Wild Turkey Recipes: Dark Meat

The leg and thigh meat of wild turkeys is seen as inedible by many of today’s hunters. I have actually read several articles and over-heard a few hunters talk about how they are only interested in the breast meat of their turkeys and will even field dress the birds by simply cutting out the breast meat and leaving the rest of the animal out in the field. Now, I am not here to write about my judgements of others and their practices (well, maybe sometimes) I can only say that for me, it would feel like poaching to kill an animal for one part only, take that part and leave the rest to rot. It feels like a disrespect for the life of that animal, I am a hunter because I want to feed myself and my family, I am not interested in squandering those resources. I also have in my mind a vivid image of what the fields of dead, rotting, skinned out buffalo may have looked like scattered across our prairie lands, or what the savannahs of slaughtered elephants with their tusks cut out, just left to rot look like. For me, the taking of a life is a serious matter and how I treat that animal speaks to how seriously I am considering that. I only want to leave in the field, parts that I cannot see a use for, and I really aspire to make that as little as possible. Which bring me back around to where I started; the dark meat from a wild turkey.

The leg and thigh meat is so tough, mainly because these are the muscles used to propel this sizable beast around the ground, wild turkeys do very little flying, and when they walk they can be surprisingly swift. Domestic birds, are bred for meat and have a very difficult time getting around, they are often caged in such a way as to prevent very much walking around, in part to keep the leg meat tender.

In searching for recipes for this meat, I did find many reports of slow cooking or braising it, and rave reviews of the flavor and texture, once properly treated. I have contended with a stewing hen or two in the past and so, the proper treatment for tough meat was not a foreign concept for me. My first attempt was to braise one leg and thigh, following recipes I found through the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation), here is a link to their recipes page. There is also a wealth of information over at Go Carnivore on this topic.

However, I still found the meat to be too tough, so I pulled out the slow cooker, to which I added:

- the meat I had braised, along with the other leg and thigh

- the braising juices (adding water to cover if needed)

- an onion, quartered, with the root end attached to keep them together

- 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar (any vinegar will do, you won’t really taste it, but I prefer the flavor of apple cider vinegar, so that’s what I use. The vinegar is important, as it is what helpt to break down the tough fibers)

I allowed this to cook for a full 14 hours, after this amount of time the meat was so tender it fell from the bones and left a deep golden broth, rich in flavor and nutrients. I drained off the broth, and shredded the meat, and discarded the bones (these could be saved in the freezer and added to the stock pot, when you make the stock from the remaining carcass, but most of the nutrients and flavor have already been pulled out). From this we made several meals; Turkey Carnitas Tacos, Turkey BBQ Sandwiches, Turkey Salad, Turkey Noodle Soup, etc… a couple of these recipes follow. I drank some of the broth (I have problems with joint pain and bone broth can be very healing) and fed some to my dog, who suffers from arthritis, the rest of the broth was used up in any and every recipe that called for broth, as well as to cook rice, lentils, etc… The flavor of the broth was so powerful that it sang through in  any dish I added it to.

Wild Turkey Noodle Soup

Wild Turkey Noodle Soup

    - 2 Tbsp butter

    - 1 Medium onion, diced

    - 3 carrots sliced

    - 2 small zucchini or summer squash

    - salt & pepper

    - 2 cups shredded turkey meat

    - 8 cups broth

    - 2 cups egg noodles

    - 1 Tbsp Pesto (optional)

In a large pot, melt butter, add carrots and onion, cook till onion is soft. Add salt and sliced zucchini/squash, cook for a few minutes, until just tender. Add broth and bring to a boil, add noodles and salt and pepper. Cook for time indicated on noodle package (about 10min). Add meat and cook long enough to heat through. I like to add a little bit of pesto at the end, but it is a personal preference (I usually have a fair amount in the freezer, waiting for just such an occasion).

Wild Turkey Carnitas Tacos

Wild Turkey Carnitas Tacos

           - 2-3 cups shredded turkey meat

           - 1-2 Tbsp fat (I prefer to use bacon fat here, but any oil or fat other than butter will do)

- taco seasonings of your choice (I have a homemade blend I made riffing off of the recipe found here)

- 2 Tbsp water

- small round corn tortillas

- 1+ cup of shredded cheese

- sour cream

- diced tomato

- chopped greens (I like swiss chard or beet greens, lots of folks just use lettuce)

Add meat, fat, seasonings, and water to a cast iron skillet, bring to rapid simmer and cook on medium - high, until water is evaporated, then stirring often cook until meat becomes crisp (this can take a little while).

I use my gas burner and tongs to just scorch the edges of the tortillas and heating them so they are pliable, top with meat and other toppings as desired. Enjoy!

This meat is so superior to anything I’ve ever bought in any store in so many ways, I cannot wait for my next opportunity to bring home another turkey, I already put my name in the hat for the Fall Turkey Draw & have my fingers crossed. The amazing flavor from the dark meat on my bird and the diversity of ways we were able to make use of that meat, drives home for me the true tragedy of leaving that part of a turkey out in the field what a waste! If you are a local hunter who does not want the dark meat of your bird, send me a message or an email, I’d gladly take care of it for you!