- 4 cups cold water
- 2 cups freshly brewed strong coffee
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Insta Cure No.1 (curing salt)
- 1/4 cup molasses (regular or robust, not blackstrap)
- 3 cups ice cubes
- 6 Pekin (sometimes called Long Island) duck breast halves with skin (about 7 oz each)
- Special equipment: a 1- to 2-gallon plastic storage tub; a 22 1/2-inch kettle grill with a lid and a hinged top rack; a 12- by 8- by 2-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan; 6 cups hardwood sawdust (3/4 lb; not from treated wood; see Shopping List, page 162); charcoal briquettes; a chimney starter; long metal tongs; an instant-read thermometer
- Stir together water, coffee, kosher salt, brown sugar, and Insta Cure in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then add molasses and stir until dissolved. Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not melt completely; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption).
- Add duck to cure and weight down with a large plate (to keep submerged). Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 6 hours.
- Rinse duck and pat dry, then discard brine.
- Prepare grill and cold-smoke duck followingprocedure for grilling and cold-smoking chicken legs . (Duck will not be cooked.)
- Cool duck completely, uncovered, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to thinly slice and fry (seeduck breast bacon and frisée salad recipe ).