Smoked Duck

Don’t overcook.

I’ve smoked lots of ducks. Overcooking is the worst error you can make.

You’re welcome.

Otis is right. Although he is a genuine smartarse, he is making sure u are overly cautious about overcooking.

Duck breasts are best served medium rare... leq quarters confit. We smoke’em for gumbo, but quit smoking whole ducks because the idea was always better than the finished product. Specklebelly Geese? Yep, smoked. Ducks? Goin a different route.... especially if it’s store bought and not wild.

If you are smoking to slice and eat - heads up: don’t overcook.

You, too, buddy. Holler if you get lost and end up north.

quote:

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He bought a duck

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So it's a farm duck and not a wild duck?

There is a huge difference. The farm duck has a huge layer of fat that has to be addressed, but the wild duck has hardly any and will dry out in a hurry. It's like chuck roast versus venison.

I have roasted/smoked farm duck on the rotisserie on a Weber kettle. You might be able to apply some of these notes to slower cooking on a smoker.

Prepped it by using a paring knife to cut several little slits in the skin to let the fat render out. Come at the duck from a very low angle, almost parallel to the skin. That avoids accidentally piercing through to the meat.

Some even do that and dunk in boiling water a few times before putting on the cooker.

Salted it and let dry brine in fridge overnight.

Added pepper. Stuffed two halves of an orange inside with some green onions. Trussed it.

Filled Weber baskets with lit charcoal. Duck placed on rotisserie with a drip pan beneath it, which is needed to catch all the fat that will drip out. Add cherry wood chunks.

Cooked for an hour with bottom vent closed. Temp was 450 at start, down to 400 later.

At the one hour mark, the duck was near the desired 165 in the thigh, but shy in the breast (which has all that fat). Cracked the bottom vent to keep temp up. Another 1/2 hour, and it was ready.

Ended up just winging it. Salted and put in the fridge overnight. Stuffed with orange halves. Smoked for about 3 hrs until the breast hit 160 and broiled for a few minutes to crisp the skin with an orange glaze. Turned out just about perfect. In-laws were not keen on going with a medium rare breast