Hey eyeguy 54 ~ Turkey Drumsticks Are Smokin'

[thirdeye]

After your last couple of posts I've been on the lookout for some turkey drumsticks, and finally scored 6. These were brined for 48 or so hours, rinsed for 3 hours, I gave them a head start on drying with a heat gun, then rested overnight in the fridge.

Bucket cam:

Here are some shots smokin' on my Big Green Egg. The meat had good color and nice smokey flavor. I used one in a pot of beans, one for snacking, and gave a couple away.

[eyeguy 54]

a heat gun ! ! ! you are a sick sick man... they look great! mine are all digested but 12 more in the freezer to do when it warms up a bit.

[thirdeye]

I saw an article where a guy blanched a duck in boiling water, then used a hair dryer to dry the skin before he roasted it.... so I thought "I have something a lot more manly than a hair dryer" Heheheeee.

I can't wait to try this trick on some thighs.

[Borch]

Looks delicious Thirdeye.

Just smoked up a bunch of venison sausage but I have a turkey breast and some thighs from this spring I'm thinking about smoking up. Gotta get on it soon after seeing these.

[Xplorer]

Yesterday must have been a good day for smoking! I also did a dozen turkey legs during the NDSU game.

Used thirdeye's brine for 48 hours, then rinsed and soaked for 2, then rested in the fridge for another 12 hours. Despite the -30 plus wind chills, the Masterbuilt heated these up to 185 internal in just over 2 hours.

Awesome!!

[DonBo]

Thanks guys, now I feel guilty for not firing up my smoker yesterday.

[leech~~]

I was with you until the heat gun part? Whats the tooth picks for? Do you have a skin flip folded over there?

[Xplorer]

leech,

After brining, you soak the legs in cold water for a bit (up to 3 hours). After that you dry them off, thus the heat gun to shorten the time

I used the standard towel method.

Then you let the legs rest over-nite before smoking.

The toothpicks (which i forgot) are to keep the skin from pulling back on the legs. This allows a more even smoke to the leg and so the end does not dry out.

[eyeguy 54]

how did the 185 turn out. I like 175 to 180 then off.

[leech~~]

leech,

After brining, you soak the legs in cold water for a bit (up to 3 hours). After that you dry them off, thus the heat gun to shorten the time

I used the standard towel method.

Then you let the legs rest over-nite before smoking.

The toothpicks (which i forgot) are to keep the skin from pulling back on the legs. This allows a more even smoke to the leg and so the end does not dry out.

Huum, hopefully you have a "cooking heat gun" and not the one you burned paint off the garage with!

[Xplorer]

I was shooting for 180 and got a bit distracted, but they turned out really good. They did cool down rather quick once they came off in those temps too.

[muskiemanAD]

How are these cold? Was thinking of making some for snacks in the ice House?

[thirdeye]

Quote:

Huum, hopefully you have a "cooking heat gun" and not the one you burned paint off the garage with!

Oh yeah, I keep it in the same drawer with my oyster screwdriver, and my hacksaw... uh I mean meat saw. Heheheee.

[Leaky]

Yesterday must have been a good day for smoking! I also did a dozen turkey legs during the NDSU game.

Used thirdeye's brine for 48 hours, then rinsed and soaked for 2, then rested in the fridge for another 12 hours. Despite the -30 plus wind chills, the Masterbuilt heated these up to 185 internal in just over 2 hours.

Awesome!!

Lookin good Chris!!

[JP Z]

Dang, these look tasty. The best I can find them is in 2 packs at the grocery store....sure I can buy them that way but when they are $1.50 each it seems expensive.....or am I just going crazy?

[Alagnak]

A friend and I just split a case he got from Cub- he just asked them to order it for him. I think it was about $44 for 35 lbs. It was a case of big Tom legs and I think there were 18 in there.

Dang, these look tasty. The best I can find them is in 2 packs at the grocery store....sure I can buy them that way but when they are $1.50 each it seems expensive.....or am I just going crazy?

[thirdeye]

Dang, these look tasty. The best I can find them is in 2 packs at the grocery store....sure I can buy them that way but when they are $1.50 each it seems expensive.....or am I just going crazy?

I don't recall the price per pound I get the fresh ones for, but they come in in 3's and 6's. Actually $1.50 is not that bad. Now, if you see the ones marked "smoked drumsticks" you have another option.... You skip the cure step, and you just do a second smoke on them and it really wakes up the flavor (the same is true for "smoked ham hocks"), even an hour or two at low smoker temps improve the flavor. They are already fully cooked, so you are just adding flavor. The ones at WallyWorld are closer to $5 each... but weigh-in at 1.5 pounds each. These are handy if you want to cook a pot of beans or something because they are ready to go in no time.

[eyeguy 54]

check the meat dept on a big store. you might be able to get a 30 pound case for a good deal if you want a bunch frozen or to share with a bud. got my case at cashwise here.

[Xplorer]

I got mine for $1.19/pound, and the dozen came in at almost exactly 12 pounds. I also called the local meat shop in town a couple weeks before Xmas and he said he could get me a 30 pound box of hens for 1.19/lb, or tom's for 1.29/pound.

These were on sale at the local Super One.

Oh, and they are great cold!! Had two last night watching the game

[JP Z]

Nice!!! I will have to check with the Meat department guys to see what they can do for me.

Thanks for the tips guys! Much appreciated.