Large Turkey Thigh Joints

[Thunderbird]

Morrisons did a really good one last year but it doesn't look like they are doing it this year. 

To supplement Christmas I usually do an overnight slow cook of a few of these (they come out lovely) and was wondering if anyone has seen any large (as in over a K) turkey thigh joints in the various supermarkets? 

My local farm shop is trying to source me some leftover from the crowns people order nowadays but just in case. 

[Zapp]

Asda do them I think.

[Fatcatsplat]

Boned and rolled they're lovely, absolute pain to do with all the tendons, but very worthwhile.

[Dougy]

20 minutes ago, Fatcatsplat said:

Boned and rolled they're lovely, absolute pain to do with all the tendons, but very worthwhile.

Not many actually get them pulled nowadays. I think it ruins the turkey when they don't pull the legs. 

[Thunderbird]

The tendons are a pain. The good thing with the thigh joints was that they only had a couple as it wasn't the drumstick too. 

Thanks Zapp, will look. 

[Walker570]

Heh!! My grandparents fed around 100 turkeys every Christmas for sale on the milk round ...this is 1950s !!!  ALL of those turkeys would have the tendons pulled before dressing out.   Just a suggestion, rub them over with maple syrup and then roll in brown sugar before roasting in a closed roaster with a mix of vegetables.  Glazes the joints beautifully and the steam from the vegs keeps them moist.  I know, it sounds crazy, but I do the same with any venison joints I roast. You don't have three or four saucepans for the veg., and roast are always much nicer I think. 

[moor man]

12 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Just a suggestion, rub them over with maple syrup and then roll in brown sugar before roasting in a closed roaster with a mix of vegetables.  Glazes the joints beautifully and the steam from the vegs keeps them moist.  I know, it sounds crazy, but I do the same with any venison joints I roast. You don't have three or four saucepans for the veg., and roast are always much nicer I think. 

Mmmm making me hungry??

[Mice!]

On 11/12/2017 at 14:12, Dougy said:

Not many actually get them pulled nowadays. I think it ruins the turkey when they don't pull the legs. 

Go on explain? I quite often do turkey legs or thighs when I see them what aren't I doing that I should??

[Walker570]

All I can do is explain how we did it back in the 1950s. We killed around 100 and they would be firstly hung in open shed for around 5 to 7 days, then plucked. Some would be sold in feather, some plucked but not drawn, some my grandmother and mother would fully oven ready dress.  Firstly my grandfather would hang the turkey one foot at a a time to a strong hook on a beam, he then cut around the first joint on the leg...above the scally but... and then he would pull hard and eventually the tendons would give and be pulled away from the meat. Then my grandmother/mother would singe the fine fluff off the skin and carefully draw the innards and neck. The neck, gizzard(opened and cleaned), liver/heart(giblets) would be set aside, them wrapped in grease proof paper and placed inside the body cavity ready for delivery. Each bird would be labelled with weight and if a cock bird or hen bird and the name of the customer.   The giblets would be used to make the gravy.   They would all be delivered along with the milk round and probably a dozen rabbits in the skin, snared the night before. We did cockerels as well and that is when caponising first came in. A small white pellet was inject in the upper neck area just behind the skull and the chemical switched off their male hormone or something and they grew much larger.

[Dougy]

As above, twist the ankle over a split piece if steel leaving a V put the ankle in and pull, you would end up with the foot and the tendons on the hook. 

Sometimes rather hard on a 40lb + bird lol. 

[Mice!]

I'll try this next time I buy a leg thanks.

[Dougy]

4 hours ago, Mice! said:

I'll try this next time I buy a leg thanks.

It's just about impossible doing it with just a leg, but  you can try. It's not like pulling the wing feathers. 

[Fatcatsplat]

Googled it an the "easy" solution is apparently to cut round just above the foot and pull the tendons out in a downwards motion with a pair of pliers. Might save the faff of cutting around them.  

[Dougy]

Just bone idleness on the part of the food prep company's. Ruins the legs, I also noticed that very few butchers nowadays still do it on long legged Turkey's.

Yes you can manage to pull most out with a pair if pliers.  

[John_R]

I used to work in a traditional fishmongers, one that also sold poultry and game.

There was a device on the wall that would grip the foot in a v and all the tendons were pulled by use of a lever.

I am going back over 30 years though.

 

[Zapp]

I debone, stuff and roll the legs and thighs on the Christmas turkey.  Removing the tendons takes a while even with the bones out but the end result is always worth the effort.