Plank Grilling Tips
Summertime means backyard barbecues and great tasting meals, hot off the grill. This year, add a cedar plank to your collection of grilling accessories.
Plank grilling is the technique of cooking food on an untreated, presoaked cedar plank—or other type of wood—over a gas or charcoal grill. Whether cooking steak, chicken or fish, the plank infuses the food with a subtle smoky flavor or seasoning, depending on the kind of wood used.
Grilling meat on wood planks helps it stay moist and tender. Grilling fish on a cooking plank eliminates the need to flip the fish over. Try any number of grill recipes, such as our planked salmon with peach mango salsa.
Look for grilling planks at your local grocery, home improvement or specialty food and kitchen store, or online. They are often made of Western Red Cedar, but alder, oak, maple, cherry, hickory or apple wood ones are also available.
Prepping Your Cedar Plank
- Directions vary among brands, but usually involve soaking the plank in water anywhere from an hour to overnight. This makes the plank less likely to burn when it’s on the grill. This can be done in your kitchen sink. Use a heavy object to keep the plank submerged. Hot water will speed the soaking process.
HINT: Give more flavor by adding white wine, beer, apple cider, fruit juice or fresh herbs to the water.
- After soaking the plank, dry it off and lightly coat the surface with olive or vegetable oil.
HINT: Try rubbing fresh herbs, garlic or flavored oil on the plank for even more flavor.
Plank Grilling
- Typically, plank grill recipes instruct you to preheat your grill to 350º to 450º F.
- Place the plank with your food on the grill and close the lid. The plank should give off light to medium smoke within a few minutes. Keep a spray bottle on hand in the event of flare-ups and check the food about every five minutes for doneness.
- Resist the urge to peek often—keeping the lid closed retains the smoke and heat, and is responsible for infusing the smoky flavor.
- For a dramatic presentation, serve the food directly from the wood plank.
HINT: Remember to protect the surface of the table.