Duck sausage, while popular in France and in other European countries, isn’t as popular as pork or beef sausage in the United States. A quick look at the statistics will show that duck demand in the United States is very low. Chicken production is at around 21 million tons per year, while duck is only about 60 thousand tons (yes, that’s million vs thousands) Duck sausage came to be due to the disparity of demand between duck breasts and the rest of the duck. Restaurants and supermarkets mostly wanted the breast part, so there had to be a way to sell the thighs and other components. So, the duck sausage was born.
Duck Sausage Trivia
- Duck Sausages, unless specified to be 100% duck, usually has pork and beef in it.
- Pork fat found in almost all sausage types to keep the sausage from drying out.
- The blade and meats must be chilled to grind meat and fat in a grinder so that the fat won’t melt.
- The strangest sausage in the world was a sausage made from rat muscles grown in a petri dish.
Duck Sausage Buying Guide
The first thing you should to when purchasing duck sausage is to check if it’s 100% duck, or if it has pork or beef in it. It’s not that critical taste-wise, but if you have any dietary requirements that require you not to consume pork or beef, then it should be the first thing that you check. After checking it, it’s 100% duck or not, the next thing you should be on the lookout for is the use of chemicals and preservatives and “Added Flavorings.”
Note: Duck sausage is usually from local duck producers as there isn’t a nationwide duck sausage producer due to the lack of demand for the product.
Duck Sausage Production & Farming in Texas
Commercially Produced Duck Sausage:
Commercial duck sausage production is usually done by duck farmers that supply duck breasts to restaurants and supermarkets. They take whatever parts of the duck that is not sold/ordered, and they turn it into sausages to maximize the profits. Commercial duck sausage production also utilizes the use of chemicals and preservatives to maximize shelf life. It is also worth noting that commercial duck raising may also use growing methods that may utilize antibiotics and other hormones to make ducks grow bigger.
Small Batch/Artisanal Duck Sausage Production:
Small batch or artisanal duck sausage production is usually coupled with organic livestock raising. It is often the same case with the larger producers where the breasts are sold separately, and the other parts of the duck will be used to make duck sausage. The only difference is that the ducks used will be free-range, pasture-raised, and will be fed locally-sourced grains that are GMO-free.
Since it is small-batch and is limited only by the duck meat available, artisanal duck sausage producers will typically not use any chemicals, preservatives, or flavor enhancers for their duck sausage.
Preservatives and Chemicals:
Commercially produced duck sausage may contain one or more of the following ingredients:
- Sodium Phosphate – Preservative
- Smoke Flavoring – Artificial flavor to mimic the taste of smoked meat
- Sodium Erythorbate – Used for faster curing
- Natural Flavorings – Flavor enhancers used to “naturalize” the taste.
These preservatives have been linked in one way or another to long term health conditions as well as kidney damage due to sodium.
Packaging:
Both commercial and small-batch duck sausage products are usually packed in vacuum-sealed bags to retain freshness and extend shelf life.
Enjoying Duck Sausages
Duck sausage is usually sold raw, so it has to be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
Storage:
For commercially produced duck sausages, check the package for the best before date and the storage instructions. For duck sausage purchased from a local butcher or specialty store, it is best cooked and consumed the day it was purchased. They can also be stored in the fridge for up to three or four days. Fresh duck sausages can also be frozen for up to two months without a noticeable loss in quality.
Cooking:
To cook duck sausage, bring it down to room temperature first then fry it up with a little oil in a pan. It can also be steamed or boiled for 15 minutes if you prefer a more delicate tasting sausage. Our personal favorite is to grill the duck sausage and give it that smokey flavor and tasty grill marks.
It is not advisable to open up the casing and cook it as ground meat as the duck meat will stick to the pan and may be hard to remove.
