Traditional cured hams like prosciutto, Serrano and country hams made from pork can take anywhere from 24 to 36 months or more to cure. Using boneless duck breasts can yield great results with complex flavors in as little as 2 weeks. This duck country ham recipe uses the “salt box method” to cure the duck beasts before they are cold smoked and hung to dry.

To cure

1. Make the cure by combining the salt and sugar and place in a glass container just large enough to accommodate the 2 duck breasts without touching. Dredge breasts in curing mixture and place in the container with some of the cure on top and underneath. Cover the container and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2. After 24 hours, remove breasts from curing mixture (the salt and sugar have already started to pull a lot of moisture from the meat). Rinse meat and pat dry with paper towels. Dust both sides of the meat with ground white pepper.

3. If using meat netting, cut a piece about 2 inches longer than each breast and work it over the meat, making sure to smooth out any bunches or creasing in the skin. Repeat with the second breast.

Alternately, use butcher’s twine to bundle the meat. Cut 8 pieces of twine into 6-inch lengths and 2 pieces of twine into 16-inch lengths. Place 4 of the shorter pieces on a clean surface, parallel to each other about ¾-inch apart. Lay duck breast over the twine, skin side down, with the fattest end furthest from you. Starting from the pointed end closest to you, tie the first 3 pieces of twine just tight enough to make the shape of the breast a bit more cylindrical, but not enough to dig deep into the skin. Before tying the top piece, lay a 16-inch piece of twine about 3 inches across the point where the top string will be tied. Tie the top string, then make a knot at the base of the long string at the point where the 2 strings intersect. Repeat with the second breast. If using meat netting, simply tie the extra netting at the top together with the end of your long string.

To cold smoke the meat before hanging to dry

4. There are several ways to go about this depending on what type of smoker or grill you have. The most important thing to remember is to keep the temperature below 160° and only use wood embers in the chamber, not wood chips on charcoal. Use a pan with ice to keep the temperature under control. Place breasts on the rack of smoker or grill. Alternately, hang with the string. Smoke for about 2 hours, up to 4 if you can keep up with the embers and ice.

5. Once the breasts are smoked, wrap them in 10-inch lengths of cheesecloth. Center breasts in the middle of the cheesecloth and fold one end up to meet the other, leaving the hanging string protruding. Cinch up the 2 ends around the hanging string and secure with an additional piece of twine.

6. Weigh each breast individually on a kitchen scale. (Make note of the weight; you will be tracking it to determine when the meat has finished aging.) Hang breasts in refrigerator where they won’t touch anything. Check them periodically to make sure they’re still hanging. When they feel firm and have little resistance when squeezed, untie and weigh them again. The breasts are ready when they have lost 30% of their original weight; this will take about 2 weeks.

To serve

Slice pieces as thin as possible, holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle from the cutting board, skin side up, and starting about an inch in from the narrow end. Slice off only what you will enjoy in one sitting. Wrap the remaining breast tightly with plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for later use.