finger-sucking roasted beer duck

To the surprise of many, I’m not talking about the widely published, sometimes overrated national dish, Peking duck, focusing on achieving slices of dehydrated crispy skins at the expense of often dry and woodsy flesh (most leftover meats and bones are later used in stir-fries and stocks).  As you can see if not clearly enough, I have only disdain for authoritarian rule over the majority.  Instead, I’m here to talk about a new discovery I recently made on humble street-establishments, from hole-in-a-wall-like vendors, selling what they call, the aromatic beer ducks.

What differentiates “people’s” beer duck from “Peking” (old spelling of “Beijing”) duck, is the celebration of equal rights and voices for all parts of this under-appreciated animal.  No meat, leg or wing, has to subject to the dictation of achieving a dehydrated crispy skin.  The entire roast duck is eaten as a balanced festival of juicy, luscious and flavourful off-the-bone meats, under salty, succulent, non-obsessively crispy and gelatinous skins.  If you have only tried a taste of this beer duck, you wouldn’t give a shit about Peking anymore.

To my and perhaps your surprise, the recipe for something so gastronomically rewarding and visually impressive, is surprisingly simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 peking duck （1.5 kg ~ 2 kg), gutted and cleaned
• Shaoxing wine, or Italian grappa for brushing
• The brine:
  • 4 cups (1000 ml) water
  • 1 cup (26 grams) whole Asian dried chili
  • 130 grams (roughly scant 1/2 cup of table salt) salt, or kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup (60 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp of chicken bouillon
  • 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 2″ (30 grams) ginger, sliced
  • the spices:
    • 2 tbsp of sichuan peppercorn
    • 1 tbsp of white peppercorn
    • 1 (12 grams) cinnamon stick
    • 5 (8 grams) star anise
    • 6 large (3 grams) dried bay leaves
    • 1 1/2 tbsp (9 grams) cumin seeds
    • 1 tbsp (6 grams) fennel seeds
    • 1 black cardamon, or 6 green cardamon
    • 1/2 tsp (3 grams) whole cloves
  • 4 cups (1000 ml) of beer

To brine the duck:  Use a mortar or spice-grinder, pulse “the spices” until they are coarsely ground.  Combine the ground spices, water, whole dried chili, salt, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, smashed garlic and ginger slices in a large pot.  Simmer the mixture on medium-low heat, with the lid on (to prevent moisture loss), for 30 min to release the fragrance from the aromatics.  Turn off the heat and add the cold beer.  Once the brine has cooled, submerge the duck in it and keep inside the fridge for at least 18 hours, up to 48 hours, turning the duck once if necessary.