# How do you remove raw turkey tendons



## grayner (May 12, 2006)

When deboning a turkey leg and thigh, how does one remove the turkey's tendons while still leaving the skin and flesh intact ?


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I don't think it's possible in the raw state, but a professional may have a better idea. When I remove tendons from turkey breast tenderloins and from larger chicken breasts, I scrape against the tendon almost like you'd do to remove skin from a fish fillet. But it can break up the flesh, and you'd certainly have to get under the skin (or remove it). 

If the turkey leg is cooked, you could try cutting around the "ankle" to free up the skin, then try to wiggle the tendons out, keeping a firm hold on the whole leg to keep it together.

Good luck with this one! If you get a good answer, I'd be as pleased as you to learn the trick.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

You expose them by cutting the skin around the bottom of the drumstick and then pulling them out with pliers. Don't know about the leg part though.

Just do it after you cook them. It's easier.


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## bobbylang (Nov 14, 2014)

Darned near impossible, even when cooked!

That used to be one of my "jobs" the day before, the day before Thanksgiving!

We had whole turkeys then, and a wall mounted tool with a long lever and a "claw".

I would hang the turkey by a leg just at the "knee" and It would break the leg below the knuckle, I then would shift the now broken lower leg into a "claw" and when trapped in the devise, use the lever to pull out all the tendons from the "Drum-stick" a little heavy with the bigger birds but very effective!

Now speed-ed up processing has bypassed that step and a "Clever" is now used to just cut off the legs!

Bobbylang


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## knowlesmt (Nov 27, 2015)

You DON't Remove them raw, chop the end of the leg before cooking the turkey. Remove the thigh from the leg. Cook the leg, and when the leg is done cooking the tendons will pull out with your fingers.  Cooking releases the tendons from the leg bone and chopping off the end of the leg exposes the tendons as the meat shrinks.  Easy Peasey, Lemon Squeezy   randy


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Are you deboning it whole, or butterflying as for a roulade?  If butterflying you can certainly remove them before rolling and tying.  I use my big fish tweezers, or as Kuan mentioned pliers.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Get yourself a sharp half round chisel and run against  the tendon


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## knowlesmt (Nov 27, 2015)

You chop off the end of the leg before cooking and then remove the tendons after they have softened during cooking. Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy.


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