Where can I cook with a cooking plank?

We offer two different styles of cooking plank. One is used in an oven while the other is used on a barbeque. BBQ planks have a very limited life expectancy while cooking planks designed for use in an oven have properties similar to cast iron cookwear in that they are made to last a very long time and improve with age and use.

How does food acquire a flavor from the cooking plank? (oven cooking)

Oven use cooking planks impart flavor and aroma through the heating of the natural oils found in the wood. Food cooked on a plank retains a great deal of the original moisture. It's difficult to prepare food on a plank and have it come out dry.

What can I cook on a cooking plank? (oven cooking)

You can cook anything you would normally bake or broil in a pan in your oven and a lot of things you normally wouldn't. Anything from the more usual salmon or halibut filet to a vegetarian appetizer is a possibility. The results can be exciting variations of old favorites or imaginative new treats.

What do I have to do to prepare a plank for cooking? (oven cooking)

Before using your plank for the first time, season it as you would a cast-iron skillet. Coat the entire exterior of the plank in olive oil, vegetable oil or mineral oil and place on an upper rack in a 200 degree oven for one to two hours. Repeat this process (re-apply oil and replace in the oven) at least once and preferably twice. Your plank will now be non-stick and ready to offer you years of fine, sumptuous cooking.

And to actually cook something on it? (oven cooking)

Lightly oil just the top of your seasoned plank (with olive, vegetable or mineral oil) and place it on an upper rack in the oven. Bring oven temperature to 350-400 degrees and allow enough additional time for the plank to heat through. When the plank is hot, it's ready to use! Simply add the fish or other ingredients and cook according to baking timetables (Fish is always cooked at 10 minutes for each inch of thickness following the Canadian method).

Is my plank in danger of bursting into flames? (oven cooking)

Our planks are used in restaurants in ovens at over 550 degrees. The important thing to remember is to never let your plank come in direct contact with or too close to flame or heating element. We reccommend that you never try to use an oven-type plank on a barbecue. The purpose of BBQ planks is to produce a smokey flavor and to do that, the plank must be burning.

Should I choose cedar or alder? (oven cooking)

This is truly an individual preference thing... Cedar planks are thought of as providing a more aromatic effect while alder planks impart a nuttier flavor. Either one provides the succulence of plank cooking!

What are the bolts for? (oven cooking)

They are to insure that your plank will give you a lifetime of satisfaction. The bolts help insure that splitting does not occur due to temperature and humidity changes that are inherent in the use of a cooking plank. If you hear the bolts rattling, it is probably time to tighten them. This can usually be done with needle nose pliers.

Is a plank hard to clean after use? (oven cooking)

Your cooking plank can be cleaned as easily as your seasoned iron skillet. Warm water and a brush should be all you need. Although your plank can stand high temperature, don't put it in the dishwasher as the seasoning will be destroyed.

Is a cooking plank sanitary? (oven cooking)

Every time you pre-heat your plank in preparation for cooking that special treat, you are sterilizing it.

How does food acquire a flavor from the cooking plank? (BBQ cooking)

Planks used on a barbeque flavor food by subjecting the food to smoke from the burning plank. A BBQ Plank must be smoking to impart flavor. As with oven plank cooking, food cooked on a BBQ plank retains a great deal of the original moisture. It's difficult to prepare food on a plank and have it come out dry.

What can I cook on a cooking plank? (BBQ cooking)

You can cook anything on a BBQ plank that would benefit from addition of a smokey flavor. Anything from the more usual salmon or halibut filet to a vegetarian appetizer is a possibility. The results can be exciting variations of old favorites or imaginative new treats.

What do I have to do to prepare a plank for cooking? (BBQ cooking)

You should follow any instructions that come with your BBQ plank. If your plank is missing instructions, our BBQ planks come with the following instructions:

For at least one hour prior to use [the longer, the better], soak your BBQ cedar plank by submerging it in water. Fill your sink with a couple of inches of water, place your plank in the water and place an object heavy enough to maintain it under water, for instance a pan with water in it. It should not be floating.

And to actually cook something on it? (BBQ cooking)

When ready to cook, place your BBQ plank on the grill and wait until it starts to smoke. Then place your food on it. Lightly oil the top of your seasoned plank and place it on an upper rack in the oven. Bring oven temperature to 350-400 degrees and allow enough additional time for the plank to heat through. When the plank is hot, it's ready to use! Simply add the fish or other ingredients and cook according to baking timetables (fish is always cooked at 10 minutes for each inch of thickness).

Is my plank in danger of bursting into flames? (BBQ cooking)

BBQ planks are meant to use once or twice before becoming too charred for further use. Although a BBQ plank has to be burning to give the desired effect, smoldering is better than flaming. To get the most use of your planks and to ensure you don’t burn your food, keep a squirt gun or spray bottle with water handy to extinguish any flame-ups.

What should I do with my BBQ plank after I'm done cooking? (BBQ cooking)

Once finished cooking, submerge the plank in water briefly to make sure all traces of fire have been extinguished. Store in a fire-proof location. When your plank becomes unserviceable, break it up and use water-soaked pieces in the coals to provide more smoke.

Should I choose cedar or alder? (BBQ cooking)

This is truly an individual preference thing... Cedar planks are thought of as providing an aromatic effect while alder planks impart a nuttier flavor. Either one provides the succulence of plank cooking!

I have some lumber scraps laying around. Can I use those instead of buying BBQ planks from you or someone else? (BBQ cooking)

A lot of the cedar that is laying around has been treated with arsenic and pressure to prolong it's life in decks, fences or siding. Commercially available BBQ planks (including ours) are made only of totally untreated wood, providing a much safer cooking medium.