Friday Feast: Authentic Duck 'Street' Tacos

Everyone loves tacos (okay, well mostly everyone.) This versatile Mexican dish is handy, easy to make, and provides tons of options to customize it to your own tastes, despite what the taco purists say. 

Most tacos served in the states come filled with some form of ground beef, diced chicken or steak, or some other common protein dressed in ambiguous “taco seasoning,” paired with diced and sliced garden garnishes and topped off with a dollop or two of various sauces. While it’s a delicious, quick meal, these tacos aren’t particularly authentic, and the staple meats within can become, well, a bit boring after a while.

Enter the culinary chops of the Sporting Chef Scott Leysath, who after chowing down on a real-deal street taco in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was inspired to blend the savory simplicity of the Mexican to-go food with his specialty – wild game! 

Rather than slow-roasting duck breasts for this recipe, Scott opts to cook the duck exactly how the Mexican street vendor did. He recommends cutting the duck into chunks, pounding them flat, seasoning liberally and introducing to a hot cast-iron skillet for a quick cook on each side.

Authentic Duck "Street" Tacos

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds skinless duck breast fillets (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Warm flour or corn tortillas
Condiments such as salsa, lettuce or slaw, shredded cheese, lime, cilantro, and more

• 1 tablespoon each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons each paprika, cayenne pepper, and ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or any coarse salt)
• 1/4 cup chili powder

2. Lightly pound the breast fillets until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Rub with olive oil or vegetable oil and coat with taco seasoning. For additional flavor, wrap seasoned fillets with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours.

3. Have all other ingredients ready to build tacos. Cook breast fillets over a white-hot grill or in a hot, lightly oiled skillet until they are just browned on both sides. Dice into dime-sized pieces and build into tacos with your choice of condiments.

Be sure to try this recipe for yourself and let us know how it turned out at @NRABlog or in the comments below! 


Recipe courtesy Scott Leysath via Ducks Unlimited Ultimate Waterfowling