Grilling and Roasting on a Chilliwack Plank
The History
Long time before European emigrants
colonized the northwest American Pacific
coast, people of aboriginal tribes
lashed meet and fish on planks and leaned them close to a fire.
On the east
coast natives taught European
settlers how to cook fish on hardwood
planks whiche were leaned
near an open oak fire.
They knew that meat and fish cooked on
planks absorbe the ingredients of the smouldering
wood.
In the middle of the 19 th century plank-cooking became a popular method
in restaurants and home kitchens throughout the United States.
Nowadays restaurant chefs in the Pacific
northwest offer oven-planked dishes like „cedar-planked salmon“, “maple
roasted pork chops”, or “alder planked halibut”.
In the Fifties and Sixties of the last
century, when gas grills were introduced to the market, backyard cooks
were impressed by the easy and clean grilling method but they missed the
authentic grill flavour.
That was the time when the old tradition
- cooking on a wood plank - has been rediscovered.
Grilling on a BBQ
Chilliwack Plank
When wood smolders it releases smoke into the
air.
Smoke surrounds the food in the closed grill and
infuses it with wonderful, smoky
flavour, and that’s
what we love about grilled meals.
The smoldering wood also releases water vapour and
the plank protects the meat and the fish against too much heat.
The result is a more tender and moister food.
Roasting on a Chilliwack
Plank
That is an unique, healthy and natural way of cooking.
Cooking planks
can be used year round in a conventional
oven.
It can be cooked almost everything on
a roasting plank: meals with chicken, pork, turkey, salmon,
vegetables, and much more.
The food will be infused with a light steam aroma of
the plank.
The Wood Species
Western Redcedar
.
Sweet, spicy flavour;
mildly astringent;
.
.
Goes best with salmon, pork, lamb, and
also with veggies, cheese, and fruits.
Red Alder
.
Mild, delicate with hints of vanilla;.
.
.
Traditionally used in the Pacific
Northwest to smoke salmon.
Hickory
.
Lusty smoky, bacon-like flavour;
.
.
Excellent with pork, red meat, and
cheese.
Bigleaf Maple
.
Sweet, butter-like flavour;
.
.
.
It works with almost everything, but is
best suited to pork and poultry.
Grilling on a BBQ Chilliwack Plank in a Closed Grill
1. Soak the Plank:
Soak your plank in water for at least 1
hour before use, ideally, soak your plank over night.
You may add juice, wine or whisky to the
water.
Hardwoods like alder, hickory, and
bigleaf maple need to be soaked longer than western redcedar.
Planks float, so you need to weigh them
down, but don’t use cans, because they could rust!
2. Prepare your Food:
Before starting to grill, make sure your
food is ready to go.
3. Preheat your Grill:
Preheat your grill for medium high direct
cooking.
Your gas grill needs about 5 minutes,
your charcoal grill about 20 minutes.
4. Prepare your Plank:
Take the plank out of the water, rinse it
well, and place it - rough side down - on the cooking grate.
Close the grill immediately!
5. Preheat your Plank:
After a few minutes the plank starts to
crackle and some smoke will come out of the grill.
Planks have the tendency to bend.
That’s not a fault - far from it!
But if you wish to have them straight
during the time of preheating, put a clean brick on the planks.
6. Put your Food on the Plank:
Leave at least 1” up to 2”
(2.5 up to 5 cm) margin around the edges. Close the lid !
7. Turn the Heat down:
To allow the food to cook more gently,
turn the heat down to medium or medium -low, especially on gas
grills. There should be an internal chamber temperature of 350
- 500° F (175 - 260°C).
8. Monitore the Grill:
Never stay too far from your grill !
If flare-ups occure take your
water-filled spray bottle and put the flames out.
Don’t open the lid too often as
that will encourage the plank to burn!
9. Take the Food and the Plank
.....off the
Grill:
You may serve your planked food on the
plank and place it on a heat resistant plate on the table -
that looks very delicious - or you take the food off the plank
and place it on a dish.
Caution: Don’t forget to take off the plank from
the hot cooking grate !
...............Dunk it in water immediately to make sure it’s
completely out !
10. Cleaning and Storage:
You can reuse your plank 2 to 3 times.
Hardwood planks stand up best to multiple uses because they are
denser, redcedar is lighter and tends to char and crumble
faster.
Wash them after use with warm soapy water
and store them upright in a place with good air circulation.
Roasting on a Chilliwack
Plank in
a Conventional Oven
1. New planks
must be seasoned with olive oil or vegetable oil on the top
surface, but do not apply oil on the underside of the plank.
....After
several uses the plank will turn into a rich dark brown colour
and seasoning is no longer required.
2. Preheat
the roasting plank in the oven for about 15 minutes at
350°F ( approx. 180°C)
3. Place
the food on the plank. Do not raise the oven temperature above
400°F (approx. 200°C).
....Caution: Since the plank absorbs heat and is hot when
it’s removed from the oven, always wear oven mitts and
place
...................the plank on a heatproof trivet!....................
4. To
clean your plank, use a soft brush and warm soapy water. Never
wash your roasting plank in a dish washer!
Store your roasting plank
in a place with good air circulation.
Our BBQ Planks and our Roasting Planks are
made of all natural, untreated, kiln dried (approx. 8%) wood,
manufactured in first class quality
according to European standard.
We are exporting to European countries
such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland !
Chilliwack Plank
4 grilling planks = 1 set
Dimensions of our grilling planks:
3/8“ x 7“ x 14“
(approx. 9 x 175 x 355 mm)
Dimensions of our roasting planks:
1 1/2“ x 6“ x 14“
(approx. 37 x 165 x 355 mm)
