Salmon, Planked

This is fun! Neal gave me some planks for Mother's Day and I finally got around to using one. Thanks Neal...I'll be using the rest soon.

Planked Salmon
Cedar plank (see Hints)
4 skinless salmon fillets, (about 1 pound)
1 medium lemon
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Soak plank in water (weigh it down with a heavy pan) for at least 20 minutes. Turn on outdoor grill to high, or prepare charcoal briquettes. Rinse salmon and pat dry; set aside. Cut lemon in half, zest one half and mix the zest with the ginger, salt, pepper and parsley. Place salmon on plank and spread lemon parsley rub on top. Slice the other half of the lemon and top each fillet with 1 or 2 slices. Grill planked salmon, with lid closed, for 6 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Fish is done as soon as it is opaque and flakes easily.

Hints: Planking is a great way to grill fish because you don't have to turn it, which can be hard to do on a barbeque grill. The plank needs to be untreated wood. (Board from a lumber yard may be treated with chemicals that repel insects and can be dangerous to humans.) They can be found in packages in cookware shops or some large grocery stores. The package Neal gave me came with different types of wood, Cedar, Alder and Applewood. The soaked wood gives off smoke when heated that flavors the food cooked on it. Delicious! I like to use wild caught salmon, just because of the sustainability--I can't really tell any difference in taste but maybe you can. You could also use other types of fish like trout or halibut.

I have this aversion to "sweet" salmon. Often a menu will feature salmon with a honey glaze or brown sugar spice rub and I never order it even though salmon is one of my favorites. That's weird for me, isn't it? I like coconut shrimp and lichee scallops, I dip calamari in sweet and sour sauce, but somehow sweet salmon makes me cringe. So I guess my claim that I like all foods has a qualifier--I like all foods but not all the ways they are prepared. How do you feel about sweet fish?

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin w/ Sage and Rosemary Rub*note: all herb measurements are approximate.
2 to 3 pounds pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons dry rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons ground sage
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Turn your outdoor grill on to high. (Or get the charcoals going.) Mix the rub together on a platter. Coat the pork loin thoroughly, pushing the rub mixture into the meat with your fingers. Let sit for 15 minutes or so. When grill is hot (400 to 450 degrees), place meat on grill rack close to flame and sear one side of loin with grill cover down for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn loin over and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Turn heat down to medium. Cover grill and cook for 7 or 8 minutes. Then begin checking internal temperature. Remove pork when reading is at 145 degrees. Let meat rest about 10 minutes, then slice about 3/4 inch thick to serve.

A sage flavored browned butter sauce is great with this meat.

Sage Browned Butter Sauce
1/2 cup butter
3 to 4 teaspoons fresh sage cut into slivers (or 1 to 2 teaspoons ground sage)
1 to 2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
Cook butter over medium heat until melted, foamy and nicely browned. Whisk in the sage and remove from heat. Then whisk in the vinegar. Spoon over sliced tenderloin to serve.

(Also an excellent sauce for vegetables, butternut squash ravioli, chicken or turkey.)

Hints: I buy the pork tenderloins at Costco; they are the Swift brand and come in a package of two. I usually have a few on hand in my freezer. A good meat thermometer really helps to get the meat done but not dry. If using an instant read type, don't leave it in the meat while cooking. During the resting time after removal from the heat source, the temperature will continue to rise and the juices will settle down into the meat, leaving it perfectly cooked and juicy. The rub also works well for pork chops and chicken or turkey cutlets. The fresh sage in the browned butter sauce will crisp up as soon as it hits the butter so be sure to remove from the heat to avoid burning it. Any herb or combo of herbs can be used in a browned butter sauce. And the acid can come from any flavor vinegar or citrus juice. Find the combo you like best for different dishes.

My friend Katie and I came up with this rub one Saturday while we were practicing intuitive cooking. We thought of flavors we liked and experimented freely. This one turned out really well. That same day we also had a barbecue flavored rub that may be on this blog another day. I would encourage everyone to experiment with intuitive cooking as often as they can---there is a lot to gain and very little to lose usually. I believe cooking should be tailored to your own tastes and time and methods. Have fun and enjoy yourself!