One of my favorites on the smoker is a whole duck. I've been experimenting with different ways to do it but have not yet reached perfection. Ernest, are you out there? I recall you posted your technique over a year ago but I couldn't find it ... I did one last weekend that has produced the best result so far but there was still a bit too much fat and rubber effect here and there. I cut a bunch of Xs in the skin and fat and put the whole bird breast side down on the WSM at 200-225 until the breast hit 125 (about 2.5 hours). Then I poked more holes in the skin with a fork and put it in the oven at 350 for another 20m, poked more holes, flipped and back in the oven for another 20m. Duck was done at 145 (my wife prefers medium-med well on the duck). Smoke flavor and texture on the meat was delicious, a good amount of fat had rendered but not quite enough. Is there any way to have both smokey duck and crispy skin?
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R2-Meat2 I'm here. You need higher temp, 225 won't work with duck.
Poke and score the skin prior to cooking.
It's almost impossible to get both smokey and crispy duck on a smoker.
Another trick would be to steam the duck after scoring it. Softened the fat.
Are you doing 145 including the legs?Comment
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Thanks guys. Ernest, I may be hallucinating but I could swear you posted a technique where the duck is smoked at low temp for awhile and then cooked at high heat for fat rendering / skin crisping purposes. Maybe that wasn't whole duck but just the breast.
Anyway, next time I will give it a whirl at 325 the whole way. That's how I do chicken so maybe that's the best way here too. Sure makes things simpler.
And I don't recall what the leg temp was. Once the breast hit 145 the legs were definitely well done.Comment
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