On the MBB Menu: Smoked Turkey and White Beans
By DENENE MILLNER
Seems like there are more cold days than warm ones lately, and I'm kinda sad that our rib, chicken, pork loin, and salmon dinners cooked on the grill are numbered. I am, however, looking forward to cuddling next to the fire place, and most certainly to putting some of my favorite comfort food dishes on our dinner table recipes I picked up from watching my mom burn in the kitchen. Bettye was the original Bertha Stewart (that's the black Martha Stewart, y'all) she threw down something fierce, and always made the simplest, bare-boned, country dish seem like a 5-star meal. This hearty recipe is one my mom used to pull out on cold Saturday evenings; she'd make it with smoked hamhocks and neckbones, but I updated it a bit by using smoked turkey legs, which have less fat than my mom's favored pork pieces. Trust me when I tell you: Put this on the table and your family will think you're genius.
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Also, if you have a minute today, stop by iVillage’s Momtourage to check out my latest “Real Talk” mom advice. This week, I help a mom decipher whether her young son was the victim of racism. Check it out here and leave a comment if you’re so moved.
Have an intelligent, bright, confident weekend, MBBs!
Smoked Turkey and White Beans
What You'll Need:
¢ 1½ bags large white beans
¢ 2 medium-sized smoked turkey legs
¢ 2 cups chicken stock
¢ 1 tbsp garlic powder
¢ ½ tsp salt
¢ ½ tbsp black pepper
¢ ½ tsp red pepper flakes
¢ 1 bay leaf
How To Make It:
¢ Follow the quick soak directions for preparing beans (on the bag).
¢ In the meantime, while the beans are soaking, in a large stockpot, cover turkey legs with water, and boil on medium for 50 minutes, until they begin to get tender.
¢ Once turkey legs start to get tender, add the beans, chicken stock, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf to the stockpot, and cook on medium-low until beans are tender and turkey legs are falling off the bone.
Serve over rice with a side of cornbread; add hot sauce for an extra kick.
Serves 6.
Hmm, this sounds like a great recipe. I wonder what I could substitute for turkey. Probably nothing. Ah, well.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Bertha Stewart! I love it. I’ll have to put my vegetarian spin on this, it sounds like a good cold winter’s night meal. Thanks.
“she threw down something fierce, and always made the simplest, bare-boned, country dish seem like a 5-star meal.”
Ain’t that the truth!! My great-grandmother use to do the same thing and my grandmother still does it to this day. I can’t tell you how many times I am on the phone having her break down how to perfect this dish and that dish.
Your dish looks yummy, I must try it soon.
Ok, so you are tearing it up in the kitchen over here? I will have to pull up a seat and take some lessons 😉
I think even a “non-cook” mom like me might be able to handle this one. Sounds delicious Denene!
That sounds so good. I might have to live dangerously and use ham instead of turkey legs. Yum!
Can’t wait to try this one. Just read the AP article on MSNbc that quoted you on racism and Obama’s election. Unfortunate that parts of our country are still this screwed up. I thought of you and your in-laws as soon as I saw the headline and started to read read the article and there you were. I really like to think incidents like the awful ones your family experienced are the exception rather than the rule. Hoping that next time I see you in the news it’s for a much happier article.
Can’t wait to try this one. Just read the AP article on MSNbc that quoted you on racism and Obama’s election. Unfortunate that parts of our country are still this screwed up. I thought of you and your in-laws as soon as I saw the headline and started to read read the article and there you were. I really like to think incidents like the awful ones your family experienced are the exception rather than the rule. Hoping that next time I see you in the news it’s for a much happier article.
Can’t wait to try this one. Just read the AP article on MSNbc that quoted you on racism and Obama’s election. Unfortunate that parts of our country are still this screwed up. I thought of you and your in-laws as soon as I saw the headline and started to read read the article and there you were. I really like to think incidents like the awful ones your family experienced are the exception rather than the rule. Hoping that next time I see you in the news it’s for a much happier article.
Umm, I LOVE beans. But the rest of my family, well, they’re not feeling them. Which bums me out on the regular. Still, I make them anyway, just a small pot every now and then, and I eat them as much as I please. Which is probably why my waistline is expanding, but I digress. Can’t wait to try out this recipe–yummy!
Great recipe, Denene!
I cook with these smoked turkey parts too. I use smoked turkey necks, wings, or the drumstick. I'm in the South so I'm a little country. Yum!