Well started brining my Turkey legs Thursday and decided to let it go longer this time. So i Stretched it out to three days. But come Saturday stuff came up and today is just over 4 days. So going to pull them and wash real good and put in the smoker. Same recipe I've been using just a little longer. I thought of trying a new one. But believe it or not we don't have a fair legs recipe on the recipe site. So for any one interested in the Delicious morsels her is what I'm doing!
Disney Fair style Turkey legs
The brine:
2 cups tender quick salt
1 cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. black pepper
2 TBS. onion powder
2 TBS. garlic powder
1 TBS. Spanish Paprika
4 bay leaves
2 gallons water
6 turkey legs [totally submerged in brine]
Sweet paprika
Mix all brine ingredients together in a non reactive container. Put the turkey legs in the brine and place the container in the refrigerator. Let stand for at least 48 hours.Large turkey legs will require 3 full days to be fully brined and flavored. Smoking time at 225 degrees F will be about 6 1/2 hours
Remove legs from the brine, wash good and wipe them dry with paper towels. Rub the legs with a small amount of sweet paprika. I use Jan's Rub instead of Paprika. Put legs in smoker and set temperature for 225 degrees F. Smoke for at least five hours. FTC one to two hours and then enjoy. If freezing reheat in oven for a fresh tasting leg. But I love them cold too!
I use 3 hours of Hickory or your favorite wood.
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sounds lovely and im going to add it to the to do list
Viper have you ever had the real Disney legs?
Just wondering how this recipe compares to the real thing. I will actually be going there tomorrow and may get a leg. They are really good ;)
Had a couple brought to me. I think they taste all full close. You be the Judge. Others have told me I'm real close. Been tweaking by memories so Id like to get a few more to compare. Maybe this year.
Well sounds like the recipe is a keeper then ;)
LOL Daughter said she'd bring me some in June when she goes for my Birthday! LOL I do know they taste very good and no matter how many I make they disappear quickly! LOL
Time to remove legs from brine. Wash real good and rub with Jans rub. Then warming a little.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/DSC02728.jpg)
Then resting waiting on smoker.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/rstingandwaiting.jpg)
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/DSC02737.jpg)
Into the smoker with 3 hours of Cherry at 225 degrees Done in a total 4.5 hours.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/smokersetup.jpg)
Magic moment is here.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/Legsaredone.jpg)
Shushhh! Don't make to much noise. Bambi is tied up in her Face book games.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/babyatthecomputer.jpg)
took out the first three and resting for a little while. Give the other three 1/2 hour more.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/DSC02741.jpg)
Whoops caught in the act. But honey I'm hungry ! So she makes me put it back.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/WhoopsCaughtwithturkeyleg.jpg)
Hmmm Plates ready, Turkey, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Mashed potato's and butter.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/DSC02745.jpg)
Look at that juice flowing! Moist and good.
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/NiceandJuicy.jpg)
I smell Food!
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee470/viper1233/whatdoyoumeantimeup.jpg)
So much for my lazy day and dinner. I ended up eating two of them bad boys and the wife one. But I think our two poodles at at least one whole one between them. LOL Hope you all enjoyed this i know we did since were all crashed and chilling out. Only change next time.
3 hour brine time
And soak at least 1 hour before smoking. I just washed and forgot my normal smoke. Made the skin a little more salty then I care for.
All in all a keeper for sure!
WOW Viper that money shot is killer for sure and it looks and sounds like you enjoyed the fruits of your labor, did the pups get any part of the turkey legs...
Them pups get more then a little of every thing we eat! They eat their dog food but enjoy our food better. that one is Bambi or baby as I call her. She's a rescue dog as well as our other one snickers. She was almost dead when we got her and I was too. We both spent the last two and a half years keeping each other go. She now thinks im her daddy and doesn't like me away from her. She'll eat fruit veggys meat or any thing I eat. She even trys hot peppers even though i try to keep them from her. I'll bet between the two of them they ate 1 leg or more. LOL
Legs look great Viper!
The meat color matches the ones at Disneyland ;)
Those look great. Thanks for the recipe. Gonna have to try it. :)
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yep agreed, thought they sounded good, but them pictures look awesome
good job mate
viper, nicely done
Thanks for the post...I am doing some this weekend.
me to
got a couple mates coming over for the football, so gonna do a few of these
thanks for the info
mat
A guy I used to work with made these by the case. I think all he used was salt, brown sugar, garlic and Tender Quick. He would get a couple cases of turkey legs, brine and smoke them and sell them at Flea Markets and fairs in the area. It was funny going to the flea market and seeing all the people walking around munching on turkey legs. They were good.
Yes it really is. I use to go to the flea Market here and I would buy 3 to go and take them in my lunch. Loved them. I think mine is a little better. Plus never dried to much.
Mine are Brining....
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=28200.0
Looks good. Not sure about ham brine but should work. As far as weight. I set a plate on mine.
Quote from: viper125 on April 26, 2012, 05:18:32 PM
Looks good. Not sure about ham brine but should work. As far as weight. I set a plate on mine.
Being that I couldn't find the salt...this was my only option. I have about 15 more legs that I can test at a later date.
For next time here is a substitute you can use. Its on the recipe site.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?441-Basic-Dry-Cure-Morton-s-Tender-Quick-substitute&p=691#post691
Quote from: viper125 on April 27, 2012, 04:28:45 AM
For next time here is a substitute you can use. Its on the recipe site.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?441-Basic-Dry-Cure-Morton-s-Tender-Quick-substitute&p=691#post691
Thank you. I will compare it with what they use for their Ham Cure.
Thanx. I'm ready to give that one a try.
Made these over the weekend..... Awesome!! Added butter and honey before FTC.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/473d965c-8428-108b.jpg)
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Yummy!
Foiled again >:(
I made these before and loved them and I planned on making them to go along with some pulled pork for Labor Day. I remembered the 48hrs in Brine and when I went to review this recipe this morning to make the Brine I realized that the Legs I had bought fell into the 3 day category. ??? Yeah I could freeze these things raw and hunt Grizzly Bear with them. They are HUGE! :o
Oh well looks like 2 x Buts for Monday instead of 1 and I am gonna brine the Legs to be smoked on Wednesday, so they can be Mine ALL Mine ;)
Well a 24 hour soak may work just always did them longer. But their always a winner here.
I only soaked them for 3 hours and they were still good.
Adam
For turkey legs; 3 - 6 hours should be fine, unless you have a very low salt brine.
I bought a case of large "Tom" turkey legs and brined some of them for the time recommended in Viper's recipe for the large legs. Very good although too salty. I will back off on the brine time with the next batch. After smoking I vacuum packed some of them for a quick and easy meal when time's short. Always good to have a supply of these. Thanks Viper, this one's a keeper.
Got'em done! ;D I followed the OP's recipe and went for 3 days in brine and 1 hour water bath after. Smoked til 180 IT and FTW with butter and Honey for 1.5 hrs. End result was ..... Yumm. The only thing is that these Legs were so big 1 fed 2 People. The pic below is of the 3 of the 4 I did. The missing one has been devoured :P They are on a 12 inch dinner plate :o BIG LEGS! The one in the middle was 12 inches and the Runt of the 4. :)
(http://www.bearscookbook.com/images/t-legs.jpg)
them look awesome.
Thats the way we like them. Get more flavor from the spices in three day. Also you can only get so much salt from any brine. But you mention having these on around here and enough shows there is never left overs. Hope fully wont be much longer and these treatments will be done and i can smoke some more.
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Bear the picture looks like the ones from Disneyland. Great job ;)
I know this post is years old now. but quick question, 6 1/2 hrs for smoking 6 legs. do i adjust the time for 12 legs?
thanks!
No. In fact I think they cooked for 6.5 hours, but didn't smoke that long. I would go 3 hours of smoke. Much more than 3-4 hours on poultry would result in too much smoke flavor (in my opinion). When I do butts and briskets, the most I ever smoke is 4 hours. The only time I used more was when I did a full raw ham. Smoke time was about 36 hours with 8 hours of smoke.