After the turkey is down

[Strutr]

Roast turkey recipe and cooking chart:  http://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/roasted-turkey-directions-and-recipe

For best results, do not overcook wild turkey meat.

[paboxcall]

The legs and thighs slow cooked and pick make awesome turkey salad.

Half dozen ramps or Scallions if you don't have ramps
Pinch of course salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Mrs Claus pickle spears diced
Picked turkey legs and thighs
Mayo or Ranch dressing to get the consistency
Pulse in food processor until you are happy with the consistency.

You won't throw the legs or thighs away again

2gbl

Totally worth the time.

[Bowguy]

Save yourself a lot of time a disappointment and just take the breast. The rest isn't that great.


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In a few states this is wanton waste. Legs are good for soup or pot pie

[MickT]

If you are expecting wild turkey to taste like domestic turkey, you are in for a letdown.


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I'd say if he expects a butterball, he will be pleasantly surprised.

I'm planning to make carnitas with the legs/thighs/wings/ other bits of meat. Hank Shaw has a recipe, and if it's half as good as the one he has for venison, you'll be throwing out the breast and saving the legs!


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[MDSTRUTNRUT]

Every year we save thighs and legs but fail to get them in the pot(embarrassed to say).  The next  year they  end up in a crab trap along  with the necks which do VERY WELL!   This year (mainly due to budget restraints)  we GOING TO EAT MORE OF WHAT WE KILL!!!   NO more throwing out freezer burned turkey, fish and venison. We eat most of our game and fish but always seem to have some leftover when new season starts, actually ate some 2016 venison stir fried lastnite and it was GOOD!!   Turkey burger with bacon, pork or venison are going to be tried SOON!    Pulled crockpotted thighs, legs and some breast too HEY WHATS NOT GOOD COATED WITH SWEET BABY RAYS  LOL!   Turkey pot pie is on the hitlist and spaghetti with turkey or venison burger going on menue too.  Luckily for us we have a big hunting family with daughter, son, grand daughter, son in law and sometimes me getting plenty of game so I'll still give away some  to family and friends.  Grocery store meat dept bills are on my HIT LIST BIG TIME and  we've been missing out on some healthy eating too, I know I could use that! 

[HawkeyeGobbler]

I am one of those who legitimately enjoys food prep so I don't mind doing some knife work and getting the grinder out. I was real pleased when I first started to make ground burger and breakfast sausage with some of the "less desirable" parts. I also like to "poach" some of the breasts, I put the breasts cut up into medalions, put them in a square pyrex dish, just enough chicken broth to cover (or turkey stock if you have killed one that year - bones and bits in a pressure cooker with seasoning and veg...GREAT), and it comes out so tender and moist you wouldn't believe it.

[Gooserbat]

Legs and thighs are edible... But there is some work involved.  Mosty I'd use them in something like gumbo or dumplings.  Another thing is to smoke them and use for filler meat in beans.