Dub Shack BBQ Presents Turkey Legs

I just smoked eight turkey legs that were so good, I had to tell you about them. Ask my wife.

2020 has been one extra-funky year (and not the George Clinton-type of funk, just the putrid kind) with coronavirus, the rise of Reconstruction 2.0 and its relationship with the Black Lives Matter movement, the closure of most county fairs, the words social distancing and quarantine making a permanent imprint in the lexicon, an incumbent POTUS refusing to concede his election loss, and fuel prices that rivaled those from when I learned how to drive in the mid-1990s. To break away from the nonsense and because my neighbors do like the smell of my barbecue, I decided to try my hand at smoking turkey legs without making a trip to the Turkey Leg Hut in Houston. [Sidebar:  I will eventually make a trip home to patronize my man Dale at Double D's; his birds and fish look legendary!]

Ingredients

Turkey legs

Creole mustard rub

Killer Hogs' The BBQ Rub

Tony Chacere Creole butter

STEP ONE. Since turkey doesn't have much in the way of its own flavor, I strongly recommend brining the legs. If you've read either of my past turkey posts, then you will notice a pattern in how it works:  Kosher salt, sugar, enough water to cover the turkey legs, and ice. Using one cup of kosher salt and a cup of white sugar to the water, turn on the burner to the water is boiling as you stir the mixture until it dissolves. After roughly twenty minutes, move the pot of water to the sink and add the legs before shocking them with enough ice to fill it up. Place a lid on top of the pot and refrigerate immediately, and let the legs enjoy its shock bath for 8-24 hours. 

Shock bath

STEP TWO. After the brining period ends (I let these guys go for almost 24 hours), pour off the mixture and dry off each leg with a towel before placing them on a wire rack. At this point, I injected each leg with the Creole butter from an earlier picture for that extra boost in taste - yep, that's my secret - before seasoning them with both the Creole mustard and The BBQ Rub. Make sure you've got them seasoned on all sides!

These aren't just salt-and-pepper turkey legs

STEP THREE. Light your smokers to 275 degrees before giving these turkey legs a smoke bath; I went about an hour before these guys were wrapped to finish once I got the desired color. Keep in mind this protein is pretty forgiving so you can overshoot the internal temperature of 175 degrees; this is also the rare moment when meat falling off the bone is more than acceptable. 

Going for a smoke nap

STEP FOUR. I have a ratio that has worked pretty well lately of one beer per hour while cooking. This time around, I didn't drink because I had to head to in-person worship at my church and I ran out of beer a few nights prior; therefore, I had a clear head to take notes for the next time. After the first hour, I checked the internal temperature of each leg before wrapping them in aluminum foil. The desired color I wanted was there but I'm not blessing anyone with undercooked poultry meaning that eight turkey legs were wrapped and returned to the smoker.

Can't do the Stanky Legg yet 

STEP FIVE. In the miracle of time, these turkey legs are done. To be certain, get a temperature check in and remove them from the smoker - if they are at least 175 degrees, then they are done. For that split skin and falling off the bone taste and look, you can take them up a few more degrees without drying them out. This...is why I injected them with butter. Bring them inside and serve immediately!

Will I do this again? Absolutely!

Although COVID-19 took away the county fair and some Disney World family vacations this year, enough methods exist for the best turkey legs you can make - or just pay your friendly pitmaster seven bucks for the pleasure of going Neanderthal with a big bone and extra-tender meat in your hands.

Have a blessed day and remember that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!