Duck Breast

Name: Duck Breast
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Ingredients: Duck Breast; 25g / 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter; Salt to Taste; Black Pepper to Taste

Smoked and Reverse Seared

So simple, so decadent. When you want to smoke up something different from your everyday meats, this makes for a rich, delicious treat.

Complexity

More Involved

Prep Time

0 H 20 M

Appliance

Smoker

Cook Time

2 H 0 M

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Ingredients:

Duck Breast

About 250g / 9 oz recommended Boneless recommended Should be thawed to fridge temperature before starting cook

25g / 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Salt to Taste

Salt flakes recommended

Black Pepper to Taste

Freshly ground recommended

Tools:

Smoker Fuel

Maple wood recommended

Paper Towels

Tongs

Pan

Cast iron or steel recommended

Knife

Cutting Board

Heat-Resistant Gloves

About This Recipe:

So let's say you're a smoking pro, and you're looking for a recipe to shake things up between briskets. Or maybe you're hosting a party for people who both love barbecue and own yachts, and you need to cook something impressive. In either case, smoked duck breast should meet your needs pretty nicely. Of course you never want to mess up when cooking your food, but it's especially important to get it right when you're cooking something fancy like duck. When it's overcooked, duck meat can end up really tough. But properly-cooked duck will be tender on the inside with gorgeous, deep red skin and crispy fat, and MEATER will help you calculate the perfect cook time to make that happen! If you're going to indulge with your main course, why not do the same with your sides? Duck breast should be paired with a decadent French side dish, particularly something cheesy like potatoes au gratin. Of course, an upscale dinner isn't the same without a nice glass of red wine, and you'll have the best luck with fruity types like pinot noir or merlot to go with your duck.

Cooking Method:

Pre-Heat Smoker

Pre-heat your smoker to 220°F (105°C). Turn on the Super Smoke setting if you have the option.

Patience is a virtue, especially in this case. Incorrectly cooked duck breast can end up tougher than your grandma's leather sandals, so it's best to take your time and enjoy the experience. The rich taste of duck meat goes well with warm, sweet flavors, so we recommend smoking with maple wood.

Score Fat

Cut a cross hatch pattern into the fat, but take care not to cut the meat.

Because the fat layer is so thick, scoring it (making shallow cuts in it) helps it render more easily. Plus, it just looks neat.

Trim Excess Fat

Trim the fat and silverskin from the bottom of your duck breast.

The sinew on the bottom of the duck breast is tough and chewy, and if it gets left on, it's going to interrupt that moist, rich texture experience that you want from duck.

Season Duck

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over and pat it in.

Select MEATER Device

Connect your MEATER device if you have one available.

When you follow this recipe in the MEATER app, this is the part where you’ll choose the MEATER device you want to use. This is our favorite way to do it, because all of the cook times, rest times, and alerts are built right in, and less temperature checking means more time to chill.