Dry cure for cold smoking

[Norrie]

Can anyone help ? I would like to understand how long to cure duck breasts in preparation for cold smoking. I assume the skin would be removed and the breast meat off the bone. Also is ther a weight to cure time calculation ? any help much appreciated

[Habanero Smoker]

If you are only going to smoke it for an hour or two you may not need to cure it. A simple basic salt brine will work. If you are going to cold smoke for a longer period of time, for duck or any poultry, you may be better off with a brine cure (pickle), then using the dry cure method.

I generally start with a basic brine cure, and add various flavors. If you need less you can half or quarter the recipe.

Basic Brine Cure
1 gal. Water
12 oz. Pickling salt (or 1.5 cups of Morton kosher salt)
1/2 c. Sugar (or maple syrup or brown sugar)
1.5 oz. InstaCure #1 (about 8 teaspoons)
A gallon will be enough to cure about 12 duck breasts.

Add all ingredients except InstaCure in a nonreactive pot (stainless steel, or porcelain lined) with one quart of water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, simmer, and stir until all ingredients are dissolved. Remove from heat and add 3 quarts of cold water to the mixture and add InstaCure, stirring until fully dissolved. Pour into a nonreactive container (stainless steel, plastic, or glass) that is large enough to hold the brine plus the duck breast, but do not place the duck into the brine at this time. Refrigerate and chill the brine until the brine is 38°F - 40°F. You can use ice instead of cold water. One pound of ice equals one pint of water.

Once brine has cooled, place the breast into the brine, making sure they are all fully submerge. You may have to use a plate on top of them to keep them submerged. Cure times are generally calculated by thickness of the cut of meat. For duck breast you should cure for 8-12 hours.

After removing the breast from the brine, rinse each breast under cold water. Place them on a rack and air dry, uncovered in a refrigerator for 8-12 hour, or until they become tacky to the touch.

If you are cold smoking, keep the smoker under 90°F. I wouldn't apply no more then 4-6 briquettes.

[Norrie]

Thanks, Ill give it a try. The smoked duck I have had in France is fantastic so its worth the effort. Thanks again for the help. Norrie

[Habanero Smoker]

I would recommend a simple salt brine, or one of the brines listed on the recipe site.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Just remember when you add a nitrite like InstaCure #1, it will give the duck more of a ham like flavor.

[Norrie]

I notice that most folks go on to hot smoke or cook the meet after the cure. Is it necessary to cure for longer if the meet isnt being cooked afterwords. I read the articles linked in your last reply, extremely helpful. Thanks again.

[Habanero Smoker]

For this reply I have to treat curing and brining as two distinct methods. Although brining is one method of curing, the brines you find of the recipe site are for flavor and moisture. They are not for preserving meats. That is why in my replies I made a distinction of a "Brine" and a "Brine Cure". Therefore if using one of the brines from the recipe site you should use the recommended times for brining the duck breast. Because of their thickness you should only brine the breast 2-4 hours; if you want to get the full benefit of brining. The time you see in the recipes are either for full turkesy, or chickens which requires longer brining times. You don't have to brine the full time.

Half way down in this artical CURING and BRINING ; you will find guidlines on how long to brine different cuts of meat.

When curing you should always use the manufacturer's, or recipe guidelines.

I hope I answered your questioned, if not send another post for clarification.