Need pointers on smoking a duck

You could score the skin in a diamond pattern to about 3/4 thickness like you would to sear a breast. This would allow fat to render w/o meat drying out from being exposed.

So don't put it breast side down?


And about the scoring, I do that with pork butt, but on duck it won't render the fat away from the meat and risk it drying out?

I pierce the skin of the duck all over with a small paring knife. This lets the fat escape from under the skin. Try not to pierce the meat, just pierce the skin. I learned from a blog to do this by coming at the duck from a very low angle, almost parallel to the skin. Dad Cooks Dinner rotisserie duck recipe.

Some folks also dunk it in boiling water a couple time to render out fat. I have not done that.

Don't worry about the meat drying out. Domestic duck has a ton of fat on it. Even with all the piercing and cooking at high heat on the rotiss, mine usually still has fat under the skin.

Score wide but shallow. Breast side up. I've never had it dry out if I didn't overcook it.

i'd like to follow up on this as i will be smoking some ducks for the first time..... what about a brine soak or some type of butter injection? works for chicken why not duck?