Cacao nibs are the main ingredient in chocolate before melting and adding sugar. They have a very nice taste and are actually very nutritious. Anyway I bought 5 lbs of this stuff and have been searching for ways to incorporate them into foods we like. Which led me to a rub recipe that I tinkered with until I got it where I wanted it. This rub is spicy, smoky and kinda chocolatey!
The duck cook started with a tip from Mr Bigg. I quartered the duck, and did a sort of confit, cooking the duck with 1T lard, garlic and thyme and sealed up tight with foil @250F for 2 1/2 hrs. Then cooled and refrigerated for 24 hrs. The leg 1/4's were vac-bagged for later use.
Ok two breast qtrs lubed with duck fat and then my cacao nib rub was generously applied, and rested for several hours in fridge. I got an indirect charcoal set-up in the PKGrill with a little cherry wood for smoke. Duck added skin side up and before serving placed skin down on hot side for a minute.
And yes one of the breast qtrs is missing a wing.....it mysteriously ended up in the cooks mouth!
Plated and served with a simple pasta with EVOO, grated asiago cheese and fresh ground black pepper, and also a cucumber tomato onion salad. Magnifico! The duck was excellent and the rub worked great on it.
Mangia!
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