First post - Second duck - Will it last?

[MZac]

First post on here, have been lurking for months. I'm new to hunting this season and I shot my 2nd duck today. I breasted the first one and had a bit more time to spend on my second today. This year's goal was one duck which I've now doubled. Next year's goal is one deer.


I'm going to cook up half of the duck today in a coffee rub (along with the heart )as an appetizer. I want to save the other half until Friday (today is Monday). Will it keep in the fridge until then the way I've butchered it, or do I need to freeze it? I've also never eaten a heart before - All I did was cut off the top and rinse it under cold water. Good to cook up and eat like that?


It is truly amazing how much goes into getting your first couple ducks when you haven't had any previous hunting experience or exposure. It feels extremely rewarding and fulfilling, in a way I haven't experienced. Thank you to all the contributors on here, very helpful for noobs!


https://i.imgur.com/utJtBK6.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/1pYXHC2.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/loyUlql.jpg?1

[wideopenthrottle]

wow great job on the plucking...looks really appetizing...ps....the gizzard is also awesome...just cut it along the edge to avoid the sand inside dulling the knife and peel out the lining ...

[MichelD]

Congratulations and great plucking job indeed.

[BimmerBob]

Congrats, that does look awesome and the plucking job too! Looking forward to hearing how your supper went, what a fine start!

[Ron.C]

Congrats, great job on that Mallard.

[Modeltwelve]

It’ll be okay in the fridge till friday and very nice job on cleaning.

[silveragent]

A+ plucking job. I can't remember the last time I plucked the entire duck.

Your duck should be good in the fridge that long. Some people will even hang their ducks for a week or two.

[MZac]

Thanks gents for all the compliments and appreciate the confirmation that it will keep until Friday, where we do round two:

1. Checkered the skin (didn't go into the meat) and added the rub to both sides;

https://i.imgur.com/h7EnUx3.jpg?1

2. Cooked it skin side down to render the fat from the skin for about 5 minutes. Flipped it and used a meat thermometer. Pulled it off at 127 degree:
https://i.imgur.com/xN7fG2y.jpg?1

It was like the blackened cajun chicken you get at Earls, except that duck just doesn't taste like chicken. Man that was good!

[walks with deer]

wow of you want to prep all the meat like that i will put you infront of deer... great job!!!@

[walks with deer]

bad tasting meat is due mostly to accidents and lack of effort cleaning great work again!

[MZac]

wow of you want to prep all the meat like that i will put you infront of deer... great job!!!@

Thank you! And please tell that to my wife! She's generally a vegetarian - to her full credit she tried the duck tonight - but is having a hard time getting over the idea of "farm" to table. I tried to conceal the cleaning part as much as possible but it seems she saw enough to be good after one bite, however, my mother in law really enjoyed it... Go figure, lol...

I would absolutely love to get in front of a deer. Similar to duck hunting this season I don't really know where to start, but I'm slowly acquiring information. A deer seems a bit overwhelming at this stage but I plan to get there.

It seems to me that if a guy is going to put in as much effort as is required to hunt the animal, then he ought to put some into cooking it.

[webley]

Good on you, nice attitude. Steve!

[JcNemo]

Congrats man. I normally pluck the feathers and then BBQ the ducks.

[mastercaster]

Your cleaning/plucking job looks so professional I would have never guessed that bird came from the wild! Beautiful looking drake mallard to boot,,,,,the KING of ducks! lol

[ab3]

plucking brilliant

[blindman]

The first thing that caught my eye when I looked at this post was "plucking job" that I would do credit to a chef. Nice job. The finished duck looks perfectly done also and I am an avid coffee drinker do maybe I'll try the rub.

[tigrr]

Good job, hunting, plucking, cleaning and cooking. Next time save the gizzard too.
So after showing that coffee rub you have to post the recipe!!
What part of the country?

[Walking Buffalo]

This advice is a bit late for your second duck.
So, for your third and others.

Ducks (waterfowl) and upland gamebirds are so much better if you age them for a while.
This is something that most current hunters did not learn from their Elders.
It's time to revive this lost knowledge.
So much less goose jerky and sausage would be made if people aged them first. ;)

Birds experience rigor mortis just like big game.
Let the duck rest at least a few days (3-5) minimum before eating.
You will be very pleasantly surprised at how much more tender the meat becomes.

Hearts, gizzard and liver from most waterfowl are great eating.
Save up a bunch and the potential uses expands exponentially.

[MZac]

Wow Gents - all the plucking compliments are a bit humbling because I don't really know what I'm doing. I watched a few videos and took my time, you guys are too kind.

Walking Buffalo - I actually did notice a difference in the same duck letting half of it sit in the fridge for five days. I wasn't sure if it was in my head but I found it more tender and that it tasted a bit better. Thanks for confirming this and, from my very limited experience, it seemed to make a difference.

For those that asked, I got the recipe from The Meateater Fish and Game Cookbook (Steven Rinella). It's the one he uses for duck nacho's but he says in there you'll like it so much you'll want to try it without nacho's, which is what I did:

Rub:
2lbs duck breasts (skin on)
1 tablespoon of ground coffee beans
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Checker the skin (don't go into the meat) and add the rub. Cook it skin side down to render the fat from the skin then flip it, cover it, and cook it to 127 degrees for medium rare or 130-135 degrees for medium. Slice it thin and it's delicious!


Located in the lower mainland for those that asked. Also, always looking for property somewhere else in the province... Open to anywhere.