How to Pressure Cook Wild Turkey
Wild turkey is a lot tougher than domestic turkey and therefore requires a little different cooking technique to obtain that "fall off the bone" outcome. This is due to all the exercise that those wild turkeys get compared to the domestic kind that are raised in environments where they do not get much movement. A friend of ours had admitted that he was throwing his wild turkey legs away, because they were just too tough. That's when I knew I had to type up Dad's secret to tender, juicy turkey meat. The bonus-you'll end up with a rich turkey stock too.
Equipment
- Multi-functional pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot)
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. wild turkey meat (drums, thighs, breast or neck)
- 2 quarts water
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 stalk of celery
- ½ tsp. whole black peppercorns
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp. roasted chicken base (such as "Better than Bouillon")
Instructions
- Place ingredients in in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot®). Be sure to read and follow manufacturer's safety guidelines and instructions. Close and lock the lid, set to "sealing." Select high pressure and set timer for 99 minutes (add an extra 10 minutes for partially frozen meat).
- Once timer beeps, follow manufactuer's instructions for "quick release." Remove meat with tongs, set aside to cool. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer, discard the solids, reserve stock.
- When the meat has cooled, remove from the bones and shred. Discard any fat/membrane.
- Makes about 8½ c. stock and 4-5 cups of shredded meat.
Notes
- You can use any kind of wild turkey meat, I typically use bone-in dark meat (thighs, legs, neck) because it makes for a very rich, savory stock.
- No need to peel the onion or carrot, a yellow onion peel will add nice color to your stock.
