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13 replies

Turkey Legs?

J jay1924Member
Hi All,

I haven't seen a turkey legs discussion here for a long time, and I've read most of the old ones. I'm hoping there are still some turkey leg experts here to help.

After doing a lot of reading, I decided to forego brining on my 4 appprox. 3/4 lb legs because many comments here and elsewhere said brining makes them taste like ham, and I definitely didn't want that. So I used the Jaimison's recipe (available many place on the web), which calls for a worchestershire and oil rub, folllowed by a dry rub, then smoking at 225 for 3 - 4 hours for an IT of 165 including a mop application every 45 minutes with vinegar and a little BBQ sauce and oil.

I did all that and the legs had good flavor. The skin was of course rubbery as expected. I used 2 oz of pecan in my AQ, but the flavor was too smokey, too spicy (my fault for the dry rub overkill), and worst, very tough to eat. Someone here recommended cutting the solid tendons at the "ankle" with a sharp knife to make them easy to remove, but I used a large set of diagonal cutters, wich worked well but because the meat was so tough, the tendons were still hard to remove.

So, what did I do wrong? I'm guessing they were undercooked, should have gone to 175. They were juicy, but only barely. Maybe 225 is too high?

I really like smoked turkey legs and this was my first try at home. Any ideas and comments appreciated.
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J jay1924Member
Soleman, I think I can do better than that. Plus, I don't admit defeat easily. Today, I took the one remaining leg from my cook and placed it wrapped in foil in a 300 degree oven for about an hour. The result was a tender, juicy, entirely edible leg (except of course for the too-intense dry rub, which thankfully came mostly off with the skin).

So, my conclusions are; 1) underdone legs in the smoker. 165 IT is way too low for a fall-off-the-bone turkey leg (what I was aiming at), 2) 225 for about 4 hours is too hot and too short in the smoker, at least the AQ, 3) too long in the smoker will dry them out without foiling or covering.

My plan for next time, dependent on weather, is to get some good smoke for about 1 1/2 hours, then transfer inside to a low oven wrapped in foil for as long as it takes to get tender and stay juicy. I don't really care about the skin, but I bet the legs will be way better. Just my thoughts at this point. If anyone wants to give serious advice, I'm all ears.
idahomikeidahomikeMember
Jay:

I am not a fan of poultry or brining the same. That being said, I have done some good turkey in the AQ. I inject them with the Cajon butter stuff, use a compound butter with herbs and a touch of honey, and get it under and over the skin. I usually run my smoker in the 250 degree range with an oz. or 2 of Peach or Orange wood. This is for a whole bird. I usually pull the bird before it hits 160, and transfer it to a hot oven to get crisp brown skin. I think that if I was doing just legs, I would do the above, and take them to around 155 to 160 it, and then do something of a reverse sear on the BBQ to crisp the skin and get the it to 175 degrees. There really isn't any reason to do the low and slow thing with the these birds. There isn't any connective tissue to be broken down over time. I do all of the seasoning the night before, and put the cold bird in the smoke right out of the refrigerator. I don't know if this is a good practice or not, but it gives the bird the most time in the smoke before it hits that 140 degree range. This is just WAG for me as far as doing just legs, but think it might be a starting point.
J jay1924Member
Mike, I appreciate the ideas, especially the notion that there is really no reason for low and slow with poultry (except perhaps duck or goose for fat-rendering, but that's another topic). My main goal is good smoke flavor and tender, juicy meat. I like the result on some commercial legs I've had, except for the "hammy" flavor. I'm thinking I'll try a combination of smoker until 140 IT, then foiled in the oven to 175, then crisping the skin on the grill or in a hotter oven. I think the thing with legs is there is almost no skin fat (except near the thigh joint) to keep them moist. Your butter injection may help there, but I can see this will be a journey. That's what makes it fun. Thanks again.
idahomikeidahomikeMember
Jay:

Butcher BBQ also has some injection stuff for poultry. I haven't tried it yet, but will in the future. I think I would just go from the smoker when the it hits around 155 to 160 to the grill, or the oven set on broil. You are trying to hit that 175 degree mark, and have to figure in the temp increase during sear, and then the carry over increase in temp during the rest. Once again, this is a WAG for turkey legs.
J jay1924Member
Thanks Mike. I guess I don't see a reason to leave it in the smoker above 140, when the experts here tell us it will no longer take smoke (is this true for poultry? I haven't seen it addressed). Anyway I will play the oven vs grill thing based on the weather. Lately here in coastal NJ, it has been sub-zero blizzard followed by 50 degree rain followed by fog and freezing rain. Welcome to "winter" on the east coast. Hope you are warm.
idahomikeidahomikeMember
Jay: The subject has come up in other discussions about making jerky and other things that you want to dry out. The cookshack smokers were designed to be an outdoor oven that you can smoke in. They are very tight, and moist while cooking. Many of the experts here say that with poultry they don't add any wood to their well seasoned smokers, and their product comes out smoky. I have not tried this. I think that if you do the legs and put them in cold, with an oz. or 2 of wood, the smoke will be done by the time they hit 140 degrees, yes I fudge a little on this temp. You are already at 140 degrees and only need them to go to 150 or so. Use the all ready warm smoker to take them to the pull temp, and then stick them on the grill, or under the broiler to crisp the skin. I am in southwestern Idaho. We haven't seen sub zero temps yet this year but we also haven't seen many 50 degree days either. We are supposed to get snow tomorrow, I have been out of my house since August 13th. We had a flood that damaged 21 houses. We basically lost everything (except the smokers). We are hoping to be back home on a limited basis by the middle of next month. I can't wait until I can get back to smoking something.
O olysmokesMember
Jay: I wonder if those legs you get are from big old birds, whose legs are just gonna be a little tough. I would think a short brine of 1-2 hours would improve their moisture & tenderness. You can flavor the brine if you wish or just use the plain salt & sugar mixture. "Ham-ing" those legs should not be an issue with brinning unless you use Tenderquick or pink salt in the brine mix, which is not necessary for such a short brine time. However you achieve it - oven, smoker, or grill, yes the final temp needs to be at least 175* or slightly more - hard to overcook the dark meat in my opinion.

As to Soleman's comments, I note he did not say which type of board to use (cedar, walnut, pear, etc) - guess that would depend on what tones of taste you are looking for. LOL !!
J jay1924Member
olysmokes, the legs were a little over 3/4 of a lb each, so they weren't very big. A simple unflavored, non-curing brine might help some, but I'm pretty sure it's not necessary since the day after I smoked them, they came out of a 300 deg oven (foil wrapped) tender and juicy. I think I initially undercooked them and just need to keep them from drying out while I get them to 175 or higher.
S solemanMember
Hi Jay, just being a smart aleck as I just haven't ever enjoyed the turkey leg due to the tendons and most of my turkeys I eat are wild and have stringier legs. But in all seriousness, I think smoking them at 300 rather than 225 will help a lot. Let us know how it goes. I could be converted with a sure fire way to cook them that works well.

And Olysmokes, I'm thinking a nice 2 x 4 should pair well with a turkey leg and some Chardonnay. Smiler
O olysmokesMember
quote:
Originally posted by Jay1924:
olysmokes, the legs were a little over 3/4 of a lb each, so they weren't very big. A simple unflavored, non-curing brine might help some, but I'm pretty sure it's not necessary since the day after I smoked them, they came out of a 300 deg oven (foil wrapped) tender and juicy. I think I initially undercooked them and just need to keep them from drying out while I get them to 175 or higher.


Jay. If you are worried about those legs drying out before they get to 175*, either wrap in foil, butcher paper, etc for the last portion of smoke, or give them a little brine time before smoking. Brining will help meat stay moist.

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