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Plank Cooking

Joki Lintu
Joki Lintu Posts: 2
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I'm a newbie to the BGE who has just plank-cooked some salmon.
Question: Is it advisable to use lumber store cedar for cooking? I wonder if there are any chemicals used during the processing.
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Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    furniture grade cedar (or maple) planks are good.

    frankly, i use cedar shingles, but i know what to look for. any cedar that is sold as treated, rot-resistant or treated for fire-resistance will be marked as such and will cost more. the cedar shingle and shake bureau (an industry board) is fairly nutty about consistency in labeling and all that jazz.

    they don't treat them with chemicals unless they are getting paid for it.

    there is no such thing as "culinary grade cedar"
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Joki Lintu
    Joki Lintu Posts: 2
    Thank you. I'm located in Eastern Ontario and will check my local lumber dealer. And also my own workshop as I have a selection of maple, cherry and ....
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    exactly. furniture grade is what you'd ask for. untreated, etc.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Joki Lintu,

    Wherabouts are you located in Eastern Ontario?

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,710
    have to agree with stike again. was at Lowe's in Toronto on the weekend and looked at a giant bundle of British Columbia red cedar shingles, here's the only label attached to it:
    front
    cedarshingleslabel.jpg
    reverse:
    cedarshingleslabel2.jpg
    holy smoke, looks like their regulations and standards are stricter than those for swine and beef! according to the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau web site, if it's treated, there should be two labels, one from milling company and the other from the treatment company. stike, what do you think? do you avoid using those with knots? do you sand them to avoid splinters in the food? does the tapered end of the shingle char easily? sorry for so many questions.

    anyway, since I didn't want that whole pile and not sure about the knots etc, I cherry-picked this untreated 6 inch x 6 FT cedar fence board for less than $5, it's so perfect there isn't a single knot on it...
    Picture003-1.jpg
    canuckland
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    just saw this. sorry for the delay.

    i have 18" undercourse shingles. some small knots, etc. they were left over from when i bought them for use as shims.

    i cut off the thin end and soak fr maybe 20 minutes.

    no sanding. they don't get splintery or anything.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,710
    Thanks Stike, you're right about no sanding, the shrink-wrapped 'culinary cedar' plank I used for the mashed sweet potato in this cook has more knots and rougher surfaces than my fence boards...
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=640335&catid=1
    canuckland
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