Walk the Plank


 
MattP

MattP

TVWBB Super Fan
On a recent trip to Chicago the wife took me into the Crate and Barrel store on Michigan Ave. Notice I didn't say 'dragged me in'-- I will swear to my grave that I was a willing participant!

Anyway, while there, I saw some sugar maple grilling planks on clearance. Tonight I finally got around to using them for the first time-- while grocery shopping today I picked up a salmon filet, which I cooked on the Performer.

Planks soaked for about an hour before hitting the grill. I guess they are supposed to be cut straight from a tree or whatever, as they have a ring of bark on them, but for the life of me I cannot say that I have ever seen an oval shaped branch or trunk...
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Found this rub near the fish at my local Meijer today, figured it would be worth a try. BTW, wife and I really enjoyed it.
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Coated the top of the filet with rub and stuck it back in the 'fridge while I went out to get the charcoal started. Here's a shot of it a short while later, as I was getting ready to do dump it on the heat.
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After coming back inside after putting the fish on the kettle, I found that I had an audience...
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Decided we may as well finish off that bag of hash browns that I busted into the other night with that chicken I posted on here.
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Again put two slices of cheddar in with the hash as it was nearing completion. Also put a little McCormick Lemon Butter Dill sauce on the fish at this point.
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Salmon's nearly done. Moved the planks over total direct heat for a couple minutes at the end.
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Tasty...
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Gracious this looks good. Nice one Matt. The wife was squalling for salmon last Friday, now I want some.
 
Good lookin' meal, I miss me some salmon, tell me, did cooking them on the planks add anything to the flavor, and being a cabinet maker I can answer you oval tree question, rather than cut them perpendicular to the center line of the trunk they cut them on an angle, just look at the bark,it's sloped or angled, good way to use small diameter trunks or limbs.

Karl
 
Karl Repsher said:
...being a cabinet maker I can answer you oval tree question, rather than cut them perpendicular to the center line of the trunk they cut them on an angle, just look at the bark,it's sloped or angled, good way to use small diameter trunks or limbs.

Karl
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Thanks for the insight about the wood!


Karl Repsher said:
Good lookin' meal, I miss me some salmon, tell me, did cooking them on the planks add anything to the flavor...
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Brian Dahl said:
Great spread, Matt! Did the salmon pick up any maple flavor?
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Gregory R said:
I was wondering the same thing. Love salmon and this one looks great!!
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The salmon did have a light smokey flavor, but I can't say for sure if it was from the wood for that rub, which had a sort of smoky smell to it, too. I'm thinking in this case it was the rub, as the wood didn't seem to sear that much, likely because I had it over indirect heat for most of the cook. Next time I use those planks I'll put them over direct heat for longer, to see what it might result in.
 
After coming back inside after putting the fish on the kettle, I found that I had an audience...
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Great looking salmon and plate Matt....did the audience get anything?
 
Not this time-- wasn't sure if they'd do well with the rub. Every so often though they'll get little pieces of plain chicken or salmon.
 
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