Are you hungry yet? We have been hunting and eating our Spring Turkey harvest and enjoying every bite. But, I was brought up to not waste what you shoot and always assumed that the legs would be tough, full of tendons and only worthy of soup. Even after boiling them in soup, they still would not tenderize. Well, I learned a new method.
First you need to remove the legs from the bird. Start by dislocating the hip and popping it out. Next cut along the hip bone where there are two medallions of meat on either side of the joint. Dislocate the knee joint and cut off the tendons and feathers.
The legs are so easy to prepare. Buy two cans of soup, one French onion and one golden mushroom. Place the legs in a slow cooker and add the contents of the cans. Add some water until the meat is covered. Cooking time varies, but I usually set on low heat before I leave for work; when I get home the meat falls off the bones. I shred the meat and utilize in a variety of ways. I add barbecue sauce and make pulled-turkey sandwiches, add a bit of taco seasoning and make shredded tacos (my sons favorite new twist on Taco Tuesday), add it and the stock to soup or a great base for Turkey Chili, eating it plain with a slice of provolone cheese on a bun is also delicious.
So, the next bird you harvest, take advantage of some additional meat and harvest the legs and thighs. This may become your favorite version of Spring Turkey.