Getting flavor DEEP into a pork butt...Ideas?

[OakPit]

I'm looking for new ideas to season the entire profile of a pork butt prior to smoking. I've injected with just about everything, and am still looking for more flavor. No matter what I do, the center seems to be pretty plain.

 

[martyleach]

Tim, I know what your are talking about but I'm pretty happy just mixing the bark in with the pulled pork. Seems like that's quite a bit of flavor.

However, I have made pulled pork for people who pull out all the dark pieces of bark.... go figure.

 

[Drifter]

Tim, I know what your are talking about but I'm pretty happy just mixing the bark in with the pulled pork. Seems like that's quite a bit of flavor.

However, I have made pulled pork for people who pull out all the dark pieces of bark.... go figure.

I do this too, but I also wrap the finished butt in foil and let rest in a cooler wraped in towles. While that is a pretty standard procedure for a lot of people on this site, I find that if I let it rest for 2 - 2.5 hours, the flavor is better than if I pull it at 1 hour. I never pull b4 1 hour.

 

[btcg]

Hmmm.... maybe Myron Mixon's injection? Works pretty well for me.

 

[bingo1912]

What kind of flavor are you looking for? for a deeper pork flavor you can make your own pork reduction and use that as part of your injection. The use of concentrates will bring a lot more flavor in your injections also.
My two cents.

 

[sharks_guy]

I'm looking for new ideas to season the entire profile of a pork butt prior to smoking. I've injected with just about everything, and am still looking for more flavor. No matter what I do, the center seems to be pretty plain.

Hi,
Could you share some of what you have done already?
What is the flavor profile of the rub you are using? What have you injected that you liked? What have you injected that you did not like? What flavors are you getting?

I have found two things in experimenting with boring pork...
1. The pork quality matters. Most of the time the pork butts I get at Sam's club do not perform as well as some other sources.
2. I started injecting with some Apple and orange juice, sweetners and spices all mixed, and found that it made a significant difference.

Hope this helps,

 

[txschutte]

I dust the PP with my rub AFTER pulling to give a little jump in flavor.

 

[Dex]

I dust the PP with my rub AFTER pulling to give a little jump in flavor.

I do the same

 

[SmokinAussie]

PM Me what you've done so far. I'm no expert, but I do inject and I do use a lot of stuff you might not think of straight up..

Cheers!

Bill

 

[NRA4Life]

I dust the PP with my rub AFTER pulling to give a little jump in flavor.

So do I.

 

[Lake Dogs]

I go back and forth between 2. One adds more flavors, but it can bunch up and the
concentrated flavor isn't what I like, and that's using a Creole Butter marinade as an
injection. The other, milder flavors but doesn't bunch and get too concentrated and
works wonderful for us is a mixture of apple juice, worchestershire sauce, and our
rub.

 

[aquablue22]

I mix all the bark and juices together and then hit ti with a little rub to add some kick.

 

[RAZORBACK JIM]

+1...and I add any drippings I might have.

Jim

 

[fshnwiz]

hmmm I like pork, why try to hide it?

 

[QDoc]

Chris Lilly's Recipe:
Pork injection
3/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
I use the Worcestershire for chicken and like it very much. It is not dark and doesn't stain the meat as much.
For Comps I inject, rub, wrap and let set of 12 hours. For home 24 hours. When pulled you can sprinkle a little boiling injection solution with added spices of your choice.

 

[landarc]

Tim, wander over to Berkeley Bowl and get yourself a Beeler's pork butt. Then using a solid food injector, inject a slurry of rub and flavor liquid into the fat layers between the meat. Then tell me how this works. :-D

I have actually butterflied the pork off of some of the bone, rubbed in between and reassembled the meat around the bone and tied very tightly. My belief is this does not work as well as I had hoped.

I really do like the premium pork as a start, I think that is step one.

 

[SmokinOkie]

Pork loves salt. Brines have salt. Find a brine that you like, inject 6 to 8 hours then cook. Never had a proble getting the internal pork to taste like something using an injected brine

 

[Capozzoli]

More salt and pork fat.

 

[42BBQ]

Watching Man V Food the other day saw the episode from NC where the Que place does whole hogs. After the pork was pulled and chopped the pit boss layered on a good amount of seasonings/spices, cidar vinegar, and a thin sauce that looked heavy on spices from the color and texture. All I've ever done after the initial injection and smoke is add sauce. I want to try the NC style next time.

 

[River City Smokehouse]

Butterfly it. Gives you twice the bark. Bark=Flavor!