Injection Methods

For your own use, no. For competition I use different methods and use smaller veterinary needles.

Injecting Poultry is a rare thing. Many people use a brine instead. When it comes to Pork and brisket, I use a pampered chef injector that I can buy locally for under $10.00. With the grain seems to be the consensus.

Just imagine a grid over the meat of 1"x1" squares and inject in the middle of each one. For pork I like an injection of

1 cup apple juice
3/4 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup Kosher salt
1 TBS Worcestershire
1 TBS Texas Pete.

This is a mild injection that I have found works very well with pork butt.

For brisket, inject with the grain at 1" intervals (as described above). I use the following:

1 Can Campbell's: Beef Consomme
1/2 cup Moore's Marinade
2 TBS black pepper
1 Tsp liquid smoke

Good luck!

Here is a 3 Lb. brisket flat injected as decsribed above. Notice how juicy it is.




Here is a $1.98 per Lb. full packer brisket from Walmart injected as described above.



You don't need fancy injectors or expensive equipment.

dgassaway said:

For your own use, no. For competition I use different methods and use smaller veterinary needles.

Click to expand...

Don't listen to this guy, he dudnt know jack squat... notice that there wasn't any useful information in his post?? He's a shigger. He Shigs. He's a master shigger. not sure how much clearer I can be... :heh::becky:

Nuthin but love David! :hug:

Now, how about giving the fella some specifics? Something he can use. Something that he can go out there and try!


Tim - I like a finer gauge needle, 16 - 20ga, the big needles just make a big pocket of juice and then it all leaks out once you remove the needle. That's not to say that injecting with a large needle doesn't produce some results, but mostly it's frustrating to watch all yer juice fill up the pan, you kinda wonder why you did it at all...

As for direction - I usually poke down from the top and then flip and hit the other side.

Once I have the needle in the meat, I draw it back slightly and change direction and inject more - that way you can use the same hole to inject multiple directions - that equals less holes for the juice to leak back out.

In the end, alot of it is just trial and error, try it and see what works best for you... and wear a rain coat - that crap's gonna be squirtin everywhere! :laugh:

Hopefully David can chime back in and I can shig some secrets from him for a change! :ear: :-D

Gotta agree with D-Gas up there...I NEVER inject for my own or catering BBQ...only for competition. As far as method...I use the checkerboard...pretty much every inch or so apart. Some folks do inject chicken with phosphates for juicyness...a lot of them come already juiced these days.

All good info that I use also. A little trick I saw once and started using is when you inject and the needle is about to come out jam your thumb over inject hole pull needle out and apply pressure for a couple of seconds. Now I'm not sure how well that works but imo it seems to help plug hole and not leak as much. Then again I've been known to have injection mix end up on kitchen ceiling from putting to much in one spot. Not a good way to impress wife with cooking skills

I'll third the vote for veterinary needles tipped on a stainless food syringe along the lines of the Cajun Injector. The stock tip sucks in comparison. I've broken the stock tips, and bought the veterinary needle to replace it. Great combo. 14 gauge x 1 1/2" is what I use, and yes, there is some pooling of brine. Might try the thinner gauge needles next time I buy replacements.

I've broken several injectors. The cheap plastic ones from Cajun Injector - worthless. If you want to go the cheap route, get the $5 ones at the supermarket and toss when they break.

If you want to spend some money for a more durable one than the cheapie supermarket ones, I really like this one. It's the same one as Bed Bath & Beyond used to carry only around T'giving, but Sur La Table carries it year round.

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-615047/Flavor-Injector

I am at the KCBS Banquet this weekend. After this weekend give me a call I will help you with all you questions. My number is located on my contact page of my web site.

I inject at home and at comps. I am not sure about vet needles but I like the ones that have at least two holes preferably on opposite sides of the needle and an inch it so apart. I inject all but ribs.

Take Dave up on his offer.

I injected my last beer can chicken with melted butter, red wine and garlic flavor was great but the red wine made the left black streaks in the bird, it tasted great but the kids didnt like the color so they wouldnt eat it. Oh well more for me LOL!! Sorry but I have 4 or 5 of the cheap cajun injectors and they work fine for me but I dont do competition either

Stan

Thanks for the info...good stuff!!

Jim

Walmart has a decent one on their shelf for around $5
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Flavor-Injector/14964956

I inject my butts with apple juice, or peach nectar mixed in with a quarter cup or so kosher salt. Mix throughly and inject. I try and make as little holes as possible.

I will go for the leanest part, go in and all the way down. Inject a small amount, back out a hair, go another angle. Do this all in the same whole. When its all out of the needle I am close to the top. Just leave it in for another second to let the pressure equalize. I do this with a bout a cup of injection to say a 10-13 pound butt.

Very little exterior wholes, but injection in most of the butt.

In my experience it creates more flavor on the interior meat, and adds a bit of juiciness.

Really helps to if your bark doesn't perform well, the injection is there to boost the flavor.

Injected a brisket a couple of times with beef broth and other stuff, never really seemed to be to productive. Meat is tuff, Grain is large and it spits it back out most of the time. Plus you get left with nasty looking worm holes in the beef.

Never injected a chicken or turkey, just brined.

I know a lot of this info may have already been covered or discussed until the end of time, but these are my personal experiences. Hope they help.

OK...you want more. I usually trim my meats before injecting. Once trimmed I wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap, then just inject through the plastic into the meat. The plastic wrap will help keep the liquid on the inside where it belongs and not laying in the bottom of the pan.

Yes....I prolly shigged this somewhere too.

Be careful with phosphates. shoot it to early it will come out of it.