Need some Turkey Thigh / Drum stick help

ghosthunter · Jul 12, 2010

I'll be honest, I just don't normally keep the thighs and drum sticks on a wild turkey due to past experiences I've had cooking them. This year I decided to keep them and give them a try again, but I really wasn't pleased. I fried one thigh and grilled the other, but the meat just was too tough. Am I supposed to crock pot them or what? Or is that just the way it is?

JimFromTN · Jul 13, 2010

I have never cooked wild turkey thighs and drum sticks but I have wild goose. I don't think you can get anything closer to a rubber tire than that. I would say wrap in bacon and do one of the following. Sear in a cast iron skillet, cook under the broiler, or cook on the grill. Just cook them long enough top get a really good sear. Take them off and wrap tightly in aluminum foil and throw in the oven at around 300 degrees and slow cook for another couple of hours until the meat is falling off the bone.

Another thing you could try is cutting the meat off of the bone and grinding it up, providing you have a grinder. Grind in a little bacon with it. Add bread crumbs, an egg, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, maybe some cajun seasoning. Pat out into patties and throw on the grill.

m_allison71 · Jul 13, 2010

Just cook them in a crock pot until the meat falls off the bones. Dig out the bones and make what you want with the meat. I use it for chili or dumplings.

muddyboots · Jul 13, 2010

Get some good teeth.

Rowdy · Jul 13, 2010

phooey.....cat food

Dodge Man · Jul 13, 2010

I tried the thighs on the grill this year. I took a meet tenderizing mallet and beat them thin and even thickness, then marinated them for a few hours then grilled them untill just done. They tasted really good but still more tuff than you would want. I did not mind them being a little tuff the taste was worth it. It was not any harder to eat than deer or turkey jerky!