Let's Talk BBQ
FORUM SPONSORS => Pit Barrel Cooker Co. => Topic started by: mezmoria on April 11, 2017, 10:04:15 PM
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We have some Germany family members coming over for Easter and they have requested duck. I was excited to learn how to cook duck and was happy to find the PBC video on their web page for cooking a whole duck. I also searched elsewhere and found that most every recipe has a step to score the skin to allow the fat to render. However, the PBC video does not involve scoring the skin. Perhaps this is due to the duck hanging from the PBC and therefore scoring the skin is not necessary.
Any thoughts on scoring the skin or other general advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Bart
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I don't know about scoring it, but my part time kitchen job had ducks in the fridge uncovered to "dry out" for a couple days.
I would think the scoring might let too much fat out possibly causing a grease fire? Spitballing ideas here, but I would still recommend putting the duck in the fridge to air dry today for Sunday cooking.
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Air drying in the refrigerator is a must.
I have done PBCed duck plenty of times and I recommend poking the skin with a sharp pointed knife or needle.
You still want some of the fat to render if your objective is crispy skin.
Another thing to keep in mind is PBC duck is not for duck purists but it's very good eats.
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I agree with the above poster as I have done a few ducks as well (and cooked hundreds in the restaurant). Crispy skin is hard to get especially with a commercial duck on the PBC. The best results I have had have come from steaming the skin initially as you would do for a Peking style duck, then a good air dry in the fridge (separate the skin from the breast meat as much as possible with your fingers), the perforate the skin all over with a sharp knife or meat for being careful not to go down into the meat. This way as the fat renders it goes to the outside of the duck and not in-between the skin and breast. Hope this helps and happy ducking! Be sure to post pics of your results.
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Thank you all! I washed the ducks tonight and have them drying in the fridge until Sunday. I will score the skin prior to cooking and post pictures of the cook.
Appreciate all the support!
Bart
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Thank you all! I washed the ducks tonight and have them drying in the fridge until Sunday. I will score the skin prior to cooking and post pictures of the cook.
Appreciate all the support!
Bart
Might as well hit 'em with salt so it get penetrate deep overnight.