Deboning A Turkey Leg
Servings: 5
Calories: 187kcal
Cost: $12
Don't be intimidated by the thought of it…
Equipment
- 1 Boning knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 each Turkey leg
Instructions
Deboning a Turkey Leg
- Place the whole turkey leg skin-side down on your cutting board. You will see the two main bones: The thigh bone (femur) is the larger, straighter bone. The drumstick bone (tibia) is the smaller, connected bone with a knobby end. Identify the connecting joint where these two bones meet. Using the tip of your boning knife, make a shallow cut along the entire length of the thigh bone. During the whole procedure, avoid puncturing the skin on the other side.
- Using the tip of your knife, start cutting the meat away from the bone. Work from the top of the bone down to the joint, keeping the blade as close to the bone as possible to avoid wasting meat. Use your free hand to pull the meat back as you free it.
- Slide the blade under the base on the knobby end, and cut through to free the skin attached.
- Continue working your way around the thigh bone until it is mostly freed from the meat. Your goal is to expose the ball joint where it connects to the drumstick.
- Once the joint is fully exposed, locate the connective tissue and cartilage. Slide your knife into the joint to sever the connection, freeing the thigh bone.
- Carefully scrape and cut the meat away from the bone. Use the tip of your knife to scrape along the bone, freeing the meat bit by bit. Continue scraping until the bone is completely free.
- You can now lift it out, and free it.
- Remove the cartilages left under the bone.
- You will encounter two tough tendons at the narrow end of the drumstick. Do not try to cut through them.
- The best method is to scrape and cut under to take them out.
- Gently run your fingers over the inside of the deboned turkey leg to feel for and remove any remaining sinews or connective tissue.
- To create a more even rectangle, you can make a few shallow cuts into the thicker parts of the meat and place scraps in the hollow spaces to even thickness.
Pounding or Not Pounding
- Pounding the deboned meat with a mallet to even the thickness is an optional step. Since the dark meat is naturally tender and the piece is already a good size, it is not necessary for a successful result.
- Now that your turkey leg is deboned, it's ready to be seasoned and stuffed for your Thanksgiving feast. For other creative dishes, you can also pan-sear or grill it before finishing in the oven.
Save the Bones!
- Save the bones from the deboned leg to use for a rich stock or flavorful gravy.
Nutrition
Serving: 100g | Calories: 187kcal