| Ingredients |
| 4 cups cold water |
| 2 cups freshly brewed strong coffee |
| 1 cup kosher salt |
| 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar |
| 2 1/2 tablespoons Insta Cure No.1 (curing salt) |
| 1/4 cup molasses (regular or robust, not blackstrap) |
| 3 cups ice cubes |
| 6 Peking (sometimes called Long Island) duck breast halves with skin (about 7 oz each) |
| Special equipment: a 1- to 2-gallon plastic storage tub; a 22 1/2-inch kettle grill with a lid and a hinged top rack; a 12- by 8- by 2-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan; 6 cups hardwood sawdust (3/4 lb; not from treated wood); charcoal briquettes; a chimney starter; long metal tongs; an instant-read thermometer |
| Directions |
| Cure duck |
Stir together water, coffee, kosher salt, brown sugar, and Insta Cure in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then adds molasses and stir until dissolved. Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not melt completely; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption).
Add duck to cure and weight down with a large plate (to keep submerged). Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 6 hours.
Rinse duck and pat dry, then discard brine. |
| Prepare grill and cold-smoke duck |
Prepare grill and cold-smoke duck following procedure for grilling and cold-smoking chicken legs. (Duck will not be cooked.)
Cool duck completely, uncovered, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to thinly slice and fry. |
| Cooks' notes |
- Duck can be cured, rinsed, and patted dry 1 day ahead of cold-smoking and chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Uncooked cold-smoked duck bacon keeps, chilled, 1 week, or frozen 2 months
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