Smoking duck and Turkey gravy

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mrtoasty

Newbie
Original poster
Mar 10, 2008
17
10
Columbus In
I started smoking turkey a couple of years ago and now nobody wants regular baked, I can't blame them.  My question is has anyone smoked a duck, I would assume you would put it straight on the grill and not in a pan.  What temperature do you go to?

How about gravy for the turkey, do you do one in a pan to get the drippings?? 

thanks

Les
 
i love the turkeys on the smoker but remember they are lean and mean,  a duck is full of fat and may not come out good on the smoker, much like a goose? maybe you could smoke low and then toward the end crank up the heat but never tried it
 
It works to put it in a pan to catch the drippings. Makes a really tasty and interesting gravy. The trick is to suspend it in the pan with a tall rack. Otherwise, it will sort of fry or braise in its own oil. I've used a broiler pan with success. The gravy will turn out darker and full of flavor.

We like wild duck on the rare side. Domestic needs to go to like 160* though to kill all the bad guys. Cheers!
 
Are we talking wild duck or domestic duck??? Big Difference!!! Wild duck will have very little fat and will dry out very easy where as a domestic duck you buy in the store will have much more fat and will dry out less quickly. Personally I can't stand wild duck. I have shot and eaten them for  years but I just don't like it. About the only way I can stand to eat them is to grind them up into jerkey. 
 
Domestic duck is what I am using, I agree that wild duck can be a challenge. My mother use to make wild duck that was great, she soaked it in cinnamon water and then baked it. It was great.  She is gone now so I can't ask just how she did it, I just remember it was good. 

I just wondered if anyone had smoked duck and had some things to do or not do. 
 
lately we have been getting some real rough tasting ducks. we hunt off dykes here in utah and the crap they eat here

def makes the meat nasty. i miss the ducks from the north for some reason i dont remember them tasting this bad.

of course it could be my taste in meats are changing now that im smoking most my meats and other stuff you guys

put on the forum. i was thinking of getting a domestic to smoke
 
I love domestic duck. I would think you could treat it like a turkey or chicken and brine it and or inject it rub it and throw it on the smoker and bring it up to around 160-165 and it should be great. But as far as wild ducks go I would just as soon throw them in the weeds. I don't have that problem anymore since I quit hunting ducks and geese several years back.
 
I boil the neck, gizzard and liver while the turkey's cooking to get broth for the gravy.  That's the way we've done it for generations.  The the pieces and parts get chopped and the neck gets shredded to go in the gravy.  You can always skip the pieces and parts and stick with the neck if you can't imagine them in your gravy.
 
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I have never smoked a duck before but I  have smoked a goose and it was alright. Now for a duck I am curious cause I see them all the time at restaurant depot and I have been wondering what if ??
 
Thanks for your help guys, I got the duck today along with 2 12 # turkeys and a pork butt.  I am going to pick up some Salmon later in the week.  Should make an interesting smoke.  I think it will be morning to night. If the duck goes well, its Q view time.

Of course the duck and turkey are for the family, the Salmon is for a some good friends and the pull pork is just for stock.  I hate to be out of it. 

You all have a good holiday, this is my favorite, no fake stuff just good food and good family!

Les
 
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