Smoked Turkey Legs

[Draggingtree]

 

Smoked Turkey Legs

In honor of the State Fair of Texas, here’s how to enjoy these annual treats at home.

By Daniel Vaughn September 25, 2020

Ingredients  

·   1 pound turkey legs, or as much as you’d like

·   kosher salt

·   barbecue rub

·   barbecue sauce of your choosing

Directions 

1.              Salt the turkey legs 24 hours or more before you plan to put them on the smoker, and leave them uncovered in the refrigerator. The following day, pull the turkey legs from the refrigerator before lighting the fire, then heat a smoker to 275 degrees. Once the smoker is heated, some moisture should have appeared on the surface of the legs. Sprinkle on your favorite rub evenly (I had success with both a savory and a sweet rub), but don’t apply a heavy coat. Smoke the legs for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the skin looks crisp and is pulled up from the base of the leg bone.

2.             Wrap the turkey legs in foil and move to an empty cooler with a tightly fitting lid, or place them into a 200-degree oven for about an hour. A little longer won’t hurt.

3.             Heat a grill for the final step. Place the turkey legs directly over the coals, and baste with sauce quickly. (As they do in Alabama, I held off on the white sauce during grilling, and applied it only afterward). The legs should be flipped every 30–60 seconds, depending on the heat of the coals, to ensure the skin and sauce don’t burn. Make sure all sides are well basted with sauce and well browned. This step shouldn’t take much longer than 5 minutes total. https://www.texasmonthly.com/recipe/smoked-turkey-legs/