Note about the Guest Blogger-

Dr. Katie Cooper is a professor of Geophysics at Washington State University. When she isn't rocking out (Geology joke!), she can be found at the bar, running, doing yoga, or with her nose in a scholarly, leather-bound book.   Thanks Dr. Katie!

Planking During a Blizzard

A night of Honey Adobo Chipotle Pepper Glazed Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Black Beans and Rice... and 18 inches of snow.

I like challenges. Itʼs true; trust me, Iʼve done some crazy stuff just for sheer bragging rights. But grilling outside during a full-blown blizzard with sideways snow as my first attempt at planking? Yeah, count this Texan girl out. I had my heart set on some plank chops for a spectacular dinner, yet as the day progressed it became quickly apparent that I was either going to have to change my expectations or find a plan B.

Plan B?

Oven planking. Sure, itʼs not as exhilarating as playing with open flames (though there is an element of adrenaline-inducing anxiety that you might burn down your home), but itʼll suffice when your grill is covered with a foot of snow. So, I set to soaking my planks and pre-heating my oven to 350F. My preferred method of soaking calls upon the use of rocks. I am a geologist after all, and happen to have plenty at my disposal (Iʼve also used rocks as pie crust weights). If you really want to know, the rocks I used to weigh down the planks are high alumina olivine tholeites or if youʼre one of the cool kids, HAOT rocks (pronounced “hawt.” Like the dates I donʼt procure because of my geogeekery). So, while things are heating up and absorbing water (keep in mind you need to soak for at least an hour and your oven probably does not take an entire hour to reach 350F, so you might want to adjust your timing), I started prepping my glaze for the pork chops.

The Glaze.

I went with a honey adobo chipotle pepper glaze based on a recommendation of a full-fledged hottie (not a HAOT-tie; no worries, I actually do land some dates when I shut up with the rock shop talk).

The glaze sounds exotic, yet itʼs amazingly simple. You go buy yourself a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (available in most grocery stores since I found it in the boondocks of Eastern Washington). Take one chili from the can and mush it up in a bowl, then add a spoonful or two of honey and adobo sauce (the sauce the chilies are packed in) and some chopped up green onions. Stir and then smear that delightful concoction on your pork chops and youʼre ready to go. That night I decided to pair the pork chops with black beans and rice with sweet potatoes, so I decided to oven plank the taters as well.

The Tubers.

Have you planked sweet potatoes? If not, I recommend you do so, stat (seriously itʼs just that good that I feel obliged to pull my doctor card and use terms like “stat” even though I technically can only employ that term during rock emergencies). For the sweet potatoes, I chopped them into chunks and drizzled them with olive oil and then added a sprinkling of kosher salt and ground pepper. They are amazing vehicles to take in all of that smokey flavor. So, so good! And I donʼt lie, folks.

Prior to placing my prepped goodies on the baking plank, I greased those suckers up with olive oil to ensure less sticking on the plank and even more delicious flavoring. Then I crossed my fingers (that I wouldnʼt burn down my apartment) and slid the baking planks into the oven for some food science magic. I kept a close eye on the whole business for about an half hour until the sweet potatoes cooked to the desired tenderness (you should be able to easily spear them with a fork) and appropriate done-ness of the pork (use your own judgment and meat thermometer).

The Plating.

I plated the meal with fresh avocado slices and a bit more of the adobo sauce. Delicious! As I mentioned before, the sweet potatoes picked up the amazing smokey cedar flavor and the plank chops showcased the sweet, caramelized flavor of the glaze. And to top it all off? It was super easy clean up! And I did not burn down the place! Phew!

So in complete pride and self-satisfaction, I sat by the window with my tasty meal and smugly watched the snow come down. Hey you fluffy white stuff trying to keep me away from planking? Oh, I donʼt think so.

Welcome to your weekend.