Duck Pastrami Recipe

Updated January 06, 2020

Closeup of a sliced duck breast pastrami on a wooden cutting board — Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Why It Works

Spice amounts and curing time are adjusted for the smaller duck breast.
The addition of juniper berries complements the duck flavor.

The American tradition of having corned beef on St. Patrick's Day often makes me think of other cured meats. For example, brisket done as pastrami and Montreal smoked meat. Building on past pastrami success, I changed things up by using duck instead of beef for this recipe.

Since my process for pastrami is already good, I kept things fairly similar for this duck pastrami, only adjusting amounts of the dry cure and the curing time to fit the much smaller duck breasts, plus the addition of juniper berries in both the cure and rub. This recipe has the breasts curing for three days in the fridge, a soak to remove some saltiness afterward, then they are rubbed and smoked until just cooked through.

Straight out of the smoker, the thick layer of duck fat was incredibly luscious, and I found myself pulling it off and enjoying the salty, rich fat on its own. The meat tasted like pastrami should, except being ducky rather than beefy. More delicate in flavor than beef brisket, this duck pastrami can be enjoyed on its own, but it does just as well piled onto rye with swiss and slathered with mustard.

Recipe Details

Duck Pastrami Recipe

Active 30 mins

Total 77 hrs

Serves 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

For the Cure:

1/4 cup kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground juniper berries
3/4 teaspoon pink salt (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 pounds duck breast

For the Rub:

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons coarsely ground juniper berries
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 to 2 fist-size chunks of light smoking wood, such as apple or cherry

Directions

For the Cure: In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, coriander, dark brown sugar, juniper berries, pink salt, ginger, garlic, and cloves. Coat duck breasts entirely with cure and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Place in the coldest part of the refrigerator and cure for 72 hours, flipping bag twice a day.
Remove duck breasts from bag and wash as much cure off as possible under cold running water. Place breasts in a large container, fill with water, and let soak for 2 hours, replacing water every 30 minutes. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.
For the Rub: Mix together black pepper, coriander, juniper berries, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Coat duck breasts entirely with rub.
Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F (110°C), adding smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place duck breasts in, skin side down, and smoke until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F (74°C) when inserted into center of breasts, 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Remove from smoker and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve immediately, or store in refrigerator for up to a week, slicing and serving as needed. For best results, steam slices to reheat.

Special Equipment

Smoker

Notes

Pink salt, used for curing (not to be confused with popular specialty salts, like Himalayan pink salt), is a mixture of sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium nitrite. It is dyed pink so it’s not confused for regular salt and used in excess. When used for curing, it helps preserve color, promote flavor, and prevent undesirable bacteria growth. You can find pink salt (also called Prague powder) online or in larger grocery stores.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
379	Calories
20g	Fat
3g	Carbs
45g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	379
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 5g	27%
Cholesterol 247mg	82%
Sodium 871mg	38%
Total Carbohydrate 3g	1%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 45g
Vitamin C 5mg	26%
Calcium 35mg	3%
Iron 6mg	35%
Potassium 54mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.