- 6
Ingredients
- 3 whole ducks
- 1-1/2 gallons buttermilk
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Rub (see below)
- 3 apples, unpeeled
- 3 onions, quartered
- 2 sticks butter
- 1-1/2 cups red wine (not cooking wine)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
Preparation
Step 1
The day before: Soak the ducks in the buttermilk overnight (12 to 24 hours) to remove any gamey taste in the meat.
Rinse the ducks in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Season inside and out with the All-Purpose Rub.
All Purpose Rub: Combine 3 tablespoons Kosher salt, 3 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper and 3 tablespoons garlic powder in a small Ziploc bag and shake to mix.
Place a whole unpeeled apple and a quartered onion inside the cavity of each duck. Let the ducks sit to bring them up to room temperature, while you set up your smoker.
Prepare your smoker for cooking at 225°F to 240°F. Recommended woods for this recipe are apple and cherry at a 50/50 ratio. If you are using a charcoal, an electric, or a gas smoker, be sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for at least two hours.
Once the smoker is ready, place the ducks breast side up on the smoker grate. Insert a digital probe meat thermometer in the thickest part of one breast to monitor the internal temperature of the meat. Baste the ducks every hour with the Wine Butter Sauce.
Smoke cook the ducks for about four hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. To crispen the skin, transfer the ducks to a hot grill pre-heated to 350°F to 375°F.
For the Wine Butter Sauce: Place the butter, red wine and garlic in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Mix well and simmer until the sauce reduces by half.
Excerpted from Smoking Meat (Whitecap Books) by Jeff Phillips. Photography by Michelle Furbacher. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.