Rochelle Elie
When you’re a college student, you naturally learn where you can get 2-4-1 beers on any given night of the week. In Nashville, one such place was a bar on 8th Ave called M.L. Rose, which had 2-4-1 beers every Thursday night. I’d go there with my college roommates after work and classes and always order the Carolina Sweets, sweet potato fries piled high with pulled pork, Carolina gold sauce, and green onions. This combination of flavors and textures is one of my favorites. They’re no longer on their menu, so I had to recreate them myself with wild turkey to satisfy my cravings. I dare say they’re even better than I remember. It’s also a great reason to keep your turkey legs!
Wild Turkey Recipe -- BBQ Wild Turkey Fries
Serves 3-4 as a meal or 6-8 as an appetizer
Ingredients:
Pulled Turkey
• 1 wild turkey leg, thigh and drumstick (or two thighs, or two drumsticks)
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• Water to cover
• a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
Split your turkey leg into a thigh and drumstick so it will fit in the pot, if you did not do so while processing. Though it takes some practice, they come apart neatly at the joint with a little knife work. Add the roughly chopped onion, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf to a crock pot, and add enough water to cover the meat. I usually cook on high for 6 hours, and I find the thigh is done around 5 hours and the drumstick is done around 6. Cooking times will be dependent on the age of your turkey. You could also leave this in the crockpot for 8-10 hours on medium or low. The meat will pull easily from the bone when finished. Pull and shred meat and refrigerate until ready for use. (1)
Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce:
You can use store-bought (I like Kinder Gold sauce), or you can make your own ahead of time.
• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a small pot on the stove. Whisk the ingredients together and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, until the brown sugar melts and the flavors come together. Allow it to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Frozen sweet potato fries (I like the Alexia sweet potato waffle fries, but use whatever is accessible to you)
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
Assembly:
Bake, or even better, air fry, your sweet potato fries according to package instructions.
While your fries are baking, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add 2-3 cups of pulled turkey and toss in the oil. Then, the important part: don’t stir again for another 2-3 minutes so it can develop some crispiness. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, pepper and salt. Continue stirring every few minutes until turkey is warmed and you’ve reached your desired level of crispy. Adjust seasonings to taste.
To assemble, leave the sweet potato fries on the baking tray, or place them on a baking tray if you air-fried them. Pile high with crispy pulled turkey, drizzle with plenty of Carolina gold sauce, and sprinkle with green onions.
Alternative methods:
If you do not have a crockpot, you can use a stovetop. Place all the ingredients in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a simmer. Cook on low for 3+ hours, until the meat pulls away from the bone easily.
