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New here...and cedar plank salmon

I've been lurking here since getting LBGE in January and have learned a lot but decided to finally sign up for the forum and participate. Have done 3-4 low and slow pork butts, ribs and burgers. Wife's parents are coming tonight and want cedar plank salmon on the Egg. Anyone have a good process/recipe? What's the ideal dome temp? Direct or indirect? How long to cook? All that good stuff. Appreciate any help I can get and look forward to interacting more here. Thanks!

Comments

  • Firstly, welcome to the lifestyle!

    Now, with regards to the salmon, there are lots of ways to do it. I will often put a thin coat of maple or dijon mustard topped with brown sugar. I do mine raised direct at 350*. Usually takes about 30 minutes or so. I use my thermapen and consider it done at an it of 140*
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • Welcome. 

     

    I do planked Salmon direct at 300° until largest portion is 130° internal temp.  I like Dizzy Pig Raging River with a coating of maple syrup and butter at the end.  Soak the plank before cooking.

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Welcome....
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Welcome to the forum. 

    I loosely do what Smitty does, except sans anything sweet
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • ^ditto

    If the char isn't too bad, you can get a couple uses out of the cedar planks.  I buy them off season, and they are much cheaper.  But I cut the price in half at least by squeaking another cook out of them.  Scour the fish side under hot water, maybe hit it with a lemon after.


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    Seneca Falls, NY

  • leo123
    leo123 Posts: 101
    Try this one I found on the web. Did it a couple of times with great success and flavours. I am actually going to make this again tomorrow.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    Soak the cedar for 4 hours.  Direct Raised grid.  350 to 375 dome.  I found that 375 is better.  Once fire is ready and burning clear,  place the plank on the raised grid for 3 minutes.  Flip the plank and out on your fish.  Apply the glaze and remove the plank and fish from the grill in about 20-30 minutes when the think part of the fish reads 140.   Here is the recipe....
    It's a big hit, easy and delicious... BTW I remove most of the Jalepenos seeds so it is not too hot.  Good luck and let us know how it goes. 

    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
  • leo123
    leo123 Posts: 101
    Sorry link didn't show up I'll try again
  • leo123
    leo123 Posts: 101
    Wont let me post. I'll send it as a file
    image
  • Thanks everyone. I'll try to remember to take pictures tonight as I'm cooking.
  • Thanks to everyone for the advice. Got the Egg up and running at around 375-400 degrees. Waited for the smoke to clear and threw on some potatoes to bake before throwing the salmon on.

    Seasoned the salmon with a spice rub from a local spice shop — maple syrup, sweet paprika, salt, garlic, chiles and yellow mustard powder. It's a sweet rub with just a small hint of heat. Not much though as my mother-in-law can't handle anything too "hot."

    Everything turned out great, including my wife's garlic-sautéed spinach. Fish had great flavor and was very tender and moist. Not dried out at all.

    Toughest part was it started raining here in NC right as I got the fire going but the Egg didn't slow down.
  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
    Why is everyone cooking the salmon to such high temps (140)?  Is it just a personal preference thing?  I consider anything much north of 120 to be overdone.

    DISCLAIMER:  I've never done cedar plank salmon on my egg.
    Dallas (University Park), Texas
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    cssmd27 said:
    Why is everyone cooking the salmon to such high temps (140)?  Is it just a personal preference thing?  I consider anything much north of 120 to be overdone.

    DISCLAIMER:  I've never done cedar plank salmon on my egg.
    I hear ya brother.  I like all fish, depending on species, rare to raw (but some pickled and raw like mackerel).  But as often as I drink alone (sadly) I have to cook for others.  Even though I prefer to spank my salmon with heat and eat, I'll cook it more.  Salmon, unlike many other fish, is palatable overcooked.   Salmon is the pork butt of fish. High fat content.

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • ShadowNick
    ShadowNick Posts: 533
    I'll soak the plank if I'm cooking on a gasser, but it's a waste of time on the egg. Same reason we don't soak out smoking wood. Once you lock in a temp on the egg all available incoming oxygen is being consumed by the lump, leaving none for the plank to ignite. It will smolder and smoke, without waiting to steam off the water, which is exactly what you want.
    Pentwater, MI
  • SenecaTheYounger
    SenecaTheYounger Posts: 368
    edited April 2014
    The reason most soak cedar is because a lot of cedar smoke is bad.

    The soak will delay smoke's onset. Salmon is fattier than almost all other fish. And the resinous flavor of cedar helps to counter it. But too much resin can be deleterious.

    I am in utter agreement with you on all other woods. It isn't going to burst into flame if you do not soak it.

    But with cedar, we want to delay the smoke so that the salmon is not under smoke continuosly. This is also why it makes zero sense to soak the plank, then put it in and wait for it to smoke before adding the fish.

    Traditionally (by which I mean indigenously), salmon was cooked by leaning it up facing a fire on a cedar plank. Why cedar? Because it grows where the salmon is.

    We do it now for flavor.

    You just may find though that too much cedar smoke is too much of a food thing.

    You'll hear many say that softwoods are not suitable for smoking. This is foolish. Soft woods have been used for thousands of years, and still are. Just not in heavy amounts.

    The finest ham I ever had was in 1978, while still in the Air force. Black Forest. Smoked over juniper.

    Can't think of a more resinous soft wood than juniper.

    And God knows we like our gin.
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  • Forgive my typing errors

    I do not get to pick the phone they give me (I could, but I'll take "free" every time), and I can tell you that none of the experimental typing algorithms being tested are better than BlackBerry's, ca 2002.

    The phone was a nonperformer on all accounts. But it was an emailer's dream.

    Don't buy the six.

    You didn't hear that from me.
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    Copia ciborum subtilitas impeditur

    Seneca Falls, NY

  • ShadowNick
    ShadowNick Posts: 533
    edited April 2014
    @SenecaTheYounger‌ Those are good points. May have to try a back to back test of soaked vs unsoaked this summer sometime. I've always done my cedar planked grilling on the egg without soaking, and has been great, but will try soaking it. See if it comes out better!
    Pentwater, MI
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    @SenecaTheYounger‌
    I agree with 50 percent of what you said above. That are a lot of long words in the other 50 percent so I will give you the benefit of doubt and presume that you are right brother. I'm not sure on this but I think southern pipe is far more resinous than juniper as it literally oozes from the tree and pools on the ground. If I'm mistaken on this I welcome your correction my friend.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    That should have said southern pine not pipe. Sorry

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
    Try alder planks - much better than cedar IMO. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
  • Like @nolaegghead said, I cook mine to 140* because that's the way Mrs TOTN likes it.
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    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada