Pan Smoked, Turkey Legs
By Cap'n Ron
This is a real easy way to Smoke Turkey Legs when you don't have a smoker, but have a grill with a side burner. When they're done, you'll swear that you were a Master, "Competition Smoker".
Turkey is Soooo cheep just before Thanksgiving, I always try to find a way to buy an extra one 1 - 2 weeks before. This time they were $ .49 / pound. That's a real deal even when you consider that you only get 53% edible from the weight, which means you're paying about $1.00 / pound for Turkey Meat.
Then there's the problem of figuring out what you want to do with it. You definitely don't want to stuff it and cook it whole like you would for Thanksgiving, So, it's a great time to come up with new recipes. After butchering it, I used the back bone, Wing Tips and Flappers, the part that goes over the fence last, the neck, and finally the stomach for some great Turkey Soup. I figured that even though I might note eat it this way, I'd be able to save it to make the Turkey Gravy for Thanksgiving. A lot better than Boxed Chicken Broth.
I used one large breast to make Turkey Parmesan, and the other to make a Stuffed Turkey Roulade (this is where I used the soup to make gravy. All in all, it was a great deal, and we got a lot of meals out of that one bird. I just wish that I had a large enough freezer that I could have bought 3 - 4 more for later use.
Using this method for Smoking is really quite easy, with clean up being just a garbage can away. It's perfect for those people that want to smoke something, but don't do it often enough to warrant the purchase of, and hassle of storing a large smoker.
During the past couple of weeks, I used this method 3 different times. Once for Pan Smoked, Country Style Ribs, Once for Smoking the Turkey Legs, and Once for smoking a Pumpkin to make Smoked Pumpkin Soup. And the beauty of it was that everything came out terrific.
The end result? Don't think that you can't smoke meat if you don't have a smoker. If you've got a side burner on your grill, or a portable Butane Stove it's fun and easy to do!
Rub
- 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Butt Kickin' Blacken, Southwest Blend
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Kosher Salt
- 2 Large Turkey Legs With Thighs
- 1 Cup Mesquite Chips
Things You'll Need
- An Aluminum Baking Tray
- Aluminum Foil
1. Begin making the rub. This is easy, you just mix all the ingredients together. And soak the chips in water.
The chips should be done early in the day.
2. Prepare the pan by rolling up some aluminum foil and setting it in the bottom. This will keep the ribs from resting in the wood chips. Although the picture doesn't show it, I DID put another row of foil rolls on top of the one you see pictured.
3. Careful cut both legs, with thighs, and the wings from the turkey.
4. I cut the wing tips, and flappers from the wings, and used them for soup. I smoked the drumettes so I could have a Scooby Snack after all was smoked.
5. Tightly cover the pan, with aluminum foil, being sure to "tent the covering, so it doesn't touch the turkey. I learned this by experience, check out the one leg in the plated picture that looks a lot lighter in color than the rest. That's where the foil was touching the Turkey.
6. Set the pan on the side burner of your grill, and turn it to it's lowest setting.
7. Let the Turkey Legs cook for about an hour, then open the top and check on them. You'll probably have to reverse the pan on the grill. And, it's a good idea to turn the pieces over, for even cooking. Now would be a good time to baste with BBQ sauce, but it's not really necessary, because the rub becomes the sauce.
8. You can tell when they're done, by poking a small knife into the thickest part of the flesh. The juices should run clear. If they don't give the legs another 15 minutes.
9. When they're done, take them off the heat, and let them cool a bit. Nows a good time to have your Scooby Snack, the Wing Drumettes.
Feedback is GREAT!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, or any other of my recipes you've either looked at or tried.
- Whether or not you like this recipe and why.
- How you'd like to see it different.
- Suggestions for new recipes I could post.
- Recipes you've made using Butt Kickin' Blacken.
Just send me a note:
thecapn@capnrons.com