One of my goals for this year was to try and find ways to incorporate wild game into some of my favorite sandwiches. At the end of last year, I had corned a venison roast and made some beautiful Rueben sandwiches that were out-of-this-world delicious. So that got me thinking that I need to try to rework more classic sandwiches.
So for my first attempt of the new year, I picked one of my favorites: the Cubano. This sandwich is traditionally made with ham and roasted pork on special Cuban bread and topped with a yellow mustard, pickles, and Swiss cheese. The obvious choice here would be to get some wild boar, but I live in Minnesota and there are no wild pigs here. But I have had great success substituting duck for pork in past recipes, and I have also cured a duck ham on several occasions, which is absolutely amazing. If you want to skip the cured duck ham, I totally understand—any kind of deli ham will work well as a substitute. For the more adventurous cooks, I have included the recipe at the end.
ROAST DUCK
Ingredients
- 4 duck breasts
- Juice from 2 oranges
- Juice from 2 limes
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder
Directions
Combine the marinade and pour over the duck breasts and let sit in the fridge—preferably overnight, or at least 4 hours.
CURED DUCK HAM
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts, skin removed
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup maple sugar
- 1 tablespoon crushed juniper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Directions
Mix the salt, sugar and spices together and cover the duck breasts on all sides in a non-reactive container (like glass). Let the duck sit for 48-72 hours in the fridge. Rinse the breasts completely, pat dry with a paper towel, then wrap in cheesecloth and place (or hang) back in the fridge for two more days to dry. When ready use, slice thinly and enjoy.