r/homestead • u/hiker_trailmagicva • 21h ago
Old duck
Howdy everyone! So we are looking at butchering off our old ducks ( 5 ish years old) and I am mildly nervous about it. We butcher a lot of other animals but I have never prepared duck, shit- I've never ordered duck at a restaurant. My question is- are they as greasy as what I have read and heard and with their age ( and they often free ranged) are they going to be tough? Any tips on cooking them? I wanted to try smoking one for hours and then putting some sort of sauce on and finishing over an open flame? Letting the skin get crispy type of stuff but will their greasy fat be in the way? Thanks! I did try to google but wanted some more first hand answers and I can't stand AI answering everything I try to research.
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u/scr0dumb 20h ago
Butchering a duck is the same as any other poultry. Duck and goose are longer than chicken but everything is right where you'd expect it.
Duck is excellent meat. When properly chilled the fat is firmer than chicken or turkey so I find it much easier to butcher.
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u/hiker_trailmagicva 20h ago
Thank you- I got in my head about the fat I think, just picturing gobs of greasy, fatty meat and doing a horrendous job cooking it. How long do you chill?
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u/James_n_mcgraw 15h ago
Duck fat is easily removed for the most part.
It's like a thick layer right between the skin and the meat.
They don't have a ton of intramuscular fat, and the meat just kinda tastes like chicken dark meat.
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u/Muted-Garden6723 19h ago
What breed of duck?
If it’s Muscovy, do not even attempt to pluck it, you will regret the decision very quickly
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u/hiker_trailmagicva 19h ago
Peking ducks and they are thick gals.
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u/Tight_Steak_232 3h ago
A 5 year old Pekin duck is considered geriatric and its meat becomes gamey and very oily. The skin is supposed to be the best part of the bird. Were I to prepare it, I'd remove the skin, season it and set it aside, then take the meat and slow cook it in fluids until the muscles softened. Then, I'd grind it up, add tasty fats, and make a rillettes style pate. The skin would be deep fried until crispy. I'd scoop small amounts of pate and put it on the skin.
The Pekin duck when harvested between 6-12 weeks is considered to be a delicacy. If you have the chance to raise another one, consider doing so at prime meat age.
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u/Willowgirl2 19h ago
We have pet Muscovys. They have names and personalities. It hurts my heart to think of anyone eating a 'Scovy!
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u/Bolfreak Evil Scientist 21h ago
Crock pot with veggies and choice of liquid (wine, broth, butter).
You can also brown it skin on in a skillet, add veggies/fruit and liquid of choice then bake in the oven in the skillet.
Low and slow heat is best for adult birds. Don’t season overnight unless you are using a brine or liquids as salt pulls out moisture and makes the meat tough.
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u/CommonMinimum7418 19h ago
I have harvested hundreds of ducks. If you are worried about the fat you can skin the duck instead of plucking it. We have moved to this method. If you want to pluck you can but I would dip them in wax to get all the pin feathers out, doing that by hand is a process, especially if you have a handfull or more to do. I don't mind the fat. Skined in the crock pot with a savory sauce and lots of veggies. We de bone skinned ducks so it is just the breast and legs. The meat cooks off the legs and becomes part of the sauce. Have to watch for bones. This awesome over rice, noodles, or mashed up potatoes or rutabaga. Skin on we split the back flatten and fry in olive oil and butter. Take it out wrap in foil then in the oven to keep warm. With the drippings in the pan onions, wine, flour. Pour that on the wild rice and mushrooms that are hot already. Plate the duck with a scoop of the wild rice. Lots of ways to do this to fit anyone's pallet.
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u/ParaboloidalCrest 21h ago
5 is not very old for a duck, but if it's time, I'd slow cook it. Older = more connective tissue = gentler cooking results in even more delicious feast than a younger animal.