On this episode of ‘Prime Time,’ The Meat Hook Butchers Ben Turley and Brent Young combine two things they love: beer and duck.
The two express their love for the more traditional beer can chicken, but wish it could have crispier skin. That’s where the duck comes in: this bird has a thicker skin, and is therefore able to crisp up better. First, the two separate the duck skin from the meat with an air compressor, a technique the duo learned from chef Joe Ng at Decoy in NYC. The ducks then get dipped in water, and then receive a vinegar and sugar bath to tighten the skin, and hung to dry for 24 hours.
The butchers salt the birds, and decide to try a dark beer and a light beer to see which will provide the most flavor. The beer can is put inside the birds, and then they’re both added to a grill, standing up, to cook for two hours. After tasting the two ducks, they come to a conclusion about which beer works best, and how they might modify their experiment next time.