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Title:
Recipe(tried): Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs - Yum Yum
Board:
From:
Randy OKC 7-2-2008
To:
 MSG ID: 171277
Wow, am I ever sorry that this took so long for me to get back to. I am truly, truly sorry.

Okay, here's the deal. I tried smoking these legs, soaking them in onions and sprite soda and then grilling them, brining them in salt water over night and then smoking them and all the other turkey leg knock-offs I could find. Nothing even came close to what they serve up at WDW, Universal and all the rest.

I then bought 3 of them at a local amusement park to analyze. This is what I came up with:

a) The leg tastes more like ham than turkey.
b) The leg does not have the consistancy of a smoked turkey leg-it has the consistancy of ham and is on the salty side.
c) These things have to be mass produced to supply just what WDW serves up on a daily basis not to mention all the other major theme parks in the US. Whoever provides these to the parks makes them very quickly and in huge numbers.
d) These legs are pretty cheap (by amusement park food standards)so any preparation has to be minimal and they have to make the 50-75% food mark-up at amusement parks.

So the answer is: (drum roll)
The legs are cured like ham. They are not smoked. (That would be too labor intensive and cost to much.) After curing they can be baked like ham or grilled like at WDW. Grilling being the prefered method for that WDW taste.

Morton salt sells a Tender Quick Cure and a Sugar Cure and a Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure. They can be dry cured or "brined" in your fridge. These Cure's all very salty so you will have to experiment with the amount and method. I have found that a brine with the smoke flavored sugar cure works well. Cut the cure amount and brining time in half based on the pounds of turkey legs you have though or they will be to salty. You have got to experiment with this to taste, just remember that a pound of turkey legs is not equal to a pound of meat. I figure that a pound of turkey legs yields about 1/2 pound of meat to cure. Cure also contains nitrates, that is what gives the ham taste and texture. Nitrates may be a carcinogen.

I hope this helps and answers some questions.

Personally, I have found that this makes Turkey legs as close to the big boys as you will find. But....There is just something about eating a Turkey Leg at Toluca Turkey Legs at MGM (now DHS) while watching the Tower of Terror in action that I can't produce at home. Hmmm....Turkey legs to me are a Disney thing. Maybe they are just better left to those good times and memories and a treat for the next time we are there.

God Bless,
Randy

 Replies:
  ISO: Smoked turkey legs - Looking for method/recipe
  Susan in Vermont - 9-28-2004
 
 MSG ID: 17786
  1 Recipe: Two Stepping Turkey Legs (smoker) for Susan, Vermont
    Jackie/MA - 9-29-2004
   
 MSG ID: 17787
  2 re: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs: The Quest
    Randy, Mustang, OK - 4-4-2005
   
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  3 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs - I want to know!!!!!
    Tom in Colorado Springs - 4-9-2005
   
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  4 ISO: Smoked Turkey Legs
    PAT, GRETNA LOUISIANA - 4-13-2005
   
 MSG ID: 17805
  5 Recipe: Smoked Turkey Legs and Brine Recipes (like at Disneys)
    Halyna - NY - 4-15-2005
   
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  6 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs: The Quest
    rich ny - 6-28-2005
   
 MSG ID: 17840
  7 Recipe: Disney Magic Kingdom Turkey Legs
    clint GA - 6-30-2005
   
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  8 ISO: RE: Universal/ MGM/WDW/Turkey Legs
    renee, rolla, mo - 10-23-2005
   
 MSG ID: 17880
  9 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs: The Quest - request randy's recipe
    max - 10-24-2005
   
 MSG ID: 17881
  10 Recipe(tried): Smoked Turkey Legs (like Disney's)
    Mike, Alabama - 11-23-2005
   
 MSG ID: 17884
  11 Recipe(tried): Smoked Turkey Legs - Another Recipe
    Martin San Angelo, TX - 2-4-2006
   
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  12 ISO: Turkey legs like Universal/MGM/WDW
    Matt, Australia - 5-15-2006
   
 MSG ID: 17920
  13 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs: The Quest
    dell - Fla - 5-27-2006
   
 MSG ID: 17933
  14 ISO: Universal's Turkey leg recipe
    Kay from Nashport, Ohio - 6-8-2006
   
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    Kerwin ,Harbor Beach,MI - 7-10-2006
   
 MSG ID: 17988
  16 ISO: randy I would love to have the turkey leg recipe (nt)
    Pam Ustica Daytona beach,fl - 8-14-2006
   
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  17 ISO: Request for Yum Yum Smoked Turkey Legs Recipe
    Jim Kirchner, Duarte, CA - 9-30-2006
   
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  18 ISO: yum yum turkey legs
    Gordon Wellman - Joplin, Missouri - 10-2-2006
   
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  19 ISO: Yummy Turkey legs ! Whats the secret ??
    Barry Rodaway - 10-28-2006
   
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  20 ISO: Turkey Legs Recipe
    Debbie,Fayetteville,TN - 11-7-2006
   
 MSG ID: 171052
  21 ISO: Please send a turkey leg recipe
    Jeff Jerry - Wisconsin - 11-14-2006
   
 MSG ID: 171056
  22 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs
    Jim - 11-20-2006
   
 MSG ID: 171057
  23 ISO: Smoked Turkey Leg Receipe
    Ray in Florida - 11-23-2006
   
 MSG ID: 171058
  24 ISO: Great Turkey Legs
    Tony, Miami, Fl - 12-21-2006
   
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  25 ISO: Where do you buy turkey legs?
    Connie, Denver CO - 1-15-2007
   
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  26 ISO: universal/mgm/wdw Turkey legs: the Quest
    Scott Victoria BC Canada - 6-26-2007
   
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  27 Recipe(tried): Festival Turkey Legs
    Mark, Fort Myers, FL. - 7-5-2007
   
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  28 ISO: Please Help....Iam having drams about these turkey legs!!!!!
    Tracy - Clearwater,FL - 9-1-2007
   
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  29 ISO: we love these turkey legs!
    John, Bonnie Scotland - 11-5-2007
   
 MSG ID: 171215
  30 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey legs
    Tom Florida - 2-25-2008
   
 MSG ID: 171222
  31 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs: The Quest
    Mike in Chicago - 5-25-2008
   
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  32 ISO: Turkey leg: The Quest
    Brian, Dallastown PA - 6-10-2008
   
 MSG ID: 171268
  33 ISO: Disney's Turkey Legs
    Hemp, Florida - 6-23-2008
   
 MSG ID: 171272
34 Recipe(tried): Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs - Yum Yum
    Randy OKC - 7-2-2008
   
 MSG ID: 171277
  35 Disney, etc. turkey legs...
    manyhats - 7-2-2008
   
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  36 ISO: The Grail of Smoked Turkey Legs
    Jim in Nebraska - 8-21-2008
   
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  37 ISO: Universal/ MGM/WDW Turkey Legs: The Quest - what did you do
    Darlene Baldwin - 5-14-2009
   
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  38 ISO: smoked turkey leg
    toronto, canada - 5-19-2009
   
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