So You Say You Don't Like The Taste of Duck...

I have heard so many people say they don't hunt duck because they can't stand the taste of the meat.  It's true, duck can definitely be a tougher, more gamy tasting meat.  However, if you take a little extra prep time and play around with recipes you'll find that duck can be downright delicious!  After years of testing different recipes and cooking methods, this remains my favorite (easy) way to prepare duck.  Try it out, hope you enjoy!

-Process the duck as you typically would and wash the meat thoroughly in running water.  (I use the breast meat only for this recipes but you could take the leg meat as well.)

-Slice meat against the grain into strips about 1/2" in thickness.  Run your fingers down each strip feeling for any BBs and remove any you find. 
-Place sliced duck meat in a bowl of milk, cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  This step helps pull more of the blood out of the meat which, in turn, pulls some of the gamy flavors out as well.

-Rinse meat in cool running water.

-Place duck meat in a seal-able bag/container with marinade of your choice.  For this recipe I use Italian Dressing.  Make sure all strips are 100% covered in marinade.  Allow to marinade in the refrigerator overnight.

-When ready to cook, lightly coat a pan with olive oil and turn heat to medium/high.  Sprinkle the top of the oil with garlic salt and black pepper.  Your pan and oil should be hot enough that the strips of meat sizzle slightly when they touch the oil.  (To make sure I have the right temp, I take one strip of duck meat and touch the tip of it to the oil before putting the whole batch in the pan.)  
-Using a set of tongs, take duck meat directly from the marinade (without rinsing) and place it in the hot pan.  (Note: the oil should not "pop" or spatter.  If it does, your pan is too hot.)

-Cook meat approximately 2-4 minutes or until pink disappears, then flip to cook other side.

-Using tongs, move meat around the pan to ensure it cooks evenly.  Season lightly with garlic salt and black pepper. 

-After another 2-4 minutes, check to see if the meat is done by cutting into the middle of one of the thicker strips.  There should be no pink.  

-Take directly from the pan and place on serving dish.  

-The mixture of Italian dressing leavings and oil/seasoning in the pan makes a great accompaniment when drizzled over the top of the finished dish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Hokuf

ReelCamo Girl Pro Staff

Extreme Huntress 2019 Semi-finalist

Connect with her on Instagram! 

Instagram: thokuf

ABOUT REELCAMO GIRL:

 ReelCamo Girl is a lifestyle brand focused on ladies who love the outdoors.There is a growing need for a place for women to share  their outdoor experiences, as well as an interest in clean eating and  self-sufficiency. Through our website and social media networks, we  offer a safe place where the ladies can share their pictures, stories, wild  game and fish recipes, and news articles about conservation and  hunting perspectives.

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