Italian Duck Sandwich

Duck camp is no place for cute little sliders or a tablespoon of meat on a cracker, especially after a long day in the marsh. The beauty of this dish is that the time-consuming cooking component is done well in advance. Whole ducks or breast fillets are seasoned, slow-cooked, cooled, and shredded much like pulled pork.

ital

Italian Duck Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 whole ducks split in half with backbones removed (or 6 to 8 duck breast fillets)
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups beef stock or broth
  • 6 sturdy sourdough or French rolls split
  • Pepperoncini sliced
  • Pickled hot or sweet peppers

Instructions

  • In a small bowl or bag, combine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Liberally coat the duck with this mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably for 6 or more hours.
  • Heat the oil in a heavy-duty pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the duck and brown evenly on all sides. Add the onion and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Mix in Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and stir to deglaze the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add vinegar and beef stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for several hours until the meat pulls apart easily.
  • Remove the duck from the pot and let cool completely. Once cooled, pull the meat off the bones or shred the breasts into bite-sized pieces. Strain the liquid from the pot and add it to the pulled meat.
  • To serve, reheat the meat and liquid in a skillet or Dutch oven. Add the pepperoncini and peppers and bring to serving temperature. Spoon the mixture onto rolls.