Duck Asado Pandesal

I had some duck breast meat that has been sitting in my freezer for ages. I initially wanted to use them for making duck andouille sausages, but let’s just say, it has been quite a while since I made that plan. Since I was certain I won’t be putting in time and effort to make something so complicated anytime soon, I figured I’d use the duck for something else. I noticed my chicken asado pandesal recipe getting quite a few views of late, so I felt inspired to use my duck meat to make duck asado pandesal.

While duck can be a good replacement for chicken in any dish, there are still some pitfalls to watch out for. Duck meat can turn out quite tough, and the smell can be quite gamey and off-putting. A few extra steps are key during preparation to bring out the best from the duck. Marinating the meat in something salty (like soy sauce) breaks down the protein, and using acids (like vinegar or citrus juice) breaks down the connective tissue, both contributing towards tenderizing the meat. Using acids along with herbs or aromatics like ginger or garlic also helps to remove the gamey smell.

With all this in mind, for my marinade I’m using light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce as well hoisin sauce for the salt, orange juice for the acid, and garlic, star anise and bay leaf for the aromatics. The duck pieces are marinated whole overnight, grilled then chopped to size before making the filling. I took inspiration from Panlasang Pinoy Meat Recipes on the method for preparing this duck asado.

For the pandesal, similar to my chicken version, I based my recipe on the one by Woman Scribbles. I’ve measured out the ingredients by weight for a bit more consistency. This dough is very easy to work with, and results in a wonderfully soft, fluffy bread rolls. Definitely a keeper, and even worth making plain without any fillings.

These duck asado pandesal were so darn good. After letting them cool for a bit on a wire rack, my mom and I shared one just to try, but ended up grabbing another. The bread was pillowy, and the filling was fragrant and flavorful. If you happen to have some duck meat lying around and need an excuse to use them up, do give this recipe a try!

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Step by Step

Preparing the Duck

First, marinate the duck. In a glass container, add all the marinade ingredients except for the duck, and mix well.

Add the duck and toss until thoroughly coated.

Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight, up to 24 hours.

When ready to make the filling, remove the duck breasts and shake off any excess marinade. Arrange in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Reserve the marinade.

Brush the ducks with the reserved marinade.

Air fry at 200 degrees C for 5 minutes. You can also use a grill at medium high heat.

Flip to the other side, and brush with the marinade. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Repeat this process one more time, for a total cook time of 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees C.

Remove from heat and let rest, 15 minutes.

Chop the duck into small pieces.

The Asado Filling

Make the filling. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat, heat the oil or fat.

Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and transclucent, 3 minutes.

Add the duck and all the reserved marinade. Mix well.

Add 1 cup of water and the mushroom powder if using, and stir to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, until the meat is very tender and the sauce thickens, 20 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup water.

Add the cornstarch slurry into the pan, and stir until mixture has thickened.

Spread the filling in a large tray, and set aside to cool. Discard the star anise and bay leaf.

The Pandesal

Make the buns. In the bowl of your stand mixer or breadmaker pan, add the milk, oil, sugar, and eggs.

Then, add the flour, salt, and yeast. Be careful not to let the salt come into contact with the yeast.

Transfer the bowl to your mixer, and mix at the lowest speed, until a shaggy dough forms. Then, increase to Speed 2 and knead, until dough is smooth and elastic, 15 to 18 minutes.

After 10 minutes of kneading, observe the dough. If the dough is still sticking to the sides, add additional flour a tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls apart from the sides and gathers into a ball in the center of the machine.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface, and shape into a tight ball.

Let rest in a lightly greased bowl in a warm place, until doubled in size, 1 hour 30 minutes.

If using a breadmaker, follow the same steps using the Dough program. By the end of the Dough program, the dough should have doubled in size.

Assembly

Divide the filling into 20 equal-sized portions.

Transfer the dough to a lightly flour-dusted or oiled surface. Personally, I find using oil works better for pandesal, as it helps the breadcrumbs to stick better at a later step. Divide the dough into 20 equal-sized pieces, about 60 grams each.

Working with one piece at a time, shape the dough into a ball.

Roll the dough into a disc, leaving the center thicker and the edges stretched out thinner.

Put 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the disc.

Gather the edges over filling, and pinch to seal.

Shape into a smooth ball.

Roll the bun in the breadcrumbs to coat. You can just coat the top if you like.

Shake off any excess breadcrumbs and place, seam-side down, in a baking tray lined with parchment.

Cover and let rest, until puffy and a gentle poke with your finger leaves an indentation, about 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan 160 degrees C). Place your oven rack on the bottom rung.

Transfer to the oven and bake, until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes, before removing from the pan. Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!