Cedar planks are a great tool for making healthy, low-fat, high-flavor foods. The cooking is simple, as you will see in the recipe provided. Cedar planks help to maintain the moisture of the foods cooked on them, and a subtle wood flavor is imparted into the foods so they don’t need a lot of seasonings or butter. The foods take a little longer to cook, but that also means there is more room for error — if the foods cook on the plank a little too long, they are still moist and tender. Moisture is maintained even in hard-to-cook foods like boneless, skinless chicken breast or lean fish like halibut.
Difference between cooking/baking and BBQ planks – The Cedar Baking Planks can be used over and over again for years, while the Cedar BBQ Planks are for one-time use. The baking planks are always used in an indoor conventional oven. They don’t have to be soaked in water, as they are never exposed to live flame. The BBQ planks are always soaked in water for a minimum of one to two hours, as they are exposed to live flames on the grill and are encouraged to catch fire, providing a rich smoky flavor to the foods that are cooked on them.
Plank-Roasted Pork Loin Chops with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary
Serves 4
¼ cup whole garlic cloves, peeled
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 boneless pork loin chops, 1½ inches thick (see note)
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
12 very small new red potatoes, quartered
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
Special equipment: 2 large cedar baking planks*
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Toss the garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place on a cedar plank and set in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Then place in a food processor and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Process until pureed.
Season the chops with half of the salt and pepper. Rub the roasted garlic puree all over the chops. Then sprinkle each chop with 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary. Place the chops on one of the planks.
When I started cooking on cedar planks, it was with salmon or seafood because the plank helps to maintain the natural moisture of the food. Then I decided that what needs to maintain its moisture even more is a pork chop. This is the first recipe I ever tried with pork chops and planks. Now I don’t eat them any other way. They are absolutely incredible — done on a plank, they maintain their moisture level and you’ve got a wide window for error. If you leave them cooking a little longer, they are still going to be moist and tasty, and on a plank you also get the subtle flavors of the wood. It’s just amazing!
