If you’re leaving your wild turkey wings in the woods or the trash can, you are wasting some really good eats. They may take a bit more work than the breast, legs and thighs, but the payoff is well worth a few extra minutes. Wild turkey wings see a lot of action, which means heavy muscle and lots of connective tissue. A long, slow and moist cooking process like braising works well to break down and tenderize the wing. Beer braising on a smoker is perfect. Not only does it break down the connective tissue, the smoke adds an extra layer of flavor.

But everyone knows the best chicken wings are deep fried. This recipe uses both cooking methods for smoky turkey wings with a crispy fried skin.

Serve the wings with traditional wing dipping sauces.

Start by prepping the wings. Separate the wings where they meet the body. Use a sharp knife to work down to the joint. Fold the wing back and detach the wing from the spine at the joint. The wing will look just like a giant version of its barnyard chicken cousin. Separate the second and third wing sections. Discard the wing tip or skin it out and save it for stock.

Dip the wing in hot water to make plucking easier.

Heat a pot of water to 150 degrees. Holding the long wing feathers, dip the wing in the hot water and swirl it around for 30 to 45 seconds. Try a couple of feathers to see if they pull easily from the meat. If they do, pluck the small feathers from the surface of the wing. Try pulling a single wing feather from the wing. If it releases easily, remove all of the larger wing feathers. If the wing feathers are reluctant to pull free, dip the wing back into the water for 30 more seconds. Careful not to overheat your water, anything over 175 will cook the skin of the wing and make it tear more easily during the plucking process.