Smoking Skinned Duck Breasts on Weber

[ducker]

Our duck hunting group is preparing the DU Ultimate Duck Dinner from the DU magazine this weekend. My course is the first course. I am suppose to smoke skinned duck breasts for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs at 180 degrees. Don't have a smoker but do have a smoker box that goes on the grates on the grill. Worried its going to dry out the breasts. Will be marinating the breasts for 12 hrs.

Any suggestions on technique?

Do have a three burner grill.

Recipe attached.

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/recipes/the-ultimate-duck-dinner/page2

[pikestabber]

My course is the first course...Any suggestions?

Beg to do the second course.

Skinless duck will be a challenge to keep moist. I would recommend a brine over a marinade. After brining (at least 3-4 hours to overnight), then rinsing and drying off the breasts, inject your marinade before smoking. In any case, anytime I do skinless anything, or anything lean, I keep a cup/bowl with some seasoned olive oil handy and baste and flip often.

Here's a basic brine I use for skinless chicken (good for about 6-8 breasts):

•1 gallon water

•1/2 cup canning salt

•1/2 cup white or brown sugar

•2 tablespoons onion powder

•2 tablespoons garlic powder

•1 tablespoon Cajun powder

Obviously you can change any of the seasonings and flavor how you wish, but the key three are the salt, the sugar and the water. I might even throw in a 1/4 cup of soy and lean toward brown sugar for ducks.

No matter what you try, keep an eye on that temp...and don't even attempt this without a meat thermometer. After they come to just a few degrees under your desired internal temp, say around 138-140, pull them, plate them, and cover in foil for at least 10-15 minutes. The temp will rise a few degrees, then the rest will allow the juices to redistribute. If you cut them right away all the juice will end up on the plate. RESTING is CRITICAL.

Keep your smoker box on one side, your duck on the other, and let the smoke do it's work. Opening the lid every five minutes will make this 2 hour job an 8 hour day. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[ducker]

Thanks pikestabber. Meant brining not marinating. Recipe calls for 1/2 gallon water and half cup each of brown sugar and kosher salt for 12 hrs.

[ducker]

Going to smoke those duck breasts on the grill tomorrow am. think they should be on a rack or just on the grill grates?

[westb]

You could wrap the breasts in bacon,this might help with keeping it moist and add some great flavor. If you need to crisp the bacon a little before serving you can cook over direct heat for a couple minutes.

[pikestabber]

Going to smoke those duck breasts on the grill tomorrow am. think they should be on a rack or just on the grill grates?

They can be right on the regular grill grate. Just make sure the grate is clean and lubricated (either Pam for the grill or rubs some oil on the grate with a wadded up paper towel). And I assume you are smoking indirect--smoker box over to the far left above the burner, duck breast over to the right away from direct heat?

[LABS4ME]

Wrap in prosciutto... Helps w/ moisture... Will not over power like bacon and will not be rubbery like bacon coming out of the smoker. I've marinated skinless breasts and they were good and moist... Need to smoke at a higher temp for a shorter period of time and take out t 135-140... A long slow smoke, I'd wrap in prosciutto to keep from drying out.

Good Luck!

Ken

[delcecchi]

I would probably buy the cheap imitation prosciutto and not the real thing from parma.

[ducker]

The duck breast turned out very good. I checked each individual breast with a meat thermometer and removed when at 135 Degrees. Pretty strong smoke favor but when combined with the other parts was fabulous.