Rare duck

[gbritten_nh]

It seems that rare duck is often served in restaurants and at home, though this is not consistent with USDA guidelines or published normal internal temperatures.

Anybody know if this is risky, or pretty safe?  The outside, where the Salmonella hang out, is cooked well enough to ensure that none are still alive, but I am just wondering.

[Smokeville]

If you can hold on for a day or two, I will forward this to our local health board and see what they say.

Rich

[manxman]

My take on this is that medium rare to rare duck is safer to eat mainly because of the different farming conditions between duck and chicken. Generally duck is not as intensively farmed as chicken who are often reared in a squalid and very dirty enviroment..... salmonella is not specific to chicken, it just happens to like the poor conditions many chicken are reared in and although chicken husbandry has improved and the amount of salmonella reduced it stil leaves a lot to be desired in many instances.

Duck are sometimes intensively farmed but generally not to the same level as chicken and legislation nowadays perhaps means that they will never be as internsively reared as chickens once were. However an important thing to bear in mind that if you are going to cook duck rare you should have bought it from a reliable source.

Even if you have a free range chicken that has been reared in a great enviroment with a low risk of salmonella rare chicken does not look or taste nice, believe me I have tried!  ::)  On the other hand rare to medium rare duck beats well cooked duck hands down and because of the colour of the flesh not only looks but tastes nice.

Another factor is one you mention, when cooking duck breast the breast is often seared at high temperature however it is going to be cooked, the fat layer should be cut with a knife but not the meat as this could drive any bacteria from the skin into the meat. The high temperature searing of the surfaces will kill any bacteria.

Even when I smoke duck breast in my OBS,I finish off with a sear in the frying pan at high temperature to not only kill any bacteria but crispen up the skin.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=11346.0

Published guidelines whether government or in cookery books tend to err on the side of caution not only from a Health and Safety point of view but to avoid any comeback from disgruntled users so such values can be used with discretion if you are a confident cook IMHO.  ;)

I am happy to eat rare duck but I do follow the rough guide outlined above. Others may differ.

[Smokeville]

Yes, I expect my friend to come back with the 165F is safe rule, but I'm also asking why restaurants often serve it rare. It should make for an interesting response....

[manxman]

Yes, I expect my friend to come back with the 165F is safe rule

Originally I cooked duck in my OBS to 160F, now I have dropped it down to about 150F +/- a couple of degrees.  :)

[KyNola]

It seems that rare duck is often served in restaurants and at home, though this is not consistent with USDA guidelines or published normal internal temperatures.
Anybody know if this is risky, or pretty safe?  The outside, where the Salmonella hang out, is cooked well enough to ensure that none are still alive, but I am just wondering.

In the US here but I have eaten it medium rare many times.  Never had a problem with it.

[Smokeville]

The reply from our health office:

"The food premises regulation 562/90 requires whole poultry to be cooked to at least 82 C internally for a minimum of 15 seconds  Poultry other than whole is to be cooked to 74 C."

No word on why restaurants don't follow this. I probably should have phoned instead!

Rich