The Roasting Plank – make the most of your meat
Posted: 09 November '09 by Niall
The Roasting Plank Company
With all of the cooking programmes on TV at the minute, it’s rare to come across something new for the kitchen, particularly something that could revolutionise the way that you cook. The roasting plank is just that though.
Plank-cooking works by charring a pre-soaked piece of wood during cooking and they can be used in conventional ovens as well as on gas/propane grills, and charcoal-based barbeques. The charred wood imparts a unique, smokey flavour of the wood choice, and the meat is invariably more tender, moist, and tasty than with other cooking methods.
As well as the flavour, however, the planks are really visually impressive – as soon as I took our plank from the oven, I thought that it would make a great centre-piece for our next dinner party!
Roasting planks (and BBQ planks) are nothing new – they’re a traditional and a much-loved way of cooking meat in North America, South Africa and Argentina: countries that certainly know a bit about meat!
There are several different types of wood used to make these planks, with different wood complimenting different types of meat: Beech Roasting Planks give a more subtle and sweet flavour, which is great for poultry; Cedar Roasting Planks are the traditional wood used for fish and imparts a sweet, spicy flavour; Cherry Wood Paper has a subtle mild, fruity flavour and is excellent for poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit; or Oak Roasting Planks offer a heavier and smokier flavour and are great for red meat and game.
We were lucky enough to be sent an Oak plank to review, and we roasted some pork chops on the wood – you can read the recipe and see the photos here.
The planks must be soaked for several hours before you use them: a minimum of 2 hours if you plan to use the plank at low temperatures; or 4 to 6 hours for higher temperatures. But the rule is “more is better” – you can’t over-soak a plank, but under-soaking will cause more cracks to appear in the precious wood. While our sink was big enough, I’d recommend a bucket as the planks are pretty big – 36cm by 26cm, and 5cm deep.
After soaking, the plank should be dabbed dry with a tea-towel and their cooking surfaces rubbed down with oil and any spices you like. Sarah from The Roasting Plank Company also mentioned experimenting by marinading the wood in whiskey or Guinness for a beef dish, and vermouth or pastisse for fish. That’s part of the charm of these things – you have an almost unlimited licence to let your creative, culinary juices flow.
We roasted our pork chops for nearly two hours on a very low heat (between 100 and 150 degrees C), and while our plank did “crack” and char slightly, it’s completely normal. The planks are designed to last for several years, with a little care – and, to my mind, the cracks do give your plank a bit of character. As time went by, the kitchen became filled with a lovely aroma – the thyme and pork were certainly present, but so was a smokiness that had my mouth watering.
The best part was the flavour, however. I have always found pork to be a bit bland, and usually rely on piquant or pungent sauces to provide a definite taste. The smoky flavour added a different dimension to the meat, and made the dish much more interesting on the palate. The longer cooking time also worked wonders – the meat just fell apart, but amazingly wasn’t at all dry.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5
Our verdict:
I loved cooking with the plank – it’s extremely easy to use, it looks great, and the difference in the meat produced by the plank is so distinct: how tender and moist the meat is, with a wood-smoked quality that will have you salivating. And, if like me, you think that the meat is the star of whichever dish it appears in, you won’t be able to resist the chance to do something different with the flavour.
A definite Chilli and Chocolate recommendation for The Roasting Plank.
Other information:
The Roasting Plank Company stocks Oak, Cedar, Cherry, and Beech roasting planks, BBQ planks, and wood paper. You can visit the Roasting Plank Company website by going to: www.theroastingplankcompany.co.uk
Chilli and Chocolate members:
The Roasting Plank Company have been kind enough to give our members a discount on the roasting planks. Visit the Members’ Section for more details
Categories: Product Reviews
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Pork with prunes in mustard sauce and cheesy mash
Posted: 09 November '09 by Niall
Pork with prunes in mustard sauce
While I was flicking through the channels on television a couple of weeks ago, I saw that one of the contestants on MasterChef had made Pork with prunes in a creamy mustard sauce and thought that it looked pretty tasty, and a change from our usual Italian cuisine.
We were also lucky enough to receive a “roasting plank” to review, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Pork chops slow-roasted on a oak plank – tender and smoked – what could be better!
The dish is extremely easy to make and extremely tasty. The rich, figgy prunes are a nice contrast to the more delicate flavour of the pork and the creaminess of the mustard sauce. And when you add cheesy mash and French beans, you have a delicious dinner on your hands.. or your plank..
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7Image 8Image 10
Ingredients:
- 4 pork chops
- Fresh thyme
- 1 bag of ready-to-eat prunes
- 150ml double cream
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- 200ml of dry white wine
- 2 tsp of Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon
For the cheesy mash:
- 5 large potatoes (I prefer Maris Pipers)
- 50g/2oz butter
- 125g/41/2oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees
- Peel and chop your potatoes, adding them to a saucepan of water and bring to the boil
- Cut off any skin along the side of the chops and remove all but a small amount of the fat
- Rub the flesh with olive oil. Shred the leaves from 2 bushy sprigs of thyme and scatter over both sides of the pork, then season
- Heat a large frying pan until it’s really hot. Add the pork chops, press down and cook for about 1 minute on each side, searing the outside
- Take your plank and pat down the surface – then rub more olive oil into the cooking surface, massage some of your thyme leaves into the oil, and place the seared pork chops onto the cooking surface
- Place the plank in the oven for a good hour
- Test the potatoes with a fork – if the tines easily pass through the flesh, they’re done. Drain the potatoes and mash them
- When the potatoes have been mashed, take a large spoon and beat them with the butter (LOTS of butter) until you have a rich, creamy texture
- Stir in the grated cheese, and then place the potatoes into a casserole dish, covering the mash with buttered foil and place in the oven at a very low temperature
- Add a big knob of butter to the frying pan, then throw in 2 handfuls of prunes and the leaves from 1 more sprig of thyme. Stir for 30 seconds, then add 200ml wine and 2 tsp mustard. Bubble for about 4 minutes until reduced and sticky
- Stir in the cream and season well, allowing the sauce to bubble for 1-2 minutes to thicken
- Add the pork, spoon over the sauce, and warm through for a few seconds
Categories: Featured Post > French Food > Main Course > Pork > Recipes
