I like using Meathead's recipe but making them into lollipops by removing all the tendons.:
Takes. 10 minutes of preparation, 12 hours to cure, 90 minutes to cook
.
Makes. 2 drumsticks of which Mickey would be proud. For more drums, increase the quantity of the brine, but not the time.
Ingredients
2 large turkey drumsticks
4 teaspoons Morton's kosher salt
1 teaspoon Cure #1
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup warm water
About the salt. If you use table salt instead of Kosher salt, cut the amount in half. But don't skip the Prague powder #1 if you want the Disney look and flavor.
About the sugar. If you are diabetic, you can skip the sugar, but very little actually gets into the meat. It does help create the Disney flavor and adds color.
Method
1) Dissolve the salts and sugar in the warm water and then pour it in a zipper bag. Let it come to room temp, add the meat and refrigerate in the cure for about 12 hours, and not much longer or it can get too salty. You can then take them out of the cure and hold them in the fridge uncooked for a day or two until you're ready to cook, but I wouldn't push beyond that.
2) Remove the meat, rinse it so the exterior will not be too salty, and pat the skin dry with a paper towel.
3) Smoke at 325°F over indirect heat for about 1 hour until the thick part of the meat reaches at least 160°F.