Duck Nachos

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Prep Time: 30 min - Cook Time: 3 hours

Nachos is a meal all by itself. Loaded with cheese, beans, meat and fresh veggies, it’s the perfect bite for a quiet night in, comfy sweats and a favorite movie. And if you have the time, don’t just serve any nachos. This one is topped with tender duck meat and cotija, a crumbly hard Mexican cheese for a bit of salt and funk. Make sure to keep plenty of ice-cold beer on hand.

I recommend cooking the goose legs beforehand, storing it in the fridge and pulling everything together when you’re ready. Braising the meat requires little active cooking, but still, no one wants to wait 3 hours for nachos. As with serving any wild bird, watch for shot in the meat. Multiply the ingredients for extra servings.

Ingredients

Duck Meat

1 lbs duck meat

3 clove(s) garlic, smashed

1 Bay Leaf

Kosher salt, to taste

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus extra

2 cans of Mexican lager

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Nacho Toppings

12 oz shredded Mexican blend of cheeses

1/4 cup(s) chopped cilantro

16 oz refried beans, warmed

Half an onion, chopped

1/2 cup(s) diced tomato

1 to 2 avocados, diced

1 to 2 fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced or sliced pickled jalapenos

Crumbled cotija cheese, to taste

9 oz tortilla chips -Choose a thick, sturdier brand of tortilla

Other toppings: hot sauce, salsa and/or sour cream

Instructions

Step #1 Sprinkle salt all over duck and place into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion pieces, garlic, bay leaf, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and submerge with beer. Bring to a boil and then back down to a simmer. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, or until tender. Add more beer or water as needed. Or cook on low in a crockpot overnight or while you’re at work.

Step #2 When duck is tender, pull the meat and skin off the bones and shred/cut into smaller pieces. Discard cooking liquid. Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in a pan and sauté duck meat with cumin, coriander, onion powder and garlic powder until slightly toasted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a chopped chipotle pepper for extra spiciness.

Step #3 Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with foil or spray a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Evenly spread a layer of tortilla chips on the bottom, only slightly overlapping the chips, and drop small dollops of warmed refried beans all over, a generous sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese, chopped onion and some of the duck meat. Spread another layer of tortilla chips on top and continue building layers until you run out of beans, meat, onion and cheese. Bake nachos until cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes.

Step #4 Sprinkle some of the cilantro, avocado, diced tomato, sliced jalapeno and crumbled cotija cheese on top and serve hot with extra toppings on the side.

Recipe Card

Duck Nachos

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley Visit : Visit authors website

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Prep Time: 30 min - Cook Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Duck Meat

1 lbs duck meat

3 clove(s) garlic, smashed

1 Bay Leaf

Kosher salt, to taste

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus extra

2 cans of Mexican lager

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Nacho Toppings

12 oz shredded Mexican blend of cheeses

1/4 cup(s) chopped cilantro

16 oz refried beans, warmed

Half an onion, chopped

1/2 cup(s) diced tomato

1 to 2 avocados, diced

1 to 2 fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced or sliced pickled jalapenos

Crumbled cotija cheese, to taste

9 oz tortilla chips -Choose a thick, sturdier brand of tortilla

Other toppings: hot sauce, salsa and/or sour cream

Instructions

Step #1 - Sprinkle salt all over duck and place into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion pieces, garlic, bay leaf, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and submerge with beer. Bring to a boil and then back down to a simmer. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, or until tender. Add more beer or water as needed. Or cook on low in a crockpot overnight or while you’re at work.

Step #2 - When duck is tender, pull the meat and skin off the bones and shred/cut into smaller pieces. Discard cooking liquid. Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in a pan and sauté duck meat with cumin, coriander, onion powder and garlic powder until slightly toasted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a chopped chipotle pepper for extra spiciness.

Step #3 - Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with foil or spray a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Evenly spread a layer of tortilla chips on the bottom, only slightly overlapping the chips, and drop small dollops of warmed refried beans all over, a generous sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese, chopped onion and some of the duck meat. Spread another layer of tortilla chips on top and continue building layers until you run out of beans, meat, onion and cheese. Bake nachos until cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes.

Step #4 - Sprinkle some of the cilantro, avocado, diced tomato, sliced jalapeno and crumbled cotija cheese on top and serve hot with extra toppings on the side.

About the Author

Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Visit authors website

Jenny and Rick Wheatley both grew up in Southern California and connected over a shared love of the outdoors. They started their wild game cooking blog Food for Hunters in 2011, where they share recipes, photos and thoughts on wild food. Today, Jenny and Rick continue to hunt, fish, forage and cook in the Cornhusker State of Nebraska. Their recipes have appeared in numerous publications, including Petersens Hunting, Game and Fish, Nebraskaland and North American Whitetail magazines.

The Nebraska Center for the Book awarded their book Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing and Cooking Wild Game the Wildlife Honor Award in 2016.