Canadian BBQ — Maple Glaze and Cedar Plank Salmon | The Rub Kitchen
Canada doesn't have a distinct BBQ style as recognizable as Texas brisket or Jamaican jerk — but that doesn't mean there isn't a rich grilling tradition. Quite the opposite: Canada combines two powerful BBQ influences. On one hand, the American BBQ culture overflowing from the south, and on the other, a unique ingredient not as prominent anywhere else: maple syrup. And then there's the Pacific Northwest tradition of cedar plank smoked salmon — one of the least documented but most distinctive BBQ techniques on the continent.
Maple syrup as BBQ glaze
Maple syrup is Canada's most iconic export — and it makes an excellent glaze base for BBQ. Pure maple syrup (Grade A dark, robust taste) has a complex sweetness with notes of caramel, vanilla, and light wood that caramelize beautifully when heated. It glazes better than honey because its water content is lower and the sugars bind to the meat more quickly.
Applications on the BBQ:
- Spareribs with maple glaze — baste with a glaze of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar for the last 30 minutes. The sugars caramelize into a shiny, sticky bark.
- Pork belly — maple syrup + smoked paprika + black pepper as a glaze during the last hour.
- Chicken — maple syrup combined with soy sauce and garlic as a marinade — a sweet-umami profile that works excellently on chicken thighs.
- Salmon — see below.
Be careful at high temperatures: maple syrup contains a lot of sugar and burns quickly above 200°C. Apply the glaze only in the final phase of cooking, never at the beginning.
Cedar plank smoked salmon — Pacific Northwest
The cedar plank technique originates from the traditions of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest — the indigenous peoples of British Columbia and the adjacent US states. Salmon was traditionally smoked on cedar or alder planks over an open fire, a technique thousands of years old that has been adopted completely intact into modern BBQ culture.
How does it work?
- Soak an untreated cedar plank for at least 1 hour in water (or beer/wine for extra flavor)
- Heat the BBQ indirectly to 180–200°C
- Place the wet plank directly on the grill grates — it will start to smoke but not catch fire
- Place the salmon (fillet or steak, skin-side down) on the plank
- Cover the BBQ and cook for 15–20 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through (internal temperature 52–55°C for medium-rare, 60°C for well-done)
- The plank imparts a subtle, resinous cedar flavor that perfectly complements the rich fatty acids of wild salmon
Glaze on cedar plank salmon
The classic Canadian combination: maple syrup + Dijon mustard + dill + lemon. Apply before cooking — the low temperature (180°C) prevents the glaze from burning.
First Nations and the BBQ heritage
The grilling tradition of Canada's First Nations is one of the least documented BBQ cultures in the world — but also one of the most influential at a North American level. Besides cedar plank salmon, there are traditions of:
- Bannock over the fire — simple bread made from flour, water, and fat, baked on a stick over a campfire
- Moose and buffalo meat — traditionally smoked and dried as pemmican for winter
- Underground pit cooking — similar to Hawaiian imu and New Zealand hāngī
Rub tip for Canadian BBQ
Rub Kitchen tip
The Memphis BBQ Rub combines excellently with maple syrup as a glaze: the paprika and brown sugar of the rub complement the sweetness of the syrup, while the depth of the spices adds more layers to the glaze. Use the rub as a dry base, maple syrup as a finishing glaze.