The traditional food to cook on a cedar plank is a salmon filet. This delicious method was an original camp cooking technique developed in the Northwest – Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska – that neck of the woods. You caught a salmon from the river, built a campfire right there, split a red cedar log into a plank, filleted the fish, then cooked and ate the salmon right there. Delicious and IMPOSSIBLE to have fish any fresher … unless you made sashimi, of course.

Cooking on a plank is also the original form of the cooking method we’re calling “stoking.” That is cooking with a combination of steam and smoke. Kelly Craig, LLC has taken plank cooking and stoking to a whole new level. They offer a whole line of cooking planks in a variety of wood species including cedar, maple, cherry, oak, and more. They even have a unique system by which you can hook planks of different species together to get the combined benefits of both wood smoke flavors.

As the following recipes deliver clear evidence, plank cooking isn’t just for salmon any more. If you can grill it, if you can bake it in the oven – then you can add to it by cooking it on a plank. The seasoning of wood smoke, boosts the flavor of nearly any food in a wonderful new direction. 50 Campfires took on planking of salmon, rib eye steak, shrimp, meatloaf, and pizza. Start experimenting with plank cooking and you’ll soon come up with your own favorites.

Wood Plank Salmon Recipe

 

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You’ve probably heard of planked salmon. Chances are you’ve even enjoyed this taste treat yourself. The wood for the plank on which the salmon is cooked is traditionally western red cedar, and the results are very, very good. But adding a second or even a third flavor of smoke takes salmon to the next level even in the short cooking time to keep it moist and tender. By adding a Smoke Sack or BBQ Drop, Soak & Smoke … or two … to the grill on which you’re plank cooking the salmon gives you that option conveniently and easily. With the salmon on a cedar plank, we suggest supplemental smoke of alder, apple, or peach.

Author: 50 Campfires

Cuisine: Seafood

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz. salmon fillet
• 2 Tbsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. dried dill
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
• olive oil
• 1 Kelly Craig BBQ Cedar Plank
• Kelly Craig Smoke Sack or BBQ Drop, Soak & Smoke – wood of your choice

Instructions

1. Submerge plank in hot water for one hour.
2. Dry one side of plank with paper towel.
3. Drizzle dried side with olive oil and rub it in.
4. Preheat grill to 450F.
5. Select a Smoke Sack or BBQ Drop, Soak & Smoke puck (try maple or cherry if you’re looking for suggestions)
6. Soak Smoke Sack or BBQ Drop, Soak & Smoke and prepare per instructions on package. Place next to heat source on grill.
7. Mix salt, sugar, garlic, basil, paprika, tarragon, lemon zest in bowl.
8. Place salmon on plank skin side down and rub in mixture to meat.
9. Place rosemary sprig on top.
10. Turn down to medium heat, and place plank over direct heat until it begins to smolder.
11. Move to indirect heat and close lid keeping at 450F.
12. Cook for 6-8 minutes until salmon is 145 degrees in thickest center.
13. Remove and enjoy.

3.5.3239

Wood Plank Rib Eye Steak with Onions & Mushrooms

 

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The fastest two ways to mess up a good rib eye steak is to 1) over-season it with too much spice that masks the combination of the beef and the light smoke you get from grilling it, and 2) over cooking it. Medium rare is heaven. Anything beyond medium is a mortal sin. Beef can handle more powerfully flavored smoke. In fact, it benefits from it. For the first time out, try a blended plank of maple and cherry or cherry and cedar. For an authentic western smoke flavor boost, add a mesquite smoke sack or BBQ Drop, Soak & Smoke to the heat. In the short period you’ll cook the steaks to get them up to medium rare, it will add just the right amount of mesquite smoke flavor.

Author: 50 Campfires

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• Rib eye steak(s) about ¾-1 inch thick
• ½ large sweet onion for each steak to be cooked
• 2 medium portabella mushroom caps for each steak
• extra-virgin olive oil
• garlic salt
• fresh-ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak planks in water or white wine for at least one hour.
2. Start ample quantity of charcoal in chimney. Allow to burn to gray ash and intense orange glow.
3. While charcoal is lighting, lay steaks out and allow to come to room temperature. Just before cooking, season them liberally on both sides with garlic salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Slice onions about ½-inch thick. Handle carefully to keep the slices intact, not separating into rings.
5. If mushroom caps are thicker than ½-inch, slice them to even depth as onions.
6. Lightly oil both the tops and gill side of mushroom caps and both sides of onion slices with olive oil.
7. When charcoal is ready, create pile of coals on one end of grill for high heat direct grilling. Make large enough so that the coal bed will be under entire bottom surface of plank(s). If using a gas grill turn at least one burner on high to create a high heat cooking area.
8. As grill comes up to temp, lay plank(s) over direct heat area.
9. When temp of direct heat zone reaches at least 600° F, flip planks and move to indirect heat cooking area.
10. Lay steak(s) over direct heat and sear each side for about 1 minute until nice crust develops.
11. As the steak sears, cover the slightly charred surface of planks with onion slices and mushroom caps.
12. When both sides of the steak(s) are seared to your liking. Use a tongs to carefully lay the steak on top of the onions and mushrooms.
13. Slide the planks and their contents into position over direct heat cooking area(s).
14. Cook until meat temp or feel comes up to your desired doneness.
15. Remove planks and contents from grill and set on heat safe surface.
16. Tent loosely and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
17. Dive in!

3.5.3239

Campfire Planked Shrimp

 

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As seafood goes, shrimp have very mild flavor. It’s there, but it needs to be coaxed out and complimented. Some recipes are delicious in overpowering the taste of shrimp – like the heavy garlic in scampi for example. But stoking is about bringing out the best from all kinds of food through seasoning by the smoke and the steam. Multi Flavored Planks are about experimenting and finding your own favorites, but a great starting point for this recipe is the combination of cedar and maple. If you like shrimp, you’ll love this preparation.

Author: 50 Campfires

Cuisine: Seafood

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of 26-30 size shrimp – deveined, but shells intact
• 2 packages cedar/maple Kelly Craig Blended Oven Planks
• olive oil
• ¼ cup chives, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• For brine:
• 3 quarts fresh water
• ¾ cups kosher salt
• 1 lemon – halved
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• Fresh sprigs of thyme or your other favorite herbs
• For basting sauce:
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. sea salt

Instructions

1. Mix brine in a large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Immerse raw shrimp (thawed if previously frozen) in brine.
3. Squeeze in and add lemon halves and herbs.
4. Stir gently to mix.
5. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
6. Soak planks submerged in water or white wine for 1 hour.
7. If you’re cooking on a campfire, start preparing coal bed at least an hour before cooking time, or half hour if you will be cooking on charcoal grill. You need a bed of glowing coals about 3-4 inches deep, large enough to support the planks entirely. Fan excess ash from coals with a piece of cardboard.
8. Drain shrimp and discard the brine.
9. Lay out shrimp on paper towels and pat dry.
10. Combine basting sauce ingredients in large bowl and mix well.
11. Add shrimp, and gently toss to coat.
12. Remove planks from soaking and pat cooking side dry with paper towels.
13. Drizzle olive oil on cooking side and wipe across surface with folded paper towel.
14. Arrange shrimp in tight rows down the length of each plank. They should curl against each other.
15. Place the planks directly on the coal bed with some coals on the exposed corners of plank.
16. Close cover on grill or tent planks with aluminum foil on campfire coals.
17. Cook for 6 minutes or until shrimp are pink. DO NOT OVERCOOK or shrimp will turn rubbery.
18. For dramatic presentation, use tongs to remove planks from coals and lay them on heat proof tray or surface, making certain they are complete extinguished.
19. Squeeze on fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with chives.

3.5.3239

Campfire Meatloaf

 

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You may not think of meatloaf as a dish to make over a campfire, but with some prep ahead and using a plank to cook it directly on the fire, meatloaf can be nearly as convenient as plain ol’ hamburgers. You can get as exotic as you’d like in mixing meats, but remember you need fat to make this recipe work and the meatloaf hold together. We used a combination of ground venison and ground pork sausage, but use any ground meat that provides a 15-20 percent fat content across the mix. Use your remote thermometer to make certain you achieve proper internal temperature for the meat(s) you select.

Author: 50 Campfires

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• Glaze:
• ½ cup ketchup
• 3 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• Meatloaf:
• 4 oz. cornbread stuffing mix
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ½ bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. fresh bulk pork sausage, spiciness to taste
• ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Soak Family Griller Plank in water for one hour. Make sure it’s fully submerged the whole time.
2. At home, mix glaze ingredients. Store in jar in cooler.
3. At home, use food processor to combine stuffing, chili powder, black pepper, and cumin. Process until finely chopped. Store in 1-gallon zipper-top bag.
4. Build a campfire to create a good bed of coals that will deliver at least 450° F, or set up zone fire in grill for both direct and indirect heat zones.
5. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook until onion is soft – about 6-8 minutes – stirring frequently. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds.
6. Allow to cool slightly, then add to zipper top bag with stuffing mixture.
7. Also to that bag, add meat, milk, eggs, parsley, and salt.
8. Close the bag and knead carefully until all ingredients are well-mixed.
9. After plank has soaked at least an hour, remove from water and spray one side lightly with cooking spray.
10. Pour meat mixture onto oiled plank and mold into a loaf diagonally on plank.
11. Cover meatloaf and plank with foil so it just laps the edges of plank, but leaves underside exposed to the heat.
12. When campfire or grill is ready, place the plank over direct heat for 2-3 minutes until bottom begins to smolder.
13. Carefully remove foil and brush meatloaf with glaze. Replace foil and return to indirect heat.
14. Cook for another 45-50 minutes until internal temp reaches 155° F.
15. Remove from grill. Keep foil in place and let rest for 10-12 minutes.
16. Pour or brush on remaining glaze. Garnish with parsley. Slice and serve.

3.5.3239

Asian Inspired Campfire Pizza

 

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Cooked over a campfire or on a grill, with the subtle smokiness provided by the Family Griller Plank, this chicken pizza will become a family camping favorite – and it’s so easy.

Author: 50 Campfires

Serves: 1 pizza

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• ¾ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (8 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Sriracha Sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 12-inch ready-to-serve pizza crust
• 1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
• ½ cup small snow pea pods
• ⅓ cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Soak Family Griller Plank in water for one hour. Make sure it’s fully submerged.
2. Build a campfire to create a good bed of coals that will deliver at least 375° F, or set up zone fire in grill, so it has both direct and indirect heat zones.
3. Heat skillet to high heat over grill or campfire.
4. Add oil and coat skillet well.
5. Add chicken and grated ginger. Stir-fry for two minutes. Add garlic. Stir-fry one more minute until chicken is no longer pink in center.
6. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in tomato sauce, Sriracha Sauce, and soy sauce.
7. Spoon and spread chicken mixture onto pizza crust to within ½ inch of edge.
8. Top with drained water chestnuts, pea pods, and onion. Sprinkle with cheese.
9. After plank has soaked at least an hour, remove from water and spray one side lightly with cooking spray.
10. Place pizza on oiled side of plank and cover with foil so it just laps the edges of plank, but leaves underside exposed to the heat.
11. When campfire or grill is ready, place the plank over the direct heat for about 2-3 minutes until bottom begins to smolder.
12. Move the plank to indirect heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until pizza is heated through and cheese is melted.
13. Sprinkle with cilantro and dr

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PRO TIP: For any of these recipes you choose to try, there are a number of plank options. One of the most versatile is the Kelly Craig Family Griller Plank, also known as the Pizza Plank. If you want to try combining the unique seasonings of different hardwoods, you can buy the Mix-N-Match planks that allow pairing of two or more types of wood in a single plank. (The real “pro tip” is TAKE NOTES! There are so many combos you’ll want to remember your favorites!)   BUY NOW!