Turkey legs and thighs.....

[cruzmisl]

Hi All,

Got some turkey legs and thighs and wanted to do them low and slow for some "pulled" turkey meat. I left them on for several hours at 250 and brought them up to 175f or so. Took them off and went to pull them but they were far from tender. Actually they were kind of tough, nothing like a chicken thigh.

Any tips on how to get great results with turkey leg parts? I know they do way more work than a chicken so maybe that's why they're tough.......

Thanks,

Joe

[primeats]

And yet when you roast a whole turkey, the thighs are my favorite . Wonder what would happen if you somehow tied them together for the duration? Low and slow doesn't always work well for poultry, I don't think the flesh has the same collegen content as red meat.

[bryan]

I think the ones at the Fair are pre boiled.

[scouterpf]

From our poultry cooking section:

Amusement Park Turkey Legs Reply with quote [Mark post as unread]

OK Guys and Gals, this is a real fun/great cook! If you've ever been to a fair or amusement park you've seen the turkey legs they sell. If you've ever tasted them you know there's no other taste like it. Well, here's how to make them. I found this recipe HERE

I've edited it just a bit but the original recipe is the same. Works best with large legs, if you get smaller pieces adjust the time accordingly. I mix the honey and steak sauce and brush it on vs. drizzling. Here are some PICTURES I did a turkey breast, turkey thighs and a fatty on this cook too. Between the fatty and these legs it was amazing! Comments in the recipe are his not mine.

Amusement Park Turkey Legs

1 (2 Liter Bottle) lemon-lime soda (Do NOT GET DIET!!!)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons hot sauce

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 large sweet onion, sliced

4 turkey legs (get some big, honkin’ ones!)

2 tablespoons homey

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

Directions

In a large pot, mix the lemon lime soda, sugar, hot sauce red pepper, pepper and onion. Place the turkey legs in the mixture, and bring to a boil (yes, you are cooking Sprite). Cook 30 to 45 minutes**.

Remove onion slices from mixture, and arrange on the prepared grill. Place turkey legs over the onions. Drizzle with honey, and season with steak sauce. Cook, turning once, 20 minutes, or until a crisp browned crust has formed on the turkey legs.

*When smoking, arrange the onions as directed above (they’ll eventually caramelize and burn. That’s OK,they are protecting your legs). Smoke for 1.5 to 2 hrs, turn and smoke for another hour. They’ll come out so sweet (yet spicy), tender and juicy they just melt in your mouth.

**Like I said, I enjoy slow cooking these babies. So, if you’re using a smoker, cut the Sprite boil time down to 20-30 minutes. They’ll cook the rest of the way in the smoker.

_________________

Baba Booey to you all!

Yes they are boiled, and yes they are goood!

[Sanny]

But "pulled turkey' is not the same as a fair turkey leg. I've seen pulled chicken - it's served like pulled pork.

Perhaps the poultry for pulled chicken is braised, rather than done on a grill? That would give it the (apparently) missing liquid. Perhaps on the grill in a pan with some liquid in it, so they're more steamed? You'd not want so much liquid that the legs are boiled for any length of time (the chicken that is in the pot after extended simmering for chicken broth is nasty chewy).

I'm speculating. But a braised product would be moist, but not over boiled.

Hmm..

[Firemonkey]

I seem to recall seeing an episode of the cooks illustrated tv show where they made BBQ (pulled) chicken. From what I can remember they did chicken thighs at 300 degrees indirect and pulled them.

You might try a faster cook so your turkey doesn't dry out? Maybe if sanny is still a CI subscriber she could post the technique they used .

I'm guessing 375 with your desired amount of smoke until done would still be tender enough to pull.

[bryan]

Dug this from my web recipe stash.

Turkey Leg Amusement Park

1 ltr Btl lemon-lime soda NOT DIET

2 T sugar

2 T hot sauce

1 T crushed red pepper flakes

1 T black pepper

1 lg sweet onion sliced

4 ea turkey legs

2 T homey

1 T steak seasoning

Directions

In a large pot, mix the lemon lime soda, sugar, hot sauce red pepper, pepper and onion.

Place turkey legs in the mixture, and bring to a boil (yes, you are cooking Sprite).

Cook 30-45 min.

Remove onion slices from mixture, and arrange on prepared grill.

Place turkey legs over the onions. Drizzle w/honey, and season w/steak sauce.

Cook, turning once, 20 min/until a crisp browned crust has formed on the turkey legs.

When smoking, arrange onions as directed above (they’ll eventually caramelize and burn. That’s OK,they are protecting your legs).

Smoke 1.5-2 hrs, turn and smoke for another hour. They’ll come out so sweet (yet spicy), tender and juicy they just melt in your mouth.

If using a smoker, cut the Sprite boil time down to 20-30 minutes. They’ll cook the rest of the way in the smoker.

[Duk]

Cooks Illus

Chicken

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (about 7 pounds total), trimmed of backbone (see illustrations below) and excess fat

Sauce

1 large onion , peeled and quartered

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups apple cider

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

hot pepper sauce , such as Tabasco

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Soak four 3-inch wood chunks in cold water to cover for 1 hour; drain.

2. Using large chimney starter, ignite about 4 1/2 quarts charcoal, or about 80 individual briquettes, and burn until fully ignited, about 15 minutes. Empty coals into grill; divide coals in half, creating piles on opposite sides of grill. Place 16 by 12-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan in center, between coal piles. Nestle two soaked wood chunks on top of one pile (reserve remaining wood chunks). Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush.

3. Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of chicken legs with salt and pepper. Place chicken legs skin side up in single layer on center of grill over roasting pan. Cover and cook 30 minutes (internal grill temperature should register about 325 degrees after 30 minutes).

4. Working quickly to prevent excess heat loss, remove cover, and, using tongs, rotate each leg so that side facing inward now faces coals; do not flip chicken pieces. Add remaining wood chunks to either pile of coals; cover and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs registers about 185 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes longer (internal grill temperature should register about 310 degrees). Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest until cool enough to handle.

5. FOR THE SAUCE: While chicken is cooking or cooling, process onion and water in food processor fitted with steel blade until pureed and mixture resembles slush, about 30 seconds. Pass mixture through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids with rubber spatula; you should have 3/4 cup strained onion puree. Discard solids in strainer.

6. Whisk onion puree, ketchup, apple cider, Worcestershire, mustard, molasses, pepper, and 3 tablespoons cider vinegar together in medium bowl. Heat oil in large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until shimmering; add garlic, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup mixture; increase heat to medium-high, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, until flavors meld and sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. You should have scant 4 cups sauce. Transfer about 2 cups sauce to serving bowl; leave remaining sauce in saucepan.

7. Remove and discard skin from chicken legs. Using fingers, pull meat off bones, separating larger pieces (which should fall off bones easily) from smaller, drier pieces into two equal piles.

8. Place smaller chicken pieces in food processor and pulse until just coarsely chopped, three to four 1-second pulses, stirring chicken with rubber spatula after each pulse. Transfer chicken to sauce in saucepan. Using fingers or two forks, pull larger chicken pieces into long shreds and add to saucepan. Stir in remaining tablespoon cider vinegar; cover saucepan and heat chicken over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste and serve, passing remaining barbecue sauce separately.

9. BARBECUED PULLED CHICKEN FOR A CROWD: This technique works well on a charcoal grill but not so well on a gas grill.

10. Follow above recipe, igniting 6 quarts charcoal briquettes, using 12 chicken legs, and slotting them into V-shaped roasting rack set on top of cooking grate over disposable roasting pan (thigh end down, two legs in each slot -- see photo below. Increase cooking time in step 3 to 45 minutes and cooking time in step 4 to 45 to 55 minutes. In step 6, remove only 1 cup of sauce from saucepan. In step 8, process chicken in food processor in 2 batches.