Can Goose, Duck, Chicken and Turkey be treated the same way?

This is not your pork! · 10-11-2012, 09:31 AM

So I'll get to smoke my first whole poultry this weekend, but I don't know what my wife is going to pick up tomorrow, it depends what's available and what's on offer.

The plan is to brine and spatchcock the bird, then smoke it in my WSM @ 350°F.

So do the four types of poultry require different procedures, or can they be treated equally?

chad · 10-11-2012, 09:39 AM

From a safety aspect, yes.
But, Goose and Duck are much fatter, generally, than chicken and turkey is, generally, leaner.
If you like duck skin then a goal is to release most of the fat to allow the skin to crisp up.
Sounds like fun, no matter what the spousal unit buys!
Good luck.

This is not your pork! · 10-11-2012, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chad

If you like duck skin then a goal is to release most of the fat to allow the skin to crisp up

How would I do that?

MisterChrister · 10-11-2012, 09:44 AM

Duck would be one heck of a way to season your cooker! You'll be greased up for a LONG time!!

This is not your pork! · 10-11-2012, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterChrister

Duck would be one heck of a way to season your cooker! You'll be greased up for a LONG time!!

So are duck and goose generally a bad idea to smoke? I know these two are much fattier, but will it really cause such a huge mess? I don't care if it fills up the foiled clay saucer in the foiled water pan of my WSM, so it shouldn't be something to consider a problem, or should it?

Mdboatbum · 10-11-2012, 10:28 AM

Turkey and chicken:
Spatch, brine, dry on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours, smoke.

Duck and goose:
Spatch, brine, score skin, steam for 45 minutes, dry on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours, smoke.

The drying phase will help the skin crisp in both cases. The scoring and steaming for the duck and goose will render a lot of the fat.

This is not your pork! · 10-11-2012, 10:32 AM

Good point, never heard of scoring duck or goose skin + steaming before. Any pr0n that shows a scored duck or goose?

MisterChrister · 10-11-2012, 11:11 AM

I've only done whole duck in an oven. I scored the skin which did help render the fat and left a crispy skin, but my oven was still a mess. I guess I was supposed to put some sliced bread in the bottom of the baking dish under the wire rack that the duck was on. The fat spattered on the hot baking dish and splattered all over the oven! Maybe it was just beginner's (bad) luck!

Stoke&Smoke · 10-11-2012, 11:18 AM

Duck is significantly different than the rest. It's all dark meat, and if you cook it to 165 or above, as with the other poultry's, you'll have wasted your $$. And if you save the duck fat, cook up some potatoes in it! It's an excellent cooking oil

Yellowhair42 · 10-11-2012, 11:21 AM

I smoked a duck and it was very good and not greasy at all.I just put it in,no steaming or scoring.Was the best bird creature I ever had.

chomper's bbq · 10-11-2012, 12:04 PM

One idea is to buy a turkduckhen and follow the directions. I agree the duck and goose are hard to keep flavorful when smoking. I like to take duck breasts, pound them out and make pinwheels. Duck wrapped around portabellas, cheese, jalapenos and onion. you cook them over direct heat (grilling).

landarc · 10-11-2012, 12:50 PM

I don't brine duck, it doesn't benefit from the brine, as it is very moist and fatty. I like to steam the bird briefly, then roast at a high heat. Does better at the high heat, than at a lower smoking heat. I don't spatchcock it either. I prefer to stuff an onion and sliced lemon into the body cavity. Or, I will put some spices into the void and sew it up.

jestridge · 10-11-2012, 02:03 PM

I have two young Muscovy duckling , they don;t suppose to be a greasy as the Peking. but I kinda hate to kill them

dano · 10-11-2012, 02:19 PM

Landarc is right. I don't brine duck or goose. I do score the skin to try and let some of the fat find it's way out. Steaming and scoring usually does the trick. Brine is the way to go for chicken and turkey.

MS2SB · 10-11-2012, 02:35 PM

Instead of scoring you can also prick the skin all over with a skewer or toothpick.

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10-11-2012, 09:31 AM	#1
This is not your pork! is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 04-24-12 Location: Linz, Austria Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Can Goose, Duck, Chicken and Turkey be treated the same way? So I'll get to smoke my first whole poultry this weekend, but I don't know what my wife is going to pick up tomorrow, it depends what's available and what's on offer. The plan is to brine and spatchcock the bird, then smoke it in my WSM @ 350°F. So do the four types of poultry require different procedures, or can they be treated equally? __________________ [EQUIPMENT.] WSM 22.5" + Maverick ET-732 + SuperFast WHITE Thermapen [FUEL......] Pure Natural Lemon Tree Lump Charcoal [PREVIOUS.Q] Grandpa Kwock's Char Siu Boneless Pork Belly & Worstjes

10-11-2012, 09:39 AM	#2
chad somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-13-03 Location: Clearwater, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	From a safety aspect, yes. But, Goose and Duck are much fatter, generally, than chicken and turkey is, generally, leaner. If you like duck skin then a goal is to release most of the fat to allow the skin to crisp up. Sounds like fun, no matter what the spousal unit buys! Good luck. __________________ Dave Southern Brethren BBQ Competition Team "It's all about getting paid!" - Myron Mixon "I love being hated in my hometown!" - David Hair KingFisher Gator Rotisserie cooker, WSM, Stainless 5 burner with IR gas grill, Turkey Fryer, Weber JD Commemorative grill, slightly used Bandera chamber for future use as a cold smoker, Masterbuilt 40" insulated ELECTRIC smoker

10-11-2012, 09:44 AM	#4
MisterChrister is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-28-12 Location: Richland Center, WI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Duck would be one heck of a way to season your cooker! You'll be greased up for a LONG time!! __________________ '69 Redhead 2X Stainless Performers TS Performer Mystery Blue OTG Simpsons SJ SJG WGA A "few" others

10-11-2012, 10:32 AM	#7
This is not your pork! is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 04-24-12 Location: Linz, Austria Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Good point, never heard of scoring duck or goose skin + steaming before. Any pr0n that shows a scored duck or goose? __________________ [EQUIPMENT.] WSM 22.5" + Maverick ET-732 + SuperFast WHITE Thermapen [FUEL......] Pure Natural Lemon Tree Lump Charcoal [PREVIOUS.Q] Grandpa Kwock's Char Siu Boneless Pork Belly & Worstjes

10-11-2012, 11:11 AM	#8
MisterChrister is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-28-12 Location: Richland Center, WI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I've only done whole duck in an oven. I scored the skin which did help render the fat and left a crispy skin, but my oven was still a mess. I guess I was supposed to put some sliced bread in the bottom of the baking dish under the wire rack that the duck was on. The fat spattered on the hot baking dish and splattered all over the oven! Maybe it was just beginner's (bad) luck! __________________ '69 Redhead 2X Stainless Performers TS Performer Mystery Blue OTG Simpsons SJ SJG WGA A "few" others

10-11-2012, 10:28 AM	#6
Mdboatbum Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-07-12 Location: Washington, DC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Turkey and chicken: Spatch, brine, dry on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours, smoke. Duck and goose: Spatch, brine, score skin, steam for 45 minutes, dry on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours, smoke. The drying phase will help the skin crisp in both cases. The scoring and steaming for the duck and goose will render a lot of the fat.

10-11-2012, 11:18 AM	#9
Stoke&Smoke Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-18-07 Location: Woodridge, IL Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Duck is significantly different than the rest. It's all dark meat, and if you cook it to 165 or above, as with the other poultry's, you'll have wasted your $$. And if you save the duck fat, cook up some potatoes in it! It's an excellent cooking oil __________________ 2 Skinny Cooks Competition Team http://2SkinnyCooks.blogspot.com KCBS CJ/TC #17139 Member ILBBQS Too many cookers to list

10-11-2012, 11:21 AM	#10
Yellowhair42 On the road to being a farker Join Date: 03-24-12 Location: Medina,Ohio Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I smoked a duck and it was very good and not greasy at all.I just put it in,no steaming or scoring.Was the best bird creature I ever had. __________________ UPBS(Ugly Plywood Box Smoker), Costco Vision Komado, Weber Smokey Joe Silver(soon to be a mini WSM)

10-11-2012, 12:04 PM	#11
chomper's bbq Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-27-11 Location: Chesterfield, MO Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	One idea is to buy a turkduckhen and follow the directions. I agree the duck and goose are hard to keep flavorful when smoking. I like to take duck breasts, pound them out and make pinwheels. Duck wrapped around portabellas, cheese, jalapenos and onion. you cook them over direct heat (grilling). __________________ Chompers 1, offset trailer smoker, 2-UDS,1-UDS rib hanger, weber grill,thermopen, maverick 732, cookshack, La Caja China

10-11-2012, 12:50 PM	#12
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: San Leandro, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I don't brine duck, it doesn't benefit from the brine, as it is very moist and fatty. I like to steam the bird briefly, then roast at a high heat. Does better at the high heat, than at a lower smoking heat. I don't spatchcock it either. I prefer to stuff an onion and sliced lemon into the body cavity. Or, I will put some spices into the void and sew it up. __________________ "perhaps...but then again...maybe not..." careful there son, those ribs are boiling hot... \_\|_/ (='.'=) Here there be bunnies... (")_(")ooo Pacific Rim BBQ Bob's Brew and Que

10-11-2012, 02:03 PM	#13
jestridge somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 12-28-07 Location: annville ky Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I have two young Muscovy duckling , they don;t suppose to be a greasy as the Peking. but I kinda hate to kill them

10-11-2012, 02:19 PM	#14
dano Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 02-09-11 Location: Trappe, PA. Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Landarc is right. I don't brine duck or goose. I do score the skin to try and let some of the fat find it's way out. Steaming and scoring usually does the trick. Brine is the way to go for chicken and turkey. __________________ Assassin Smoker Blue Weber Performer

10-11-2012, 02:35 PM	#15
MS2SB is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-28-10 Location: Bothell, WA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Instead of scoring you can also prick the skin all over with a skewer or toothpick. Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express __________________ Traeger lil Tex, 2 Weber 22.5", UDS Mop, Sauce & Two Smoking Barrels BBQ Team "Go Cougs!" They call me "Dave" Noobian Warlord