Ahi Tuna Steaks and a Cedar Plank

Lost in utah

I used WessB's cooking method for Ahi Tuna steaks and they came out great. How would you use a cedar plank when the cook is so fast? Would cedar add to the flavor?

stike

Lost in Utah,
tuna steaks are very firm, and suited to grilling fast over high heat.[p]planking is suited to flakey fish which bakes or smokes rather than grills. the plank is a primitive indirect barrier, and a tool for handling the fish itself.[p]you usually see salmon paired with cedar and alder mainly because, well, where there is salmon, there is cedar and alder. [p]you might try the ahi tuna on cedar, but it's sorta like mixing metaphors. can't help to try it, but tuna is a mild flavor, and cedar is decidedly not (depending on the smoke). I happen to like the slightly resiny taste of cedar on salmon, wich is smooth and fatty. just not sure cedar translates well to everything. [p]if i had a nice tuna steak, i'd grill it.

Lost in utah

Thank you stike for the great information! I will have to try salmon on a cedar plank.

Unknown

Lost in Utah,
I'll second Stikes recomendation. Cedar and salmon are a good combo. Tuna and direct grill are a good combo. Experiment away, but try the Cedar/salmon a couple of times to be sure you know what flavor it brings. It really helps out the (gasp) farm raised Atlantic salmon my wife buys at the big box store. Marinate in some Italian salad dressing, shake on some DP Raging River, put it on a wet Cedar plank which goes on the grid of a 400 egg about 10 min and you will have a happy mouth. Wash off the Cedar and reuse a couple more times.
Good luck with all of this.