Ok, I have this really nice large injector (I'm not bragging) I got as a gift a while back. I have used it to inject a turkey or two. I'm looking for suggestions on what componds work best to inject and into what meats.

Has anyone ever injected a pork butt?

Thanks,

Eric D

Eric......

VERY common and many competitors inject butts. I have done it several times and have to admit I don't think it adds anything. Matter of fact I see more drawbacks to it than it is worth. The injection doesn't ever seem to infuse compeltely into the meat. The injector needle leaves "tracks" that are highly seasoned. Both of these may result in very uneven flavor profiles. One bite is highly seasoned, the next you taste no seasoning at all.....a big problem if competing. If you try using a rub that does not dissolve, your injector may get plugged, though it sounds like yours may be big enough.

Of course a simple fix is to inject LOTS of juice. I have seen pork butts that grow as big as beachballs when injected. Another fix is to inject something fairly "neutral"....most of the comp cooks use a heavy sweetner.

I have also seen teams inject chicken wings and a few folks were just starting to inject brisket as well.

I will post some recipes that I have used over the years(down in the recipe section). However, I no longer bother injecting....especially butts since they need no help in staying moist.

Stogie,

First off, thanks for the post on what to inject over in the Recipe area.

Is there any special or preferred way to go about injecting? How many points, how deep, what angle, and as you pointed out in your post, is there anyway to stop the track-back of the injection? The last turkey I did, I did it after the bird was on the rotisserie. I did this because a bird I did earlier I lost half the injected fluid as it leaked out of the bird from me handling it trying to get it on the spit. The injection was a mixture of orange juice, sugar and other spices. You could taste the orange, but I'm not so sure the bird was any moister.

Thanks,

Eric D

The best place to get a real good injector is at the local feed store. The bigger the better. Always try to get a fairly large needle with the end cut off at a slant for less clogging. A couple of sticks of real butter melted with 4 tablespoons of your favorite seasoning works real well. Always grind up the seasoning as well as possible in a blender or coffee grinder before adding it to the melted butter.

www.theingredientstore.com Joe Ames one of the Guru's on the The sausage smoke ring site has a site with all kinds of herbs and grilling and smoking ingredients..An injector mix called FAB P is one injector for pork plus other ingredients and recipes on his forum..

Eric......

As to how many holes and how deep, etc. The more the merrier! The best method is to stick the needle in as far as you can and then push the plunger as you pull the needle out. You probably already know that though.

Many of the guys have these huge injectors that feed directly from a container...no need to fill the syringe...you just suck the solution out of a pail or whatever. You will absolutely lose some liquid but probably not as much since you won't be using a spit on the butts.

No way to hide those track marks though. Using just a liquid solution will help.

I always encourage folks to try these things and make their own observations. I keep going back to the idea of keeping it simple and cheap.....just throw that butt on the smoker and let 'er rip for the next 20-24 hrs.!

Please keep us aprised of your results!

So far, in my experience, I have had to best luck in an attempt to flavor meats using marinades, brines and rubs.

As you pointed out Stogie, using the injector I’ve ended up with flavor hot-spots where the flavor is over powering here, and you have no flavoring in another location in the same cut of meat. I have inserted slivers of garlic and other flavoring in small incisions in roasts, only to find the same results of flavor hot-spots. Very strong near the incision, not any or very light flavoring away from the incision.

I guess the bottom line in my experience, the best way to infuse flavor into meat is marinades, brines and rubs. Maybe I should just not waste the time playing with this injection technique, and stick with what has worked in the past.

What is the most common practice to infuse flavor into meat in the competition world? Do you think they rely more on sauces to flavor meats more then some type of infusion?

Eric D

Eric....

I haven't competed in the last 3 years so not sure what the "hot" new trend is. I can tell you that it sounded like more and more folks were moving away from injecting during comps for the same reasons we have both noticed. Most everybody adds their sauce after they have sliced or pulled(both brisket and pork butt). I also apply more rub to my pork after pulling and more salt if needed.

I say go ahead and give it a try. You have the equipment and a couple of recipes so what the heck. You certainly wouldn't ruin a pork butt.

As to marinades, keep in mind they will give you no flavor inside the meat. They only penetrate 5mm(less than 0.2 in.)...this from Harold McGee, "On Food and Cooking"...so you will only get some added surface flavor.

Let us know what you decide!

Well Eric, most of the grillers and smokers I know that have been around a long time..approach most meat dishes like the BBQ...Using rubs, and marinates. If you want to add to the flavor of the finished meat then that is where the sauce comes into play! BBQ sauces vary from house to house..So instead of worrying with injections..we will offer several sauces for the finished meat product to suit varied tastes..

Well, certainly not bragging I've used my little injector on chicken wings. Little hot sauce and butter to get some more flavors when deep frying. As a "seasoned" bbq competitor I've not tried injecting pork butts but agree with some other comments that it might be overkill. There is so much going on when slow cooking a butt with the outside seasoning, the fat rendering through and out and the smoke interaction-we've not felt the need to inject pork shoulders.
I might add that we have done chicken with injectors using chicken bouillon, butter and herbs, with good results.

I get my best results from an injector by inserting the needle and slowly inject as I work the needle in and out of the injection point in several directions. I usually end up with about 10 injection points on a fryer. It is impossible to inject a chicken perfectly but an reasonable job can be done.

Thanks everyone for your input on using an injector. I'll try it a few more times on chicken.

Eric D

Well Eric if you ever decide to cure some meat..like corning beef or some other recipes...injecting the meat will speed up the process by days of soaking for the finished meat products..Need one with about 4 or 5 holes in the needle..

Try injecting a little honey into a pork loin. Then coat the outside with a mixture of honey and yellow mustard. Sprinkle with Cayan papper and smoke opr indirect grill till done. Tasty tasty. As you inject the honey, pull the needle out as you push the plunger down. This helps with evening out the internal flavoring. You might want to heat the honey a little so it's not too thick. I smoke the loins initially for a couple hours just to get a good smoke flavor in them then wrap them tightly in foil and finish them. You can also mix some of the cayan pepper with the honey when you inject the loins. This has quickly become one of my wife's favorite recipes. Careful not to make it too spicy. I personally love a good burn! Enjoy. I want to try this sometime on a rotisserie, but will need to modify due to the honey potentially burning during the cooking process. Let me know what ya'll think if you try this.

Hi Old Bill,

Well, I still have the injectors setting in my cabinet and have not used any of them. I'm probable missing out by this lack of use. Part of the lack of use, I just doesn’t think about them when I'm grilling, so they just don't get used. This morning I did pancakes on the griddle, don't think the injector would have worked to well with them..

Eric D

Funny you mention pork butt. I think the next time I do one. I will inject it with pineapple juice and brown sugar. I'll let you know how it turns out. I will also put a spicy rub on it over night.
Wow I'm so hungry right now.