Beers and Sunshine — With a Side of Duck Pastrami
Thanksgiving in 2020 really makes you dig deep. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of things I am thankful for, such as my health, my job and my friends, who more than once talked me off the ledge during this pandemic.
These days, to cope, I cook and tune into The Highway on Sirius XM for a little “Beers and Sunshine.” I daydream a bit as Darius story-tells about bonfires and kicking back with friends. In this moment, I take his advice: I forget about the craziness.
Hey, it’s not a bonfire and a boat ride, but the closest thing to sharing “beers and sunshine” during a pandemic.
Instead, I focus on what to do with all this extra time. My husband Joe has had this recipe for pastrami he had been wanting to make. Not your everyday pastrami, but duck pastrami. And it takes time, three days in fact.
It’s a little late to start this recipe for today’s Thanksgiving meal, but, really, it’s one to bookmark for when you want a different take on the traditional turkey.
So we set out on a Wednesday. Joe cured the duck. I then added the pastrami to pot pies, which I promptly delivered, fresh and hot, to friends on a Saturday. Hey, it’s not a bonfire and a boat ride, but the closest thing to sharing “beers and sunshine” during a pandemic.
I know it lightened up my mind. And while we wait for live music to return in person and the craziness to end, it’s The Highway and duck pastrami to be thankful for.
Duck Pastrami Pot Pies
First, the duck pastrami. Joe got this recipe from the BBQ Barons in Australia. We want to give them credit, but their website seems to be defunct.
The Duck Pastrami
4 free-range duck breasts
Cure
4 Tbsp. rock salt
½ tsp. curing salt #1
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dark brown sugar
4 ground juniper berries
2 ground cloves
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Rub
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. coriander seeds
4 ground juniper berries
2 ground cloves
½ tsp. ground mustard seeds
¼ tsp. ground garlic
Start preparing the cure four days before smoking.
Mix together the ingredients of the cure and place in a zip bag.
Add the duck, coating the cure evenly over all the surfaces of the meat.
Massage gently before zipping up the bag, ensuring very little air remains in the bag.
Refrigerate for 72 hours. Twice a day, massage the cure and the duck so the cure continues to penetrate the meat.
After 72 hours, remove from the bag and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Soak the breasts in cold water for two hours, but change the water every 40 minutes to reduce the salty taste.
Dry the breasts with paper towel. Refrigerate for another 8 hours or overnight.
Set your smoker to 250°F.
Mix together the rub ingredients and coat the rub over the duck breasts evenly, over the skin and the meat.
Add some wood. After about 10-15 minutes, place the duck on the grill skin side down.
Cook until the duck reaches 165°F. Remove from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
The Pot Pies
I borrowed this Savory Pastrami and Cheese recipe from Chow Hounds. Of course, I replaced the traditional pastrami with duck pastrami. I used sweet potatoes instead of russets, added asparagus and shredded carrots, and bought the crust.
