Perfectly smoked duck meat is tender, incredibly juicy and packs serious flavor! Learn how to smoke duck with applewood & charcoal using this How-To-Guide!
Remove the duck from the packaging. Then remove the giblets from inside the duck and; discard. Rinse the duck inside and out under cold running water, pulling out any extra fat or cut bits from the body cavity.
Brine the Duck
Combine the brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, orange zest and juice, beer and water in a 6-quart stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. When the brine comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely.
Transfer the brine into a large 16-quart cooler. Add enough ice water to measure as close to 3-gallons as possible (see recipe notes).
Dunk the prepared duck into the brine solution. You may need to hold the duck down until the body cavity fills with brine to ensure that it is submerged in the brine solution completely.
Refrigerate the duck in the brine for 24-hours, stirring about halfway through.
If you have a large enough refrigerator and a big enough container, by all means, do so to ensure proper refrigeration. However, if you are using a cooler, store it in the coolest place possible. You will need to add more ice about halfway through the brining. To maintain the salt-to-liquid ratio, add the ice to a plastic bag and seal before putting it in the brine.
Prepare the Duck For Smoking:
After 24-hours (a little more time won’t hurt), remove the duck from the brine and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place the duck on a clean workspace. Blot the duck dry with paper towels and allow it to come to room temperature; about 20 to 30 minutes.
Trim the neck skin off, leaving a 1-inch flap. Fold the flap down, closing up the neck hole.
Ducks have more fat than other types of birds, especially when it comes to game birds. This smoked duck recipe will provide you with a crispy skin and meat so moist it practically falls off the bone. So this next step is crucial.
Using a sharp skewer, pinch the skin of the breast of the duck and pierce all along the surface of the breast, without piercing the meat underneath. This is an important step, because it helps release and render the fat. The fat on top of the breast meat renders out of the skin and the duck will practically baste itself as it smokes.
Make the Brown Sugar Soy Glaze
Whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce and salt in a small bowl until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside until needed.
Fire Up The Smoker!
Soak a few handfuls of applewood chips for about 30 minutes in water before placing on the coals.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to 200-275 degrees F. To maintain this low temperature, use only half as much charcoal as usual. (A half chimney-full.)
Add the wood chips to get the smoke going. Place a water pan below the smoker’s cooking grate to create a humid environment, and to catch any drips.
Smoke the Duck
Give the brown sugar soy glaze a final whisk, then brush the duck all over. Place the duck in the center of the smoking grate and insert the temperature probes (if using a digital probe thermometer).
Bring the temperature up to 225 degrees F, using the vents and wet and dry wood chips to regulate the temperature. You will need to add fresh coals and more wood chips almost every hour for at least the first 4 hours.
Low and Slow
Check the temperature of the smoker every hour, staying as close to 225 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or soaked wood chips to maintain the temperature and smoke.
Testing For Doneness
Smoke the duck until the breast is about half the size it was when you laid it on the smoker and the skin is an amber mahogany color. The internal temperature of the meat should be 165 degrees F, about 5 to 6 hours. At this point, the drumsticks should wiggle freely.
Resting & Carryover Heat
Once you verify the done temperature of 165 degrees F, pull the duck from the smoker and transfer it to a cutting board. Allow the duck to rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving. The temperature should go up slightly from the carryover heat. This is normal and perfectly fine.
Carving & Serving
Perfectly smoked duck meat is tender and incredibly juicy. Serve cooled to room temperature or chill and serve as an appetizer or cold cut on a sandwich.
Notes
Wild mallard can also be used instead of Peking duck.White Pekin is the most common variety of duck and can be found at any average grocery store. Most ducks are commercially raised and weigh between 3 to 6 pounds. This recipe for the smoked duck was developed with a whole Pekin duck. For tender juicy results, shop for a whole, USDA Grade A, fresh white Pekin duck that weighs about 5 pounds. The breast meat should be plump and firm and light in color. Avoid any duck that has been plumped or comes in brine. They are way too salty! If you cannot find fresh duck you can purchase a frozen one, just make sure it has all of the characteristics as described above. If you find a smaller bird, you can cut back on the amount of brine solution and glaze accordingly. Keep in mind that ducks have heavier bone density than most birds, so take that into consideration with the weight.How To Thaw A Frozen Duck:To best way to thaw a frozen duck is to thaw the bird in the refrigerator. For a whole bird, this can take up to a couple of days.If you don’t have time to allow the duck to thaw in the refrigerator, place the duck is inside a leak-proof bag and submerge it into cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. A 3 to 4-pound duck can take 2 to 3 hours to defrost, whereas a 4 to 6-pound bird can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.The most important take-away is to make sure the duck has defrosted completely.Adding Brine Solution To The Cooler: Make sure you keep the salt-to-water ratio correct. The salt does not evaporate when the brine is boiled. You may need to add more ice water to the brine depending on how much liquid boils out. Measure the amount of brine solution you pour into the cooler then add enough ice water to make 3 gallons.Alternatively, it may be easier to test how much brine solution and ice water needs to be added to the cooler. Do this by pouring exactly 3 gallons of water into the cooler, then marking the inside of the cooler with a pen or some tape, so you know about how much ice water to add. Then dump the water out and go from there.If you have a large enough refrigerator and a big enough container, by all means, do so to ensure proper refrigeration. However, if you are using a cooler, you will want to add a little more ice about halfway through brining.Recipe adapted from SouthernLiving.com
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