primitives discuss ducks' legs

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/115747042

Oh my.

For a little bit of light amusement:

AngryAmish (21,591 posts)    Tue Oct 28, 2014, 06:46 PM

confiting my first set of duck legs

Never did it before. Right now a 36 hour marinade in salt, thyme and bay leaves, then 12 hours in my sous vide (actually a hot wired crock pot with a temperture controller.)
 
My bride gave me sausage making gear and a friend gave me the Fatted Calf's Charcuterie bok. By spring I will have gout, but oh so delicious, homemade gout.
 
I am buying ten pounds of leaf lard tomorrow.

I should quit my job.

First, off to wikipedia:

confit is a generic term for various kinds of food that have been cooked in grease, oil or sugar water (syrup). Sealed and stored in a cool, dark place, confit can last for several months or years. Confit ("prepared") is one of the oldest ways to preserve food, and is a specialty of southwestern France.

sous vide is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath or in a temperature-controlled steam environment for longer than normal cooking times—96 hours or more, in some cases—at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 131 °F to 140 °F for meats and higher for vegetables. The intention is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and retain moisture.

charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork. Charcuterie is part of the garde manger chef's repertoire. Originally intended as a way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration, they are prepared today for their flavors derived from the preservation processes.

And now, the responses of the pretentious primitives:

Galileo126 (653 posts)    Wed Oct 29, 2014, 06:44 PM

1. I'm interested in how the duck came out

I love duck legs that have been confited. What temp did you use for those 12 hrs?

AngryAmish (21,591 posts)    Wed Oct 29, 2014, 06:55 PM

2. Ill tell you in 24 hours

Dry marinade of mostly salt plus bay leaf and thyme for 12 more hours. Then into to water bath.

sir pball (2,025 posts)    Wed Oct 29, 2014, 11:27 PM

3. With your setup I wouldn't bag them, just do them in the fat directly

Fill the crock pot with the melted lard, drop the legs in and stick the probe in. Let it go, then put the legs in a shallow baking dish and cover with the fat, let solidify. If you dig the pieces out one at a time, the "sealed" ones will keep for months.
 
I actually prefer to confit in a pan of fat in 225F oven instead of my Anova, even though I can circulate the fat directly with it. Sometimes the old-fashioned way really is better.

^^^a professional chef, and I guess a good one, so I suppose he can be trusted in this matter.

Just don't ask him about firearms; he owns some, and uses them, but apparently doesn't know a damned thing about them.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Had to look up 'Leaf lard,' which according to Wiki is "The highest grade of lard, known as leaf lard, is obtained from the "flare" visceral fat deposit surrounding the kidneys and inside the loin. Leaf lard has little pork flavor, making it ideal for use in baked goods, where it is valued for its ability to produce flaky, moist pie crusts."  I am somewhat perplexed as to why the fat medium even mattered to the DUmmie since he was planning on using plastic bags that would prevent any physical contact between the meat and the immersion medium, it seems he could just as easily use pond water as a premium-grade shortening. 

[Carl]

It sounds revolting.

[BlueStateSaint]

Had to look up 'Leaf lard,' which according to Wiki is "The highest grade of lard, known as leaf lard, is obtained from the "flare" visceral fat deposit surrounding the kidneys and inside the loin. Leaf lard has little pork flavor, making it ideal for use in baked goods, where it is valued for its ability to produce flaky, moist pie crusts."  I am somewhat perplexed as to why the fat medium even mattered to the DUmmie since he was planning on using plastic bags that would prevent any physical contact between the meat and the immersion medium, it seems he could just as easily use pond water as a premium-grade shortening.

Don't give them any ideas, DAT!

[franksolich]

Jenoch (7,144 posts)    Thu Oct 30, 2014, 09:46 PM

4. Are you using duck fat or lard?

I have a whole frozen duck in the freezer. I'm thinking of thawing it out, taking the breasts off, skin on then taking the leg quarters off, and cooking off the rest of it to render the fat. I'll confit the legs/thighs, and sear the breasts. Is this a viable plan? I have roasted whole ducks in the past, many years ago, but they were wild ducks without much fat.

[GOBUCKS]

DUmmy Sparkly Mike Pantano is well and truly gone if he doesn't weigh in on this thread.

[obumazombie]

It sounds revolting.

Positively !

[DumbAss Tanker]

Positively !

It really does sound an awful lot like left-over grease-caked stew meat that's been in the fridge two months.

[Big Dog]

It really does sound an awful lot like left-over grease-caked stew meat that's been in the fridge two months.

'Round here, we call that left-over grease-caked stew meat 'confit', pardner!

[Chris_]

Duck legs?  Isn't that a little bourgeois?

[JohnnyReb]

Frog legs and the colonels drumsticks is about as far as........well now I do have a thing for the female leg.....and then there are hams.....I guess it's just rotten duck legs I don't do.

[obumazombie]

Duck legs?  Isn't that a little bourgeois?

They want to spread the wealth around, but not their own.

[GOBUCKS]

If it's legs from wild ducks, you'd do just as well to boil a pot of Bass Weejuns.

[BannedFromDU]

     Confit simply means that it has been slowly cooked in its own juices and fat, rather like LynneSin's briefs on a hot, muggy day.

     You can confit anything that has a lot of fat, or to which you add a lot of fat. The result is a pile of tender meat. That's it. Duck is ideal for confit, because it has a nice flavor that shines through the fact that you are basically eating fat.

     Confit, owing to the fact that it is capable of elevating an otherwise tough and undesirable piece of meat (like, for example, Cali), began as a poor man's technique. It was coopted by chefs who realized they could make better cuts of meat even more flavorful. Of course, DUmmies will claim that it's all the rage in the better kitchens when in fact it's old as the hills. Sous vide cooking is currently in vogue, although it often misapplied.

     All of which to say that this is just plain vanity posting by a DUmmy looking to build street cred. Odds are he really had a slice of American cheese between two pieces of white bread.

[diesel driver]

     Confit simply means that it has been slowly cooked in its own juices and fat, rather like LynneSin's briefs on a hot, muggy day.

     You can confit anything that has a lot of fat, or to which you add a lot of fat. The result is a pile of tender meat. That's it. Duck is ideal for confit, because it has a nice flavor that shines through the fact that you are basically eating fat.

     Confit, owing to the fact that it is capable of elevating an otherwise tough and undesirable piece of meat (like, for example, Cali), began as a poor man's technique. It was coopted by chefs who realized they could make better cuts of meat even more flavorful. Of course, DUmmies will claim that it's all the rage in the better kitchens when in fact it's old as the hills. Sous vide cooking is currently in vogue, although it often misapplied.

     All of which to say that this is just plain vanity posting by a DUmmy looking to build street cred. Odds are he really had a slice of American cheese between two pieces of white bread.

In an iron skillet with a dollop of Crisco

[franksolich]

     Confit simply means that it has been slowly cooked in its own juices and fat, rather like LynneSin's briefs on a hot, muggy day.

 

[BlueStateSaint]

     Confit simply means that it has been slowly cooked in its own juices and fat, rather like LynneSin's briefs on a hot, muggy day.

 

I have got to meet you someday!  H5!