Butchering a duck question...he has to go and soon

[porkchop48]

I have a mean duck that has to go.

I have pieced together a small flock of ducks over the past few months. All pekins. I ended up wth 4 males and 4 females, which seems to be a bad sex ratio.

One of the males has become incresingly mean and chases away quite a few of the other ducks ( males and females)

I think this weekend will be his last weekend here. I have no idea how old he is. I have no way of finding out how old he is either.


Would it be worth it to process it and cook him or would he be too tough?

 

[dumb_cluck]

Why not give him away fro free on Craigslist?

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

If he is older I have heard to slow cook the bird. The other thing is to make sure you rest the meat. For additional tips I suggest asking the meat forum. I am still new to cooking duck and processing..... Good luck!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
3with chicks is right. For any poultry it is better to let them rest under cold conditions at least overnight, a full 24 hours is better. their muscles are under stress due to the killing operation and they need that time for the muscles to relax before they are cooked or frozen. Unless you insist on the bird being served rare [like they do in resturants but with known young tender birds] Low and slow is the way to cook a tough old bird. With ducks this also renders out some of the fat that some people object to. If you want that nice brown crispy skin, finish the bird in a very hot oven [450-500F] for a short time at the end of cooking but watch it closely.

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
3with chicks is right. For any poultry it is better to let them rest under cold conditions at least overnight, a full 24 hours is better. their muscles are under stress due to the killing operation and they need that time for the muscles to relax before they are cooked or frozen. Unless you insist on the bird being served rare [like they do in resturants but with known young tender birds] Low and slow is the way to cook a tough old bird. With ducks this also renders out some of the fat that some people object to. If you want that nice brown crispy skin, finish the bird in a very hot oven [450-500F] for a short time at the end of cooking but watch it closely.

2x. Of course you can always make sausage or soup with him too.

 

[zzGypsy]

I read on one of the other bird forums (maybe turkey thread?) to let the bird rest refrigerated for 3 days - it allows rigor to pass, which is part of what causes toughness. after 3 days, cook or freeze.

 

[porkchop48]

Thanks for the tips guys.

I hate dealing with craiglist and for one duck it is not even worth it. I would much rather butcher him and try it out.

Low and slow.

So if I slow roasted him with a good quick hot session at the end he might turn out ok?

I have never had duck sausage.. or any duck for that matter? Kinda interested to try that.

 

[jdywntr]

Just make sure to let it rest so that rigor passes. Older bird is supossed to be better low and slow or stewed.

 

[UrbanFarmerGreg]

I hear that cooking older birds in a pressure cooker does a nice job...

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
My opinion, cook it in the oven or a rotissere but don;t fret too much about resting etc, Duck is ALWAYS best rare. ANd it is tender if served so. If you are skittish about rare meat, then boil/steam and blanche it until tender, but if you want a piece of duck that is like a fine piece of fillet minion, then cook it rare, slice it thin and have a great bottle of wine and a cute woman nearby. It will be like a trip to Paris, without the obnoxious Parisians!