Northwest Indians "grill" or broil salmon by tacking them the cedar board and standing the board up around the a fire. But they use western red cedar. I thing "aromatic cedar" refers to eastern woods. I would worry about using easter cedar, but worry even more about using glue. The plank should be solid.
Landry's in Huntsville, AL (and probably other places) has cedar-planked Salmon. Come to you on a cedar shingle -- definitely *not* the old Army SOS. mmmm- good stuff. No, it's not the aromatic cedar.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Treated cedar planks, FYI, have nothing to do with glue. And if you're trusting recipe guides to tell you whether glue is toxic, well....
Now that's helpful Lew, was that so hard? Why'd you have to go on about troll shit? You really think knowledge about acronyms like MDI/TDI is "obvious"?
That's Western Cedar you're referring to. It's also what many food sites suggest for meat planking, but if you'll read the OP more carefully, you'll realize it specified aromatic, i.e., Eastern Cedar, a whole different wood. The former, BTW, is frequently mentioned for its toxicity (both dust and oil), the latter is not.
Who is it, exactly, that you think you're talking to?
H.
You think you do? OK, tell me.
Well, Mr. Executive, it is in fact my opinion that aromatic is the way to go for salmon. I like it better than Western Cedar, Alder, and Apple. That's a fact. That comment was furthermore in response to George, who questioned whether I meant aromatic or the more commonly used Western Cedar. If you want to get in a dander about that, then knock yourself out. If your opinion differs, fine. If you want to call others fools for not sharing your opinion, really, who's the fool?
If your panties are more wadded up because of the latter statement ("any wood can be used"), let me clarify: I meant most American woods, which have historically, anthropologically been used or experimented with as cooking utensils, specifically using the planking method. You are of course free to disagree with that statement of fact, but we would verify it from historians and anthropologists (not Executive Chefs).
Right. Now show me the bad reviews and deaths that resulted from using aromatic cedar, and you'll begin to show that you know what you're talking about. I'll even settle for one (even just one!) scientifically validated study that claims to demonstrate that aromatic cedar is toxic for plank cooking.
Now you've really hurt my feelings. Being an Executive Chef and all....
Well, you've got me dead to rights there. I mean, me not being an Executive Chef and all, I guess I had no business asking a question about it.
Oh, and the fact that you didn't answer the question speaks a tome or two.
Probably good advice (note the spelling there). I'll return the favor and suggest you stay in the kitchen and not try logic.
H"Aromatic cedar is NOT the right stuff to use to emulate Pacific NW salmon planking, For that, you want western red or white cedar, which is a very different thing from eastern aromatic cedar."
Your phrasing is correct, but I'm not trying to emulate Pacific NW planking.
Thanks for the link, ED. I was impressed that this mfg. had bothered to have their boards tested by the NFSC (although I have never heard of that agency, the FSIS is probably what they meant).
Northwestern Indians using Wester Red Cedar is well known, nor do I mean to disparage that fine tradition, but aromatic Cedar is what I meant and prefer.
The USDA giving an imprimatur for cedar planks? That strikes me as odd. Nothing comes up from their web site: do you have a source for that?
Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you use Western Cedar from the lumber yard?
You're probably right about the glue, and I probably won't ever use one, but I was curious so asked.
Regards, H
Thanks WB, those are some good ideas. Regards, H
Amazing what a man can learn if he's half a mind to. Might leave you a bit shy, but bookmark this :
Thanks George, that's a great site for acronyms. Thus:
MDI: Methylene Diphenylene Diisocyanate TDI: Toluenediisocyanate
...correct?
Since you mention it, what chemicals are used by aromatic cedar for fighting decay?
H.
No - likely. If you are heating the glue without heating it enough to cause complete combustion, then you can generate incomplete combustion byproducts.
So too with smoking tobacco - I don't do that either, nor would I recommend it to others.
The Romans used lead salts as sweeteners. You can do what you want - I'm just saying there are things that aren't a good idea no matter what the taste.
Mike
Ah, cleared it up, thanks.
I'm with you on the tobacco. But there is abundant and reliable scientific evidence for the dangers of smoking tobacco. Do you know of any reliable sources about aromatic cedar and cooking toxicity?
de salutate non disputandum est?
Good advice, thanks, H.
Ah, cleared it up, thanks.
I'm with you on the tobacco. But there is abundant and reliable scientific evidence for the dangers of smoking tobacco. Do you know of any reliable sources about aromatic cedar and cooking toxicity?
de salute non disputandum est?
Good advice, thanks, H.
Why not use fish glue?
Well darn, that was so obvious, why didn't I think of that? Hide glue (which is just protein, I think) might work fine too, but fish glue for fish plank...why oh why was my first inclination towards the most toxic glue?
Now the only question is whether it will hold up under moderate heat.
Thanks for whacking me upside the head, H
Hide glue softens with heat. Don't know about fish glue. Wheat paste?
Art
I think most protein-based glues will soften w/ heat, but perhaps by combining biscuits w/ the glue, the glue will hold things together long enough for the biscuits to expand and set the joint tight. Dowels might work, but biscuits would swell more and perhaps maintain the joint. Just have to experiment with it and see....
Thanks, H
Could try blood - take some blood (Inuit used to use caribou blood), swish it around in your mouth to get it good and warm and start coagulating. Smear it on the wood. It will give a decent bond. Not likely to be dangerous unless the caribou has a nasty disease.
Mike
Thanks for that tip. My shop gets chilly, but now with my new glue and procedure I'm going to be doing glue ups all winter long. In the summer will I still have to swirl it in my mouth?
I'd avoid both, as well as other insect-resistant woods.
They contain a higher concentration of toxins than other woods, that is what makes them insect-resistant. It is not clear that those toxins will migrate into the food, but that does not seem to be too far-fetched .
Maybe Native Americans on the West Coast commonly used western red cedar for cooking but consider also that their life expectancy was less than thirty years. Most of them didn't live long enough to get cancer.
Sure, but you may be very unhappy with the flavor if you use black walnut. Several others may well result in acute toxicity.
Poison Ivy is a woody vine, and old vines can be six inches or more in diameter. You COULD cobble up a board out of narrow planks cut from poison ivy (Roy Underhill had a guest who made wooden spoons from poison ivy) and you COULD cook fish on it but I personally discourage you from trying.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.