Grilling Planks: Just What the Family Ordered
Grilling is not just throwing food on the grill and tossing some BBQ sauce on it. Grilling is an art, some of us have the talent and some of us do not. Myself, I did not have any skills whatsoever when it came to grilling. Thankfully, for those of us that do not have the ‘gift’ to grill there are many different grill accessories that can help us.
Take for example, grilling planks. These are wonderful for grilling salmon and other delicate foods that would otherwise crumble when cooked on the grill. I personally used to have serious issues with cooking fish on the grill until I found out about grilling planks. Now my food not only tastes much better it even looks better once I take it off the grilling plank. Not to mention the fact I no longer lose half of the fish when I try to take it off the grill. So basically, I can have the flavor, the looks and the same amount of food I put on the grill when I take it off!
When I used to cook chicken on the grill I usually would overcook it, causing it to dry up completely. To get the kids to eat my dry flavorless chicken I would have to give them a dipping sauce. However, since I began to use cedar grilling planks my family hasn’t complained once. Whether you are a great griller or a griller like I used to be, adding some grilling planks to your collection of BBQ accessories could prove to be very beneficial!
Grilling planks are pretty easy to use and do not require a lot of preparation. I simply soak the plank in water for at least two hours before adding the food to it. Then I lightly oil the side I am putting the food on so the food doesn’t stick to the plank. Then I arrange my meal on the plank and put it on the grill. I find it best to keep the cover of the grill closed as much as possible to keep the flavor in the food. I noticed the more I would open the cover to check the food the less flavor my food would have when I took it off the grilling planks.
There are several different wood types available for grilling planks. Among them are:
• Pecan Grilling Planks
• Alder Grilling Planks
• Cedar Grilling Planks
• Cherry Grilling Planks
• Maple Grilling Planks
• White Oak Grilling Planks
• Hickory Grilling Planks
Cedar grilling planks are among the most popular grilling planks and my personal favorite. Many people enjoy the cedar-smoked taste on their fish and meats, just as I do. It adds a flavor that simply cannot be met by any other wood type in my opinion. However, I also enjoy the unique flavor hickory grilling planks and maple-grilling planks add to the pork products I grill.
For the veggies, I have yet to find a grilling plank that didn’t enhance the natural flavors of my vegetables perfectly. I tend to be quite picky when it comes to the flavor of my foods; yet, once I tried my first grilling plank I had to try others as well. I strongly suggest that you also try different grilling planks until you find the one that you can honestly say is your favorite.
