Ingredients
10 lbs turkey legs (4–5 legs)
88 grams (10 Tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher) salt
12 grams Pink Curing Salt #1 (optional, add this amount more of reg. salt if omitting)
24 grams (2 Tablespoons) brown sugar
Optional Herbs and Aromatics
4 grams (1 teaspoon) whole peppercorns
10–12 sprigs fresh thyme (no need to pick off the leaves)
5–10 fresh sage leaves
4 6″ inch sprigs of fresh rosemary
5 garlic cloves, crushed
zest of half a lemon/orange
Instructions
- Seasoning Turkey: Mix all the seasonings in a bowl and then rub the turkey legs all over.
- Resting: Once seasoned, lay the legs in a single layer in a dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Let them sit for 3 days, turning over once during this time.
- Rinsing: After the resting period, rinse the turkey legs under cold water to remove excess salt and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Preparing the Fat: Heat your chosen fat in a pot that’s just large enough to fit the turkey legs in a single layer. Warm the fat over medium heat until very warm 185-220 F (not frying temps).
- Cooking the Turkey: Preheat your oven to 185-200°F (93°C). Arrange the turkey legs in an over proof casserole dish/hotel pan or pot. They fit snugly in a single layer with at least 2 inches of free space above. Carefully ladle or pour the warm/hot fat over the turkey. Make sure the legs are completely covered. If not, add more fat or oil until they are. It’s ok to mix duck fat and olive oil if you are in a pinch. Slide a wooden spoon or spatula down between the dish and the turkey to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Slow Cooking: Place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and cook for about 8 hours. This low and slow process is the key to confit.
- Checking Doneness: The turkey is ready when it’s incredibly tender to the touch, practically falling off the bone. With a sterile fork, stab the meat. The fork should slide right out with no resistance.
- Cooling and Storing (Optional): Allow the turkey to cool in the fat, then store it in the refrigerator submerged in the fat for up to a couple of weeks (or months if curing salt was used and it’s properly handled and stored). Alternatively, you can transfer the turkey to vacuum seal bags and ladle in some fat. If you are not using the curing salt, you need to make an effort to cool this down quickly. See note below.
- Finishing: When ready to serve, remove the legs from the fat and wipe off excess. For crispy skin, sear the legs in a hot skillet or roast in a 450 F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated all the way through. Alternatively, turkey confit can be removed from the bone, shredded and pan-fried for tacos or breakfast hash, or turned into rillettes for a delicious appetizer.
Equipment
| Lodge 3.6 Quart Enamel Cast Iron Casserole Dish with Lid (Carribbean Blue) |
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| 2 1/2″ Stainless Steel Hotel Pan |
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Curing Salt and An Important Food Safety Note:
Curing salt is used to prevent botulism, a deadly toxin caused by the bacteria C. Botulinum that grows in room-temperate anaerobic, non-acidic environments. It also gives the meat a rosy hue and cured meat flavor. I like using curing salt, for peace of mind and because I think the meat tastes better with it.
If you are concerned about nitrates or don’t want to purchase a special ingredient that you will rarely use, it is technically not necessary for food safety in this recipe provided that after the confit comes out of the oven, it passes through the danger zone (140-42 F) within 4 hours. In my past life, when I was a licensed meat processor, I spent a lot of time logging cooling temps and times for charcuterie and I can tell you that cooling a vat of confit within this window is not as easy as it sounds. Simply leaving the confit out on the counter to cool will not be sufficient for this size container to get the temp through this zone quickly enough. If you put it directly in your refrigerator, you will warm your fridge, and the top layer of fat will solidify and insulate the interior. You will need to leave it out in a cold garage for 2 hours and then transfer it to a not-too-full fridge. Otherwise, please use the curing salt.
Another option for quick cooling is to put the turkey leg in a vacuum seal bag while still hot/warm (use sterilized utensils and handle carefully as it is fragile when hot) with some fat, seal it, and then submerge the sealed bag in ice water.