Summer time is a time for grilling. (Actually we grill all year around in our house, yes even in the snow. ) As much as we grill we never really have tried grilling on planks.
I was so happy when I received an email from Beyond Salt and Pepper to try grilling on their planks. These planks are not your ordinary grilling planks. They have been pre-soaked for 48 hours in wine or spirits. They are vacuum sealed while still soaked to preserve the aromas and flavors. They are all ready to use. They can be used on the grill and in the oven.
My first thought was this will be great for the restaurant. So I brought them up there. When the Chef didn’t use them after a month, I took possession of the planks back and we enjoyed the “last supper” cooking on the planks before the summer season arrived where our time together will be limited.
The Planks
We used the Merlot, Bourbon and Chardonnay planks. Each plank measures 6” wide by 12” long and is 0.375 thick. All the wood is harvested in Maine and Florida by family farms and local foresters and the wine and spirits used to infuse the wood are all produced in the USA. They are all natural, there are no chemicals or additives. You can’t go wrong with these!
The Prep
There is some prep to do with the planks but it’s minimal like 5 minutes. First you heat the grill to medium-high. Once pre-heated place prepared plank on grill and close the lid and heat for 2 minutes. Turn plan over and repeat for 2 minutes. Once plank begins to crackle put the food on the planks and re-close lid.
We did a variety of food on the planks to see what tasted the best and on what plank. We grilled ribeye, salmon, wahoo, and asparagus. It all went pretty easy and the food tasted fantastic! All of us thought the salmon tasted the best on the plank.
To more information on Beyond Salt and Pepper visit the website at https://beyondsaltandpepper.com/. In addition to the planks they also have pre-soaked chips ready to use.
