planks.
 
Well Art, they sure as hell got me to buy some. At least it was only nine dollars, and it was to a local business. Sure regret not posting a thread here before buying some.

Doug, I wouldn't doubt that your right about them trying to do a little embellishment. Maybe I won't try to talk the wife into the Black Cherry, but boy it sounds kinda cool.
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I'm going to the Cabela/KCBS sanctioned event in Dundee Mi. this coming weekend, and I hope to pick up some smoking wood from them.
 
I think a cedar plank gives a nice mild taste to the fish. I don't think anyone is using this idea as a marketing ploy.

I do however, have issue with the prices charged for the planks.

I just go to the Home Depot, but a 1x10x10 cedar board, cut in in half length wise and then cut individual planks out of the halves. If I compare the prices of what I paid to do it myself to that of the marketed planks, I paid 8 bucks for the board!, compared to $45-$50 of equal amount of planks.

Okay, so i had the saw already! But, you could buy cedar shingles (shakes) that are about the same thickness and length. I believe a bundle of these costs around $15. Enough to last you a year or so!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by J Lund:
Okay, so i had the saw already! But, you could buy cedar shingles (shakes) that are about the same thickness and length. I believe a bundle of these costs around $15. Enough to last you a year or so! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I actually sell these things to grocery stores here in Seattle. It's a nice way to get a little smoke into the fish on a gas grill. I would, however, be very, very, careful about using shakes - there's no knowing what chemicals tehy've been exposed to - one could potentially get pretty sick.

@Art Sobczak: What you're talking about is called "par-smoking" and it used to be a popular treatment in restaurants, especially with black cod. but in recent years, most places have moved to planking - it's easier to cook individual pieces of fish on the 4x8" scraps they use. AND it's good marketing.
 
The shingles or shakes that are sold at the Home Depot are just pre cut (milled) cedar boards. At least around here in Chicago it is.

My father is a retired VP of a major national lumber mfg. and he tells me that shakes are simply milled untreated cedar however, that's not to say someone, somewhere, didn't try and treat cedar. If you say someone did, then they did, but he has never heard of treating cedar.

But to be absolutely safe, for those that are leary of this, simply mill a piece of cedar board. It's a heck of alot cheaper.
 
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