A Recipe: Show Me Some Leg!

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, so I think it’s about time.  I can’t post this one in the “Man About the House” series, because the boundary being crossed this time is by me, into the manly world of grilling (I don’t call it Barbecuing because barbecue is a specific thing, and the verb is reserved for making that specific thing).

But anyway, this won’t be a controversial post.  Y’all are going to love this.

If you’ve ever been to a theme park (especially Disney World), or a Titans game, or various other places where they have you captive and serve you food, you may have been lucky enough to get a smoked turkey leg.  The ones in the American section of Epcot may be the best turkey legs in the world.  Well, a few years ago, I found a recipe for them (I’ve long since forgotten where I got it, so sorry, no attribution)

Y’all.

They are the only thing I cook that my kids ask me to make again the very next day.  They are that good.  This recipe calls for grilling, but I actually prefer them smoked in the smoker for about 3 hours.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  The first step of the recipe might seem strange, but believe me, it’s worth it!

Grilled Turkey Legs

1 (2 Liter Bottle) lemon-lime soda (Do NOT GET DIET!!!)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 large sweet onion, sliced
4 turkey legs (get some big, honkin’ ones!)
2 tablespoons homey
1 tablespoon steak seasoning

Directions

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate*

In a large pot, mix the lemon lime soda, sugar, hot sauce red pepper, pepper and onion.  Place the turkey legs in the mixture, and bring to a boil (yes, you are cooking Sprite).Cook 30 to 45 minutes**.

Remove onion slices from mixture, and arrange on the prepared grill.  Place turkey legs over the onions.  Drizzle with honey, and season with steak sauce.  Cook, turning once, 20 minutes, or until a crisp browned crust has formed on the turkey legs.

*When smoking, arrange the onions as directed above (they’ll eventually caramelize and burn.  That’s OK,they are protecting your legs).  Now here’s where you’ll have to use the force.  I’ve got one of those wimpy-man smokers that doesn’t have temperature, the thermometer has labels like “warm”, “Ideal”, “hot”.  Ideal is in the middle, and that’s where I like to get the heat when I’m starting out.  If your smoker has a water pan, fill it up.  Then, smoke for 1.5 to 2 hrs, turn and smoke for another hour.  They’ll come out so sweet (yet spicy), tender and juicy they just melt in your mouth.

**Like I said, I enjoy slow cooking these babies.  So, if you’re using a smoker, cut the Sprite boil time down to 20-30 minutes.  They’ll cook the rest of the way in the smoker.

Trust me guys, if you aren’t a vegetarian, try this recipe just once.  Awesome!