Cooking With Wood

Rascal

I'm not a big fan of a lot of smoke in my food but I'm curious about the subtle effect of wood. I've got a slew of untreated, cedar siding shingles from an on-going project on hand and wonder if they'd be appropriate for cooking. Cedar has a pleasant aroma in my closets but not sure about in my food. Anyway, I'm still willing to give it a try. Question is, would salmon be a good place to start, and if so, skin on or off? Sure wish I had a good source for the fresh lake, river or ocean varity, rather than the farm-raised stuff...

Thanks for any help, Rascal

"Sparky"

Salmon and cedar go together like beer and pretzels.I prefer to keep the skin on.

stike

cedar is a softwood, and resiny. about the only thing it's good for (i mean, you'd NEVER smoke a butt with it) is to introduce a little 'style' smoke to salmon, or other oily, strong fish.

planks are generally soaked to delay the smoke (think of it as more a homemade platesetter), with the added benefit that toward the end of the cook, the wood will dry out and you'll get a little hint of smoke. just as if you add it to your fire in the fireplace, if it burns in any good amount, you'll get creosote and a host of bad flavors/smells. it's really only intended to be used in a minor role.

too much smoke, like from a dry plank smoking throughout the cook, would give you an acrid, resiny, piney horrible flavor. but just a little, at the end, i find works with the fattier, fishier fish.

i cannot imagine any pork or beef that would benefit from it, though.

stike

...by the way.
i have untreated cedar shingles too. i use them for planking salmon. trim off the thin end, soak (weighted) in your sink for at least a half hour, and good to go.

one brown paper grocery bag full has lasted a few years, and i have most of them left.

Rascal

Thank you! I assume if you scrub them a bit afterwards (like cleaning a cast iron pan) they're good for another cook or two?

Rascal

stike

maybe. with a bag full, i 've gone a couple years. i can't imagine you'd need to reuse them.
besides, the fish oil and fat get into the pores. when done, toss 'em, and move on!

Rascal

I hear ya. Thanks!

Rascal