Hi All,
Just curious if anyone has tried cedar for smoking like planking salmon on a grill. I am reluctant to try because cedar is soft wood that will ignite very easily, but do like cedar smoke on salmon.
alanfromwis
I not only cedar plank salmon, but have also cedar planked chicken, pork loin/tenderloin, steak, shell fish etc. Just make sure you soak the planks overnight. I've never had a problem with the planks igniting, but I use 3/4" thick planks and soak at least 24 hours. I've seen some thin one in supermarkets, but if you soak and keep an eye on them it should be alright. While grilling keep a spay bottle full of water, so you spritz any edges that show any flames.
Thanks Haberno Smoker for the excellent advice. Will do.
alanfromwis
Good luck. There are some excellent books on plank smoking. Later I will post the titles to a couple I have.
They also have other wood types avaialble if you check around. Some people don't care too much for the cedar flavor.
Habs has put you on the right track. Plenty of soak time is important. You can even soak them in white wine for a different twist ;)
Below are the two books I have, and highly recommend either one:
"The Plank Grilling Cookbook: Infuse Food with More Flavor Using Wood Planks"; by Dina Guillen and Maria Everyly (Mar 14, 2006)
"Plank Cooking: The Essence of Natural Wood "; by Scott Haugen and Tiffany Haugen (Aug 2004)
I just recalled that I wrote a small article for the recipe site. It may be helpful if you are just beginning to Plank Grill; Basics of Plank Grilling (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?528-Basics-of-Plank-Grilling&p=840#post840)
As Muebe pointed out you can use other liquids to soak your boards.
Thanks Habenaro Smoker & muebe,
I read Habenaro Smoker's article & will read it again. Next time I am in a Barnes & Noble store will see if they have either plank grilling book in stock. Also never thought about anything but water for soaking planks.
alanfromwis
Untill I got my Bradley I used a 50/50 Ceder/Alder for smoking salmon and other colder water fish. It would be great if they would come out with that as a puck. Some times inthe old BBQ I throw some wet Ceder shavings into a can And let them roll for a while.