Billy's Cedar Plank Salmon
Need an idea for dinner tonight? Let's get fancy with a low-calorie, delicious option from the surf packed with mighty good flavor. Break out your grill & roll up your sleeves because Billy is going to teach you how to fire-cook a fine piece of salmon on a cedar plank. With the right tools and reliable instruction, it's quite simple. So go on and give it a try.
Ingredients.
- Fresh Salmon Fillets
- Billy Twang® Big Rub
- 1 Fresh Lemon
Tools.
- Charcoal Grill
- 1 Cedar Plank
- Charcoal
- Lighter Fluid
Prep.
About an hour before you're ready to light the grill, grab your cedar plank and allow it to soak in water. Any quality cedar plank will do. Billy gets his from the grilling section at his local grocer. Set something heavy on top of the plank so it doesn't float and gets a good soaking. Head outside. Go ahead and get your grill ready and lay your charcoal. Billy prefers natural hardwood charcoal. Squirt some lighter fluid on the charcoal to let it soak. Don't light it just yet.
Season.
Head back in the house and wash-up. After your cedar plank has been soaking a good 45 minutes, grab that fresh salmon and lemon out of the fridge. Billy prefers wild caught, never frozen salmon. Farm-raised works too just make sure it's fresh! Give your lemon a nice rinse under water and remove any stickers. Slice the lemon creating full circles.
Open your pack of salmon and grab your jar of Billy's Big Rub. If your salmon has skin on it, place it skin-down on a plate. Gradually shake some Big Rub down the middle of each salmon filet. Take your hand and gently rub the Big Rub across the filet, spreading the seasoning well. If your filet doesn't have skin, it's a good idea to sprinkle a little on the bottom of the filet. Take your lemon slices and lay them in a row down the middle of each filet, as pictured above. Store the filets in the fridge for just a few minutes.
Fire.
Grab your soaked cedar plan and go on back outside. Distribute a healthy layer of lighter fluid on the prepped charcoal. Step back and go ahead and light that masterpiece. Using heat-resistant gloves, place the soaked cedar plank on the grates of the grill, let it roast a few minutes, letting the plank blacken. Using heat-resistant gloves, grab the crisp cedar plank off the grill and take it inside. Place the plank on proper heat-resistant equipment.
Grab your salmon filets that have been resting in the fridge. Carefully place them skin-down on the cedar plank and take the plank back outside and place it on the grill and cover the lid. Be sure to keep some air flow on the grill so the fire stays nice and hot. Cook time is going to depend on how big the salmon filets are and how hot your fire is. It took Billy a good 15 minutes. You'll know it's about ready when the edges of the salmon start to get crips. The FDA recommends cooking fish to 145°F.
Serve.
Once the filets are done, it's time to eat! Serve the filets with the lemons left on. A good side to go with the cedar plank salmon would be cooked rice or some grilled vegetables. Enjoy!
