Step-by-Step Recipe: How to Make a Cuban Sandwich with Wild Duck
This wild game sandwich is a tasty twist on the traditional pork version

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.

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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.