# Cured Smoked Turkey Drumstricks Like... QView!!!



## tallbm (Jun 21, 2017)

As a kid I LOVED the vacuum sealed smoked turkey drumsticks you could get from the meat counter of the grocery store.  It is my understanding that Disneyland/world also sells these same kind of drumsticks but I've never been there.

Well doing the same kind of drumsticks was on my list of smokes and wow I just knocked it out of the park on the first attempt even though there isn't a lot of clear info out there on making these.  QView first and then the write up :)













DSC_0365[1].JPG



__ tallbm
__ Jun 21, 2017


















DSC_0367[1].JPG



__ tallbm
__ Jun 21, 2017






Below you can see the history of my cook/smoke.













turkeySmoke.png



__ tallbm
__ Jun 21, 2017






So trying to find out how to make these kinds of drumsticks was not so easy.  I found lots of information discussing "Disney" drumsticks but not a lot of "here is how you make them".  I came across a website where the guy provided fairly clear steps and information so used it and my other knowledge to fill in the gaps and alter things to seem more accurate.

All I can say is WOW!!! This came out amazing on the first try and I ate 3 of these things in one sitting hahahaha.  I had turkey drums with a side of turkey drums for dinner :)

These things cook quickly, they only took 1hour on the dot to reach IT of 165 in 3 out of the 6 drums I smoked.

Here is what I did.

*Ingredients:*

1 Gallon Ziplock bag
4.75 pounds of Turkey Drumstricks
Just under 1 teaspoon Cure #1
2 Tablespoons salt (I used table salt because it was on hand)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Enough Water to cover the drumsticks (about 2.5 cups maybe?)
*Brine, Cook, and Smoke:*

Blend water, cure, salt, and sugar in at least 1.5 cups of water until ingredients are dissolved (about 45 seconds)
Add Drumsticks and blended cure/water mixture into the 1 Gallon Ziplock bag
Add extra water to be able to squeeze out air and cover all drumsticks
Add to fridge and Brine for 24 hours, and flip once halfway through
 
After 24 hours of Brining, rinse and pat dry
I added drumsticks to smoker and cold smoked the drums for 30 minutes
I used 100% Pecan pellets and applied Double smoke using the AMNPS and my Mailbox mod.  (These cook quickly so the double smoke seemed very necessary)
I also kept the vent on my MES 95% CLOSED to get more smoke to absorb

Cook with the smoker set 325F  (I tried to do this with the drums inside and it never reached 325F, it only reached 285F but the skin was very edible and the same texture as the store bought drumsticks, but not crispy skin. I think my Fan mod has a lot to do with getting edible skin with under 300F temps and 1 hour of cooking)  
*IMPORTANT*:  Next time I will cold smoke for 30 minutes, pull drums then pre-heat the smoker to 325F and add the drums back.
I inserted probes into 3 drums as best I could and cooked until the last one (the biggest one) was reporting 168F.  
The cook took exactly 1 hour just in case you cannot completely trust your probes since it is hard to judge the depth on drumsticks and not hit bone
*Lessons Learned:*

This made PERFECT drumsticks like the vac sealed ones in the grocery store.  The salt content was right on with 24 hours of brining.
The color was slightly pink for the meat and the skin was orange/brown'ish just like the store bought ones
These Drumsticks cook QUICKLY, even 5 pounds of them
Double smoke with vent mostly closed on my MES was a great idea (man am I learning my system well)
100% Pecan pellets was great on the Turkey.  I had read about how in Texas pecan on turkey was desirable and wow did these come out great!
With the proper brine and applying the double smoke practice this dish was SUPER easy even though I wasn't able to hit my 325F in the short 1 hour cook.
I think next time I will cold smoke for about 30-45 minutes, remove the drumbsticks, bring the smoker to 325-335F and then add the drumsticks again having the smoker only drop to about 315F in the process so it can recover to 325F quickly.
So guys this was super easy, and the hardest part for me was figuring out a proper brine to get the flavor.  Also BEWARE, you may eat like 3-4 of these in a single sitting hahahaha.  Be sure to buy plenty of drumsticks when you make these.  My turkey drumsticks were 3 per about 2.25 pounds or so.  These aren't those giant 1 pound a piece drumsticks.

I bet this would work for chicken drumsticks and I would LOVE a whole turkey done this way.  I think I will experiment with a whole chicken done this way first and then go from there onto a turkey.

I hope you guys find this information helpful and can use this post for a single source of help rather than sorting through all the scattered bits of information around the internet.  Best of luck!


----------



## stovebolt (Jun 22, 2017)

Great post and very informative. I have cured and smoked whole turkey and chicken. I loved the turkey but was not fond of the chicken. Go figure.

  Point for you.

Chuck


----------



## SmokinAl (Jun 22, 2017)

Excellent job!

They look delicious!

Point!

Al


----------



## zerowin (Jun 22, 2017)

Wife saw this and I no longer have a choice in the matter.  Her will be done!  My to-do list just gets longer and longer, lol.  Looks great though, thumbs up!


----------



## tallbm (Jun 22, 2017)

stovebolt said:


> Great post and very informative. I have cured and smoked whole turkey and chicken. I loved the turkey but was not fond of the chicken. Go figure.
> 
> Point for you.
> 
> Chuck


Interesting about the chicken.

These cured smoked turkey drumsticks are amazing.  I can't wait to do a whole turkey!

Thanks for the insight :)


SmokinAl said:


> Excellent job!
> 
> They look delicious!
> 
> ...


Thanks Al, they were delicious!


Zerowin said:


> Wife saw this and I no longer have a choice in the matter.  Her will be done!  My to-do list just gets longer and longer, lol.  Looks great though, thumbs up!


I'm glad they caught her eye.  You wont regret doing this, they are exactly what I was looking for when it came to these kinds of drumsticks.  Be sure to post your results!


----------



## zerowin (Jul 3, 2017)

Results are in, and not meaning to hijack your thread, I just wanted to put it here so you could see my end results.  I started with components of my normal chicken marinade, and added brown sugar and prague cure #1 measured as you suggested.













20170630_180156.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017


















20170702_082133.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017






Brined for about 36 hours, rinsed, rubbed with our normal chicken  rub and into the camp chef with whiskey pellets in my new tube for a bit over half an hour, then smoked at 325 till IT was 165.













20170702_083207.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017


















20170702_102805.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017






As each one temped they were moved over to the charcoal grill to blacken the skin a bit, just a few minutes on each side.  I tried to keep the end IT at 173ish, but a few got away from me.  Also had some margarita mix chicken breast on there, for lemon grass soup.













20170702_111513.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017






All finished up!













20170702_112821.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017


















Resized_20170703_080553.jpg



__ zerowin
__ Jul 3, 2017






The meat was pink all the way through, skin was soft and easily chewed, and they almost tasted almost as much like ham as turkey, very tender meat that you could bite clean through easily, and not just tear the tendon off.  They had a great flavor, weren't too salty, and stayed moderately moist.  The smoke flavor was very prominent, and bold, but certainly not in a bad way, I used hickory and maple for fuel, whiskey in the tube, and left the tube burn clean out, I started with it half full I believe.  Anyway, thanks for sharing, they were a hit at my house!


----------



## tallbm (Jul 3, 2017)

Zerowin said:


> Results are in, and not meaning to hijack your thread, I just wanted to put it here so you could see my end results.  I started with components of my normal chicken marinade, and added brown sugar and prague cure #1 measured as you suggested.
> 
> Brined for about 36 hours, rinsed, rubbed with our normal chicken  rub and into the camp chef with whiskey pellets in my new tube for a bit over half an hour, then smoked at 325 till IT was 165.
> 
> ...


Man those look great!  I'm glad you posted your process and the results.

I also did some thighs the other day and they came out awesome as well.  I would probably let the thighs brine for 36 hours because they are a little heartier than the drums and could benefit from a little more flavor penetration but in all the flavor was still great and I think I actually prefer the thighs to the drumbs hahaha













DSC_0378[1].JPG



__ tallbm
__ Jul 3, 2017






Feel free to post about any more attempts you make on turkey following this cured brine/marinade approach.  I'm always interested in what people are making, learning, and how they are improving or perfecting their approach.  I can only benefit from it :)


----------



## tallbm (Jul 3, 2017)

Wow, today I scored just under 15 pounds of Turkey drums and thighs marked 50% off!!!  Ran me $22 even for almost 15 pounds!

I put it all in a brining bucket for smoking tomorrow evening.  I'll have turkey meat like this for a while once I vacuum seal it and freeze when done :)


----------



## buffalobbqpete (Sep 8, 2017)

I know what I'm doing next time I see some Turkey Legs at the store! Thanks for sharing!!!


----------



## pops6927 (Sep 8, 2017)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/161782/the-picnic

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/174365/the-party

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255473/party-time-again


----------



## tallbm (Sep 8, 2017)

BuffaloBBQPete said:


> I know what I'm doing next time I see some Turkey Legs at the store! Thanks for sharing!!!


You won't be disappointed!  I'm glad you enjoyed the post :)


----------



## tallbm (Oct 31, 2018)

pops6927 said:


> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/161782/the-picnic
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/174365/the-party
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/255473/party-time-again



Wow nice work on all that turkey pops!  I can't believe I missed this post so long ago hahaha :)


----------



## pops6927 (Nov 1, 2018)

Back in the '50's, my dad started curing and smoking turkeys for NYE celebrations.  He always got Timmerman Fresh Turkeys at Thanksgiving time, then would freeze them and thaw them out for Christmas, then cure and smoke any that were left for New Year's Eve.   I always looked forward to cured and smoked turkeys on New Year's Day; instead of a sit-down meal, just picking and choosing what we liked, taking the carcass in and out of the refrigerator, enjoying the smoky, juicy goodness.  When curing and smoking a turkey breast, the juiciness was increased tremendously, making the meat a wonderful delicacy, and of course as was the thighs, drumsticks and even the backbone with its pockets of pearly nuggets (also known as 'the oysters' where the thighs separate from the backbone).  Then, the carcass got simmered for turkey soup (it was always cold in January in upstate NY, from below freezing to well below zero) and was a hearty, smoky star at lunches and suppers, too!  That was my initial intent of curing and smoking here on SMF, rediscovering the enjoyment of curing a turkey!  I did it in one of the bottom crispers in the refrigerator, lining it with a trash bag, curing it for two weeks, then smoking it in my bullet Cabela's electric smoker.


----------



## Bearcarver (Nov 1, 2018)

Looks & Sounds mighty Tasty, Tall !!
Like.
BTW: So far I've not had trouble getting crispy skin in my MES 40, while using 275° for the last 45 minutes.

Bear


----------



## browneyesvictim (Nov 1, 2018)

Wow Tall! I'm sorry I missed this post. I've been on a brined/cured chicken binge lately. Yours looks amazing!
I have simply been using the slaughterhouse brine but I add cure. I also inject the brine to speed things up. Only takes 2 days that way. Best bird ever! Guess what's in my lunchbox today? And I started 2 more whole birds last night!


----------



## tallbm (Nov 2, 2018)

pops6927 said:


> Back in the '50's, my dad started curing and smoking turkeys for NYE celebrations.  He always got Timmerman Fresh Turkeys at Thanksgiving time, then would freeze them and thaw them out for Christmas, then cure and smoke any that were left for New Year's Eve.   I always looked forward to cured and smoked turkeys on New Year's Day; instead of a sit-down meal, just picking and choosing what we liked, taking the carcass in and out of the refrigerator, enjoying the smoky, juicy goodness.  When curing and smoking a turkey breast, the juiciness was increased tremendously, making the meat a wonderful delicacy, and of course as was the thighs, drumsticks and even the backbone with its pockets of pearly nuggets (also known as 'the oysters' where the thighs separate from the backbone).  Then, the carcass got simmered for turkey soup (it was always cold in January in upstate NY, from below freezing to well below zero) and was a hearty, smoky star at lunches and suppers, too!  That was my initial intent of curing and smoking here on SMF, rediscovering the enjoyment of curing a turkey!  I did it in one of the bottom crispers in the refrigerator, lining it with a trash bag, curing it for two weeks, then smoking it in my bullet Cabela's electric smoker.



Wow that sounds amazing!  An look where that adventure has taken you to these days :)



Bearcarver said:


> Looks & Sounds mighty Tasty, Tall !!
> Like.
> BTW: So far I've not had trouble getting crispy skin in my MES 40, while using 275° for the last 45 minutes.
> 
> Bear



I've been getting bite through but I was never able to get anything but leather until I rewired and used the PID... I also was never really able to get near 275F either hahaha before the PID.   
I wonder there is something else at play here like humidity or something like that.  Maybe some day we'll get to to the bottom of the chicken skin mysteries :D      



browneyesvictim said:


> Wow Tall! I'm sorry I missed this post. I've been on a brined/cured chicken binge lately. Yours looks amazing!
> I have simply been using the slaughterhouse brine but I add cure. I also inject the brine to speed things up. Only takes 2 days that way. Best bird ever! Guess what's in my lunchbox today? And I started 2 more whole birds last night!



I have yet to do a cured chicken, it is on my list for sure!  I wouldn't mind having some of them for lunch as well :D

Yesterday I went by Winco in far North Dallas (Carrollton) and they had frozen turkeys for $0.49/lb (if I remember correctly, might have been $0.79/lb) and frozen bone in turkey breast for $0.98/lb.  I thought hard about buying turkeys for Thanskgiving and smoking them but I gotta figure out how to get those giant beasts into something I can brine and cure them in hahaha.  They were all HUGE.  I don't know if I saw one under 24 pounds :o

I plan to do a cured smoked Turkey Galantine this year but would like to do a practice run first so I may buy two of those giant suckers this week :)


----------



## Bearcarver (Nov 2, 2018)

I've been getting bite through but I was never able to get anything but leather until I rewired and used the PID... I also was never really able to get near 275F either hahaha before the PID.  
[B said:
			
		

> I wonder there is something else at play here like humidity or something like that.  Maybe some day we'll get to to the bottom of the chicken skin mysteries[/B] :D




WE get plenty of Humidity here. I swear we averaged 93% all this past summer.
However when mine is set at 275°, it often runs at 285° to 290°.
I never put water in my Water Pan either, because the extra moisture can give you rubbery skin.

Beat


----------



## tallbm (Nov 3, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> WE get plenty of Humidity here. I swear we averaged 93% all this past summer.
> However when mine is set at 275°, it often runs at 285° to 290°.
> I never put water in my Water Pan either, because the extra moisture can give you rubbery skin.
> 
> Beat



Hahaha you lucky dog, u have the MES that runs hotter! :D
I believe I'm going to do a practice run on a turkey next weekend and I'll see if I have any skin issues with doing such a big bird.  I'm hoping not.  I plan to do a smoked turkey galantine so we'll see how it all comes out :D


----------



## Bearcarver (Nov 4, 2018)

tallbm said:


> Hahaha you lucky dog, u have the MES that runs hotter! :D
> I believe I'm going to do a practice run on a turkey next weekend and I'll see if I have any skin issues with doing such a big bird.  I'm hoping not.  I plan to do a smoked turkey galantine so we'll see how it all comes out :D




LOL---Yup, I tell people "If you can't get your MES to 275° call Masterbuilt, but if it goes to 290° when set at 275°, just enjoy it." Mine usually runs between 10° & 15° hotter than the MES says, according to my accurate Mavericks.

Bear


----------



## buzzy (Nov 8, 2018)

OOPS! Some how I missed this post


----------



## tallbm (Nov 8, 2018)

buzzy said:


> OOPS! Some how I missed this post


It happens.

I'm kind of torn with all the great turkey prices.  I kind of want to buy a bunch at like $0.25/lb and $0.49/lb that the stores are selling them for in my area.  I want to cut off the legs and smoke them separately... BUT what would I do with like 100 pounds of turkey breast that I have no freezer room for and I already have like almost 200 pounds of meat I just processed in the freezer! lol  So torn.  Such 1st world problems :D


----------



## Wet Spaniel (Nov 16, 2018)

Thanks for this thread, I've just found some (quite rarely seen in UK stores) 1lb turkey legs so I've got some brining now for a smoke on Sunday


----------



## tallbm (Nov 17, 2018)

Wet Spaniel said:


> Thanks for this thread, I've just found some (quite rarely seen in UK stores) 1lb turkey legs so I've got some brining now for a smoke on Sunday



Nice best of luck with it and enjoy! :)


----------



## jcam222 (Nov 18, 2018)

How critical is brown sugar to thw recipe? I about sugar in my rubs rtc as mich as possible. Usually for brown sugar in something like this I sub either Splenda or Swerve with a touch of molasses


----------



## buzzy (Nov 18, 2018)

Don't see why Splenda won't work but i personally never tried it. I have started using Truvia some to replace brown sugar


----------



## tallbm (Nov 18, 2018)

jcam222 said:


> How critical is brown sugar to thw recipe? I about sugar in my rubs rtc as mich as possible. Usually for brown sugar in something like this I sub either Splenda or Swerve with a touch of molasses



For this smoke I don't think it is critical at all and your substitutes would likely work.
I however would think that sugar or a real sugar derivative helps when really needing cure to penetrate all the way through for safety reasons.  This smoke is hot and fast and the cure is only for taste purposes not safety purposes :)


----------

