Reverse Seared Duck Breast

BobS · February 2011

I saw a post the other day where someone cooked a duck breast in a CI skillet on their grill. A little light went off and I thought, it might be good to try a reverse sear on a duck breast. The thought was that the slow cook could give some good flavor and get rid of some of the fat and then a quick sear in a CI skillet.

I started the breast cooking direct, on a raised grate, on my Small BGE, with cherry for smoke. It took 30 minutes to go from refrigerator temp to 120. Next time I would pull it at 110.

Then I dropped it into a skillet, skin side down for three minutes and one minute on the other side.

It was a little more done than I was shooting for, but the flavor was great. I think that this has promise.

Next time I will pull from the first part of the cook at 115-120 and I will cook it with the lid open, so that I minimize the roasting and get equal crisping, with less overall cooking.

transversalInactive · February 2011

Looks delicious to me!!

Little Steven · February 2011

Bob,

Wicked good and awesome. Man I love duck! I like it rare too.

Steve

mad max beyond eggdome · February 2011

looks great, and sounds like a great technique.. .but why not just do the sear part right on the grid over a hot fire? ...

bbqblues · February 2011

Nice cook Bob. I'll be hitting that for sure.

BobS · February 2011

mad max beyond eggdome wrote:

looks great, and sounds like a great technique.. .but why not just do the sear part right on the grid over a hot fire? ...

You get better heat transfer (sear) with the direct contact with the metal and at a lower temp and shorter time.

As I said in the post -- I saw someone else get some great looking skin on a CI griddle.

BobS · February 2011

Little Steven wrote:

Bob,

Wicked good and awesome. Man I love duck! I like it rare too.

Steve

Thanks Steve! I think that this is worth playing with.

I might actually do the second part of the cook inside next time and then make a pan sauce.

Little Steven · February 2011

Bob,

Did you score the skin?

Steve

BobS · February 2011

Little Steven wrote:

Bob,

Did you score the skin?

Steve

Yes. It is a little hard to see, but you can see the cuts, in one direction, on the photo in the skillet.

Florida Grillin Girl · February 2011

That was me. Here is the post that BobS is talking about, I think.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1043570&catid=1#

I did it in CI because I wanted to save the FAT.

BobS · February 2011

Faith, that's the one. Thanks for adding it.

Those were some of the best looking duck breasts I have ever seen.

mad max beyond eggdome · February 2011

thanks guys, i appreciate it... .

JLOCKHART29 · February 2011

Really great final plate. Wish wild duck had as much fat. I got a freezer full of them but they are so lean you are limited as to how you can use them.

MemphisQue · February 2011

looks like it still turned out nice and moist. My experience with duck is the taste changes quickly (negatively that is) when you go much past medium rare.

Smokin' not stirred · February 2011

J, My friend gives me wild duck breast. I recently got the Sous VIde Supreme for christmas and cooked one in it. It came out really good. I can't see why you couldn't "hot tub" them then finish with a sear. J.

Nature Boy · February 2011

Looks great Bob. Nice even pink color, and perfect on the char. Looks dark on the picture, but I know it tasted good, and you got a lot of extra flavor from that sear.

Duck breastisses are, possibly, the most amazing chunk of meat out there.

Cheers!
Chris

stike · February 2011

Who says it was you? :laugh:
This was from last year

And this was two years ago

Ok ok. Doesn't matter who was first. Heck, I didn't invent it either.
It's just the best way to maximize the crisp skin

Breast can go right in the pan, but parts should really be steamed or slowly rendered until par cooked. And then nailed with the heat of the cast iron

Reverse Seared Duck Breast

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