Turkey Leg

For many, the turkey leg is a staple at family gatherings and holiday feasts. It is also a popular item in early American cookbooks, as it’s an easy way to roast a large amount of meat. But how is a turkey leg made and how does it travel to dinner plates?

To better understand the creation of a turkey leg and its journey to a dinner plate, we will explore the steps taken in order to go from raw fowl to dinner entree. Along the way, we will take a look at the health standards and regulations that apply to the industry and take a better look at the nutrition of a cooked drumstick.

The beginning of this process starts at a turkey farm. Birds are hatched in an incubator, weaned, and grown for about eighteen weeks before they reach normal butchering size. At this point, the birds are slaughtered in a humane and ethical fashion. During the slaughtering process, the turkeys are hung upside down, stunned, and then the throat is cut by a professional.

After the turkeys have been killed and processed, their legs are removed. This step, known as “breaking”, involves the separation of the legs from the body of the bird. The broken legs are then carefully placed in crates and delivered to a processor.

At the processor, the legs go through another series of steps. They are first weighed, inspected, and then placed in a chiller tank. The chiller tank cools the legs down to Holding Temperature (below 40 °F). Once the legs have been chilled, they are sent through a series of machines that remove the skins and feathers. At this point, the legs are known as “fresh”, meaning unpackaged and not ready for sale.

From the processor, the freshly prepared turkey legs are packaged, labeled, and frozen at 0°F or colder. This step helps keep the turkey legs safe and free of bacteria. The packaged legs are then shipped to retail stores.

Once the turkey legs arrive at their destination, they are meant to be stored in a working refrigerator and displayed in accordance with the proper United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) holding temperature standards, which states they should not be above 40 °F. The legs are then purchased by the consumer and taken home to be cooked and consumed.

Cooking a turkey leg is fairly simple. The USDA recommends baking, roasting, and grilling as the safest and most effective methods of cooking turkey. Regular methods of home cooking such as frying, sautéing, or microwave cooking are not recommended.

When cooking the turkey legs, placement on the grill is important. If you are using a gas grill, the turkey leg should be placed over indirect medium heat with a lid on it. Roasting in the oven can be done at 350°F and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Along with being cooked properly, the cooked turkey legs should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 40 °F or below. The legs should be consumed within four days or may be kept in the freezer and eaten within two to three months.

While turkey legs may be seen as unhealthy due to their high levels of saturated fat, the nutritional value can differ based on the cooking method used. Turkey legs contain many vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, phosphorus, and selenium. Turkey legs are also a good source of protein and contain vital minerals like zinc and iron.

The journey of a turkey leg from the turkey farm to the dinner table is a long one, but one that is well-regulated by the USDA. Along with being held to high health standards, turkey legs make for an interesting and tasty meal that can provide a reasonable source of vitamins and minerals for the body.

So next time you sit down to enjoy a turkey feast, remember that the journey of a turkey leg to the dinner plate wasn’t just one of luck but of planning and regulation. From the farm to the freezer, to the grill, the oven, and to your fork, the journey of a turkey leg is an interesting one to say the least!