One of my favorite techniques for cooking on the grill has to be planking.

A process that dates back to at least the Native Americans, planking is a unique form of indirect cooking in which seafood, meat, cheese, vegetables or even fruit are grilled on an untreated piece of wood above the flames.  By doing so, the food is allowed to evenly cook without the threat of direct heat.  Meanwhile the wood serves not only as a heat shield, but a source of flavor as it begins to slowly char and release smoke up and in to the food.

Now many of you may recall a few years back when cedar planked salmon took the grilling world by storm, nearly knocking chicken off its mighty beer can throne as the “it factor” at countless backyard cookouts...