Forgot to post this. After the holidays, I found some smoked turkey legs on clearance. We like using the meat in a pot of beans, as it's a much healthier option than ham. They are precooked since they are smoked but we like to boil them for a couple of hours. It lets us skim off any fat and makes the meat fall apart tender.
Though they had the wings, we like the legs, seem to get a bit more meat for your money.
The pot filler comes in handy!
After they have boiled for a couple of hours, we pour out the water. It's literally falling off the bone tender.
Took about 10 minutes to get all the meat off the bones (those tendons are a pain, ha).
We ended up with 6 cups, divided into 2 cup packages, vacuum sealed and put in the freezer for future use (three big pots of bean soup).
HA. For Bean Soup; sometimes ham and then some times cut up or shredded, cooked chicken breast.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to use ham, look for a short, simple list that minimizes additives and flavorings.
You want to look for the USDA classifications: “Ham” (no water added). It will be leaner and lower in sodium than the Ham and Water Product.
You can further reduce the impact of a cured ham with a simple preparation of a whole cured ham by simply rinsing the surface before cooking to remove some of the external salt rub.
Even with the leanest choices, it is wise to consume ham in moderation, as even lower-sodium varieties are still considered processed meats.
Wishing you both the best Today and Always
Very smart to have that meat all cut up, portioned, and ready for a future meal. It’s so much easier to put that meal together.
ReplyDeleteI like to eat on the turkey legs for a meal or two, then remove the remaining meat , portion, and freeze. I put the turkey leg bones in a separate bag and freeze. When I have about 6-8 leg bones, I cook for a couple of hours with some carrots, onion, celery, and seasonings. Then use the broth to make Turkey-Rice Soup. Sooo good.
I wrote a comment ... did it go spam?
ReplyDeleteI had asked if, by boiling the legs that long, if it still tasted like turkey or that they were smoked!
DeleteI've never seen smoked turkey legs for sale. Great idea for future meals. The cooking water would make fantastic soup stock.
ReplyDeleteYou could have saved the liquid as stock. Either use your gravy separator or cool it in the fridge to defat it then just freeze it.
ReplyDelete