Getting the Mud out?

[Shootmoore]

Any suggestions on how to treat West Side duck and goose meat to get the "muddy" taste out?  A couple of guys at work want me to start duck/goose hunting with them again.  I think they just want me for my huge collection of goose and duck deke's  .  I quit duck/goose hunting when I moved over here to the wet side when I ate my first couple batches of  wet side ducks and geese  .

I do miss duck/goose hunting but I won't hunt them if I am not going to eat em.  So any suggestions of how to make them eddible would be appreciated.  I even tried jerking some but they still tasted bad.

Shootmoore

[C-Money]

Soak the breasts in teriyaki sauce for 24 to 48 hrs and then BBQ or bake. They should be good!

[Shootmoore]

Soak the breasts in teriyaki sauce for 24 to 48 hrs and then BBQ or bake. They should be good!

Trouble is I really don't like teriyaki.  Not sure which would be worse, the mud taste or the teriyaki 

Shootmoore

[Armadillo]

what about soaking in a light brine? or even marinading in mild salsa for a day

[270Shooter]

Soak them in salt water for a day, then itailian dressing for a day. Thats what I do But I have eastside ducks

[ducksdoom12]

i usually soak them in salt water or milk for 24-48 hours, ive never had a problem with the taste doing that

[C-Money]

Pick a marinade you like and soak'em! Milk soak can be very effective prior to the marinade soak!

[Dustin07]

you can soak it in milk to mild out the flavor, or just man up and learn to love it. 

[Shootmoore]

you can soak it in milk to mild out the flavor, or just man up and learn to love it. 

lol thats funny right there.  If I decide to start hunting them I will try the salt or milk and give it a try.  I guess I was used to the East side ducks, a little flour, salt and pepper and fry em up.  Even the mudhens are tasty over on the east side.  I wonder what the difference is?

Shootmoore

[bobcat]

A lot of people have pepperoni sticks made out of duck. If you didn't have enough you could always just add it to some deer and/or elk when you have a batch of pepperoni made. I don't blame you though. I don't like the ducks from around here either. I tried feeding some to my dog once and she wouldn't even eat it.     (not kidding)

[Dustin07]

you can soak it in milk to mild out the flavor, or just man up and learn to love it. 

lol thats funny right there.  If I decide to start hunting them I will try the salt or milk and give it a try.  I guess I was used to the East side ducks, a little flour, salt and pepper and fry em up.  Even the mudhens are tasty over on the east side.  I wonder what the difference is?

Shootmoore

could be a lot of things. a lot of birds over here hang out in the salt though so consider what they are eating and drinking, even the puddlers, vs what they are eating and drinking in the corn and wheat fields.  the flavor really doesn't bother me though. I consider a good dinner a snow goose steak grilled medium-rare with some montreal steak seasoning and a side of potatoes.    but that's just me.... my wife admited the other day that she has NEVER tried duck before. I am not sure how she pulled that off looking back on countless DUCK dinners her dad and I have hosted. 

[bobcat]

You know where ducks around here spend a lot of their time? Sitting in cow manure ponds on dairy farms. I think that explains a lot!

[MP123]

The classic recipe:

Take one duck and stuff it with an onion.  Roast at 350 for 2 hours.  Throw away the duck and enjoy the onion! 

Seriously, I brine them for a day or two followed by a buttermilk soak.  Works pretty well.

[Curly]

Soak the meat in Orange Juice overnight in the fridge and then cook it in orange juice.

=============>>>>

After the orange juice soak, sprinkle duck with salt and pepper.

Then brown the duck pieces slowly on both sides in a pan with hot oil, then drain the oil.

Add a cup of orange juice, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1/2 chopped onion, little garlic, some thyme, add a little more salt.

Then Cover and simmer 45 to 50 minutes.  Don't over cook.


I used to hate eating ducks but after I started cooking them in orange juice I actually like the meat.  It must have something to do with the citric acid in the orange juice.  You can also pop them in the oven while soaking in orange juice and they will turn out pretty good.

[Meats]

I soak the meat in lightly salted water in the fridge changing it out 3-4 times in a 24-48 hr period.
This draws most of the blood out which is what causes the brown color and muddy taste in cooked waterfowl.
After the soaking the meat will be a light pink color instead of the dark red color of the fresh meat.
The liver texture and mud taste most talk about is also due to OVER COOKING the meat.Waterfowl should not be cooked past med-rare and eaten while still hot or fresh off the grill.

A lot of people like to marinade the meat after soaking and the orange juice marinade works well.The acid in the citrus juice helps to tenderize the meat and also adds great flavor.

1. soak and change water
2. DO NOT overcook
3. eat hot off the grill or out of the pan

Good eats 

[Shootmoore]

Thanks for the idea's and recipes.  I might have to get back in the game and try these out.  I do miss duck/goose hunting alot.  My poor deke collection is over at my folks place gathering dust(more storage room over there) and I have 4 or 5 cases of steel sitting around.

Those recipes sound pretty tasty as well.  Just way more prep than I am used to but I can get er done.  I'm more of a one step cooker, but will kind of be like preppin for smoking so not that big of deal.

Now hope the guys at work have some spots that are not overflowing with other people.

Shootmoore

[ducksdoom12]

try some of these that I just found! the first two especially look hella tasty
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zduck.html

[WCTaxidermy]

Ok you guy's are going to think I'm crazy but hear me out.  I have hunted and eaten ducks/geese since I was old enough to hold a gun.  It took years for me to learn this, but think of your duck and goose meat as deer/elk meat.  You hang deer and elk meat to age it, which takes the game taste and smell right out of it.  The same goes for your duck and goose meat.  Get them plucked or skinned as soon as you can to get that meat cooled down, (just like you would with a deer or elk)  Hang them for as long as you can as long as it's cool outside.  at least 1 to 10 days.  If it is too warm outside to hang them, simply wrap your duck/goose meat in a cheese cloth and put in your refrigerator for 1 to 10 days then eat or freeze.

You will be SHOCKED how much that makes a crappy smelling/tasting duck or goose into a tasty, tender piece of meat that you can cut with your fork.  Try it and I think you will have a whole different view of your duck and goose meat.  Hope that helps with your decision making.  John

   

[Goldeneye]

Soak your goose meat overnight on beef broth,  season as desired and then either bake or BBQ it in your intended fashion on foil.  Baste occasionally until the goose is finished cooking.  Internal temp of the meat needs to be at least 165 deg.  If done this way you'll have a hard time telling that the goose is anything different than a good cut of roast beef.  I took a batch into work this year and it didn't last long.  It surprised a lot of folks.  Take a little care with goose or duck and it can be turned into a tasty meal.

[Special T]

I grade my ducks... Never had any problems with the geese... My wife only eats geese Mallard pintail and teal... So i normally use 2 quart mason jars when I'm breasting out ducks and put the wife's in one and he the others in mine.. works pretty good... I notice a small taste difference in scaup,wigeon,buffle head, Spoonies and such... I usually do a spicy marinade on mine, my wife don't like the heat....  I'll second the statement about soaking in OJ and cooking... Another thing i like is the Mango salsa from Costco.... soak in OJ cook with the salsa.... 

[vandeman17]

The classic recipe:

Take one duck and stuff it with an onion.  Roast at 350 for 2 hours.  Throw away the duck and enjoy the onion! 

hahaha now that is funny right there!

[Fishnclifff]

I soak em in pineapple juice and white wine overnight.

[Special T]

I find that many alcoholic or acidic brine's work well and breaking down and flavoring the meat. 

[snocohunter]

I brined the birds from this weekend in salt but I think I used a little too much salt. And i usually rinse them off before marinading but was in a hurry so just threw in some mesquite and lime marinade i had around. Cooked up two breasts, med rare. One tasted great, other one smelt and tasted like mud. Think i'll let the next birds hang a week like i've done in the past. I'll have to try the orange juice method for sure.