Grilling on a cedar plank is not a new culinary phenom. It's borrowed from Native American cooking, and it imparts flavor to the food through both smoking and steaming. The wood lends a subtle flavor (some would say, very subtle). Plank cooking is healthy, low fat - no oil or butter needed. But how sustainable is it?
Superior Planks uses horses to gather lumber, biodiesel to run its mill and planer, and scrap wood to fuel the drying kiln. Formerly called Shoops Planks, the company began in 2007. Green tech was in place, but the final plastic packaging was not biodegradable. McKeown, a commercial fisherman originally from Wales (the one next to England) but working in Alaska, was interested in starting an eco-friendly plank company, but found in his research that Shoops already fit the bill. After meeting the owner and planking some salmon together ("he brought the planks, I brought the fish") in December 2008, McKeown signed on as marketing guru, suggesting the name change and the move to biodegradable packaging and soy-based inks. Planks come in three-packs, from the three species available on Madeline Island - oak, cedar or maple. Soak the plank in water for two hours prior to cooking, place food on wood and grill, or bake in the oven. Boards last three to four uses on the grill, eight to 10 in the oven. "We are small," says McKeown. "We are not a huge corporation; we're part of buy local." Planks are sold in a handful of stores in Madison or through superiorplanks.com.
