28th Most Favorite Thing About the State Fair of Texas: Ginormous BBQ Turkey Legs

I love the barbequed turkey leg at the Fair, and not necessarily because it’s a food item I enjoy eating. In fact, I think I’ve tried it ONCE. The taste was good, but logistically, it’s hard to handle. In general, I’m not a big fan of greasy, juicy food products that require picking up and gnawing directly from the bone. This includes hot wings, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, and, yes, corn on the cob. I find I can’t get over the resulting dirty hands and food particles stubbornly wedged between teeth.

In normal situations, I simply carve up such items with a fork and a knife (even corn on the cob — I shave it into a pile on my plate), but extra utensils are never readily available at the Fair, so I avoid eating the turkey leg.

Why, then, do I love it? Basically, I just love the IDEA of the thing. I know, it sounds a little vague, so I’ll explain:

First of all, the size is just impressive — it’s ENORMOUS! I’d hate to meet the tribe of turkeys designated to sacrifice their legs for the Fair, because they must be HUGE (and probably angry). These things are so big that I think it would be a great idea if they simply renamed the product “Fred Flintstone Fowl Shank,” because (to me, at least) it’s way more descriptive.

The second reason I love it is for the outstanding imagery it provides during a State Fair trip. I absolutely look forward, every year, to the beautiful sight of all kinds of people wandering aimlessly down the Midway, grazing on a hunk of protein that is roughly the same size as my head. It’s best when these people are large-ish, male, and wearing overalls without undershirts (you think I’m making this up? I see it EVERY year, without fail), but really, the turkey leg seems to be universally beloved by Fair patrons of all kinds.

Even by one particular friend of mine who may have figured out the best way to handle eating the thing: he simply buys the turkey leg last (right before he departs the fair), ziplocs the sucker, and takes it home for proper, utensil-ized eating.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a good picture of a Ginormous BBQ Turkey Leg.  Use your imagination, then multiply the size by 3. There. That should do it.

~ by nf1014 on August 28, 2009.