Duck Sandwich

  • By: Jack Mancuso

Duck Sandwich - Cuso Cuts

When you think of poultry in a sandwich, turkey and chicken are the most likely to come to mind. But what about duck? While it is a little more expensive than the other two, duck is very versatile and gives you a wide variety of options when dry aging or cooking it. This Duck Sandwich recipe celebrates the duck with all its glorious flavors. 

Shopping for Duck

I cannot stress enough that you need to get your duck as close to the date you’re going to cook it. Three days is the max unless it’s frozen. Look for a bird with damp, but not slimy skin. By far, the most popular cut of duck is the breast. It’s darker meat, so it’s really important to watch your temperatures. Medium-rare is the best choice.

What is Burrata?

I use Burrata cheese in this recipe but if you can’t find it, fresh mozzarella does the trick. Burrata is a soft cheese that even looks like mozzarella. Both kinds of cheese come from Southern Italy. The key difference between them is the preparation. Mozzarella is stretched, while Burrata uses soft curds and fresh cream go into an elastic container. Originally this was a nifty way of recycling scraps of mozzarella. 

Duck Sandwich Ingredients

  • 1 Duck breast
  • Salt 
  • Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Tomato
  • Honey
  • Basil
  • Balsamic
  • Baratta cheese
  • Ciabatta bread

Grilling duck

Duck Sandwich Instructions

  1. Set up your grill
  2. Unwrap the duck and score the fat side
  3. Sprinkle the duck all over lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
  4. Place the duck skin-side down in an iron pan on the grill top
  5. It won’t take long for that skin to be wonderfully crispy (3 minutes)
  6. Flip the duck, continuing to grill for about 15-20 minutes until the duck reaches 130 degrees F
  7. Let it rest.
  8. Slice the duck thinly using a Chef’s Knife. Try to keep your slices even (it makes eating less messy!)
  9. Prepare your sandwich with sliced tomato, a drizzle of honey, fresh basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, and Baratta cheese. Put the sandwich on the grill for just a minute or two so the cheese melts. 

PitMaster’s Memo

Ducks were domesticated some 4,000 years ago in China, where it remains the favorite protein. In fact, China produces about 2.6 million tons of duck meat annually. When cooked in a broth with vegetables and herbs, duck is considered a curative. The ducks we buy today have a common ancestor, the Mallard. 

Side Dishes

Garlic butter stuffed mushrooms

Side bacon with cole slaw

Smoked Deviled Eggs **

Orange garlic asparagus spears

Arugula salad

Sweet potato mash

From the Bar

Pinot Noir

Bourdeaux

Merlot

Belgian Ale

Amber Ale

Old Fashioned

Pomegranate Juice

Elderflower Water

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