# Taking the ligaments out of the drumstick all at once!



## pops6927

One of the 'problems' with a turkey is in the drumstick portion; unlike a chicken, the turkey is larger and more mature and the ligaments are grown more and inedible.  

Years and years ago, dad got his turkeys with all the feathers on, legs, feet, head, neck; everything but the guts, they had been eviscerated prior to delivery (they couldn't be transported with the guts, they'd spoil too quick).  However, the same parts were saved; the gizzard, the liver, and the heart.  We spent many hours plucking feathers, burning off pinfeathers (there was a tool you used to do this), dad would cleave off the heads and cut the necks, then my brother and I got to rip out the leg tendons with a leg-puller.  We had a tool on the wall that we'd anchor the leg in, pull the lever, and the foot and all the attached tendons came out from the drumstick!  Of course, nowadays they don't do that at the packing plants because it would rip the skin sometimes.

 http://www.whiteheadengineering.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=85













handpuller.jpg



__ pops6927
__ Nov 23, 2012






Dad had his mounted on the wall.

However, it is not that hard to do, either before the turkey is cooked or after.  If you look at a drumstick:













drum1.jpg



__ pops6927
__ Nov 23, 2012






on the short side of the drumstick (inner side) you see an extra 'bump' at the joint:













drum2.jpg



__ pops6927
__ Nov 23, 2012






If you cut that, you can pull out most all the ligaments in the drumstick!  You may have to grip it with some vice grips, but this is where all those are attached.  If you select the drumstick for eating, loosen it at the bone and yank on it, your drum will be ligament-free!  They are not attached to the bone individually, they are attached at that point as a group.


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## smoking b

Thanks Pops! I will try that for sure


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## diggingdogfarm

Cool Pops!

Grandpa had a leg puller.

Yep, the easy way for folks at home to do it is chop off the end off the drumstick before cooking, the meat will shrink back and the ligaments can easily be removed with pliers.


~Martin


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## jarjarchef

Very cool. When I make greens for the family I will boil the smoked turkey legs in chicken stock to break down the meat a bit. I then grab the area you pointed out with a towel and pull. I usually get most of them in one shot, but I still go through the meat like I was doing PP. I set the meat aside and add at the end after the greens are cooked.


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## chef jimmyj

Pops...I never stop learning some new cool info about meat every time you post....JJ


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## davidhef88

Thanks Pops!  I wish I knew this a couple hundred legs ago. Lol


Sent via Tap-A-Yap from David.


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## smokinhusker

Great info Pops and Martin!


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## mballi3011

I'm gonna smoke a turkey just to try it out. I will let you know if it works.


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## diggingdogfarm

They pull out real easy when the leg is hot.
Here's Jacques and Julia pulling them out by hand.

Starting at 4:58.....




~Martin


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## shoneyboy

Julia was always one of my favorite cooks.......She was before her times ........She always seemed to like all of the things that we consider bad for us then and especially now !!!!! I would have loved to sit down to anyone of her meals with her.......


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## pit 4 brains

I think you're pulling _*my *_leg!

No seriously, that's some cool info.

I think I saw one of those contraptions before and it was a "guess what this is" centerpiece.


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## diggingdogfarm

re: Julia

Yep, she was a card!


~Martin


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## diesel

I used to watch Julia and the cajun chef Justin Wilson when I was a kid.

Pops.. great info.

Aaron.


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## pops6927

When I was at HealthSouth in therapy, they'd have 'donation days' and everyone would pay a donation for their food, usually smoked drumsticks or half a ring of smoked sausage on a stick.  No one was taking the drumsticks until I showed the staff how to remove the ligaments all at once; then they started selling!


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## thoseguys26

So you just cut the 'nub' off and then pull them all out individually?


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## bama bbq

Now this nugget of information is why I hang out with you guys.


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## jmk3921

Thanks for the great information.


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## tardissmoker

thoseguys26 said:


> So you just cut the 'nub' off and then pull them all out individually?



You can, but separate the nub from the skin and bone, grab it with gloves, towel, pliers, tool of your choice and ALL of them should come out. The nub is the only place where all the ligaments join together. If they don't, not done yet.


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## buzzy

WOW! I guess I need to look for info more closely


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## zwiller

Same here.  I think this might be sticky worthy.  LIKE to @jmk3921  for revival!  6 year nap.


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## kawboy

Tried this last night on some legs I smoked the night before. Worked good on about half of them. Maybe easier when warm?


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## zwiller

Thinking of running some turkey drums and remembered this thread.  I see there was a question that went unanswered.  I have not done this yet but have researched it and it appears it is easier to do when warm/cooked.   

MY question is how many tendons are there?  Looks like 4.  Would love to see a video of this being done and many are close but not a really good one.


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## jcam222

Great tip, especially considering I plan on doing a case of Disney style legs over the holiday break. Thanks!


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