Smoked Duck Breast with Sun-Dried Cherry BBQ Sauce

Cherry Barbecue Sauce
1/3 cup dried cherries
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup red onion, diced small
1 chipotle pepper, seeded and mashed
4 oz tomato catsup
3 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp chili powder

Place the cherries and red wine vinegar in a small saucepot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a medium saucepot. When hot, add the olive oil and onion and reduce the heat to medium. Cook onions 1-2 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add the chipotle pepper, catsup, maple syrup, and chili powder, and bring to a simmer. 

Strain the vinegar from the cherries and add the vinegar to the sauce. Mix well and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. When pureed, return the sauce to the saucepot and add the dried cherries. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.

Smoked Breast of Duck
1 Tbsp olive oil 
24 oz whole duck breasts, skin-on and boneless
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Remove excess fat from the duck breasts and score the remaining fat in a crisscross pattern. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, place the duck breasts in the skillet skin side down. With the heat adjusted to medium, cook the duck breasts for about 4-5 minutes, making sure that the skin is brown and the fat is getting rendered.

Place the breasts on a rack in a pre-heated smoker set on low heat and cook until medium rare, about 15 to 20 minutes