Note about the guest blogger- Jake Donahue
Jake is a man of many talents- he makes a living as a designer, writer, photographer, multimedia-er (check out his stuff st www.jakedonahue.com) but he makes a stir when at the grill. Thanks Jake!
Salmon, salmon, salmon. When it comes to cedar grilling planks, it’s always salmon – be it covered in brown sugar or honey, barbecue sauce or herbs. Sockeye salmon. King salmon. Chinook, Coho and Pink salmon. That’s the only way you can use wood on top of a grill.
Cedar plank salmon, right?
It got me thinking: If salmon tastes so great coming off a chunk of grilled timber, what about other meats? Like Pork? Chicken? Lamb?
Holy Toledo, what about steak?
If you can churn out some of the best fish on a cedar plank it seemed to me that steak would be the obvious next choice. It’s already synonymous with barbecuing fame. If you simply separated the fire and meat by a layer of naturally-scented wood, the outcome would have to be magical. I decided to try.
Picking a chunk of beef to use, however, would prove the most tedious chore. I wasn’t sure if I wanted a succulent ribeye or flavorsome New York strip. Filet mignon would have to be amazing, as well. But since I had never done this before, I decided to use a lesser, yet still worthy cut, the always tasty flank steak.
Now I’m no grilling novice. Even at the young age of 26, I consider myself a barbecue veteran. Michael Jordan has yet to accomplish in the NBA what I’ve already done on my patio – when I open the lid to my Brinkman, people stand up. What’s more, my flank steak is legendary. Seriously.
At first, I was scared to tinker with perfection. My marinated meat is seldom less than masterful. But by the same token, what better way to test a new technique than to rival a work of art. So instead of my usual preparation, I went at this sans any marinade. It would only cover the cedar scent if I were to drown my delightful concoction in any sauce of sorts.
It would have to be a dry rub. But to avoid anything too dry, a baste would be in order.
Having never used a cedar grilling plank before, I decided to do the manly thing and throw caution to the wind. Instructions? Who needs ‘em? I’m sure a bath of no less than 60 minutes would surely suffice for the wood, followed by a quick pre-heat on a hot grill. (Nevertheless, Outdoor Gourmet makes instructions almost impossible to miss, as they’re etched directly on the plank!)
I rubbed, seared, basted, grilled and cedar planked my flank steak to a perfect rare. Oh, sure, it looked absolutely amazing. You could have featured it on epicurious.com. But I was scared to try it.
What if it was too dry or too tough? Normally I marinate flank steak for hours – there’s nothing more juicy or tender. My wife, who was about to be my test dummy on this new meat-torching technique, would certainly tell me if it sucked. I don’t know if I wanted to hear that. I don’t know if my ego could hear that.
Before I thought about it too much longer, I manned up. I took the rarest, bloodiest chunk I could muster from the sliced meat, held my breath, closed my eyes and threw it in my mouth.
It took less than a second to realize the mistake I just committed. Something was very seriously wrong. I had to try another piece to verify my gut reaction. Surely, I had to be wrong. What was going through my mind scared the living hell out of me. But I was right the first time. Still, I needed another bite.
One more, just to confirm.
Damn. I could not believe it. The biggest blunder I never considered just reared its ugly head. I was so preoccupied with how this couldn’t work that I never stopped to ponder how it could.
And work, it did.
Simply put, I have eaten no greater piece of meat. If there is a hall of fame for barbecuing, I can only assume it be built of cedar, for what I just did to this flank steak is the best thing to ever happen to flank steak.
This was good. So friggin’ good. The best part? It was easy. So friggin’ easy. I can’t believe I went this long without ever trying cedar plank steak. I’m not sure I can go back to the “old” way of grilling, using just a metal grill and fire. Sizzling sirloin and flame-crusted ribeye be damned, you’re about to walk the cedar plank.
And move over, salmon. Prepare for a steak through your heart.
SWEET AND SPICY CEDAR GRILLING PLANKED FLANK STEAK
(Big enough to serve 4, tasty enough for just 2)
DRY RUB
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Onion Salt
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Paprika
1 Tbsp. Crushed Red Peppers
BASTE
1/3 Cup Sweet Chili Sauce
1/4 Cup Zesty BBQ Sauce
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Honey
STAR OF THE SHOW
32-ounce flank steak
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Soak cedar grilling plank in water for one hour.
2. In a small bowl, mix all dry rub ingredients. Then, cover steak in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, followed by the dry rub. Massage spices deep into the meat and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat barbecue to High (500 degrees). Once hot, place cedar grilling plank on grill for 5 minutes. While the grilling plank is heating up, mix all ingredients for the baste with a fork.
4. After the grilling plank has heated, reduce heat to medium-high and sear both sides of steak directly on grill for 2 minutes. Flip cedar grilling plank over so you can lay steak on the heated side of the wood. Generously brush on baste over the top of the steak. Reduce heat to medium-low and close lid.
5. After 10 minutes, flip steak and brush with remaining baste, then close lid. Wait 10 minutes for Rare (perfect!), 15 for medium (meh) and 20 for well-done (why kill it twice!?).
6. Pull grilling plank and steak from grill and cover with foil for ten minutes before slicing. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with wild brown rice, red wine-sautéed mushrooms and chopped green onions. Enjoy!
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$9.95
This is a little wider grilling plank than our 5.25". They give you more room to add extras alongside your favorite grilled meat. They are seconds so they have minor flaws but they are still great for grilling.
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Alder grilling planks in our largest size are perfect for entertaining! Try grilling our Lemon Basil Chicken recipe on an alder plank.
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This is our best selling grilling plank. It's a great all-purpose plank. Keep some on hand. (5.25" x 11.75" net size)
$14.95
Oh the wonderful flavor of Hickory! People have smoked fish and other meats with hickory chips and shavings for years. Try that in a grilling plank. (5.25" x 11.75" net size)
$40.99
Maple grilling planks make great grilled vegetables, especially stuffed mushrooms. (5.25" x 8" net size)
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When using Cedar Skewers make sure to cook the meat separate from the veggies as they cook at different rates!
$4.95
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Cedar planked grilled salmon on these personal sized grilling planks makes for a dramatic presentation right on your plate. (5.25" x 8" net size)
$9.95
These personal-sized hickory grilling planks should just be called "Burger Boards." They are the perfect size for burgers of all descriptions. Try our Bison Burger recipe! (5.25" x 8" net size)
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