Grilling is sort of like the man’s version of the “who bakes the best cookies?” competition in the neighborhood. Everyone wants to be praised for their culinary prowess, but it’s going to take more than the recipe on the back of the chocolate chips bag (or a pre-made burger patty) to get there. Everyone has their grilling secrets, but sometimes too many extra ingredients and cooking-show techniques can lead to an overworked burger that tastes more like spices than meat. Give your burgers a subtle smoky flavor with Red Oak Burger Grilling Planks ($16 for 4, $24 for 8) and you just might have the neighbors giving you that winning “what’s that great flavor?” look at your next barbecue. The simple wood planks are probably one of the easiest ways to give an unadulterated burger patty just enough extra oomph. They can also be used to add smoky flavor to chicken, pork, or steak. Unfortunately, they can only be used about two times before losing their flavor, so save these for special burger nights or stock up.
