Injection recipe for beef brisket?


 

Eric Simon

TVWBB Fan
Greetings. I'll be doing an overnight (225F) Wagyu brisket for the Superbowl next weekend. I'm seeking good, reliable recipes for an injection. I don't see any in the Recipes section. I figure beef broth, worchestershire, garlic/onion powder, maybe some red wine? Help!

Thanks.
 
Not to throw a wrench in the works, but... since you've got one of the best, well-marbled pieces of brisket money can buy, why not just add a good dry rub and let it do its thing? Or you could brine it for addtional flavor, although you won't need to up the tenderness level with that Wagyu. Just my 2 cents of course. Let us know how it comes out!
 
I hear ya, Gary, and that's certainly an option. But I have noticed that championship competition teams inject their brisket without fail, even when using Wagyu brisket. I like the idea of a very juicy and moist brisket, but am not yet hung up on any one plan.
 
Hey, go for it! It's a no-lose situation.
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But I have noticed that championship competition teams inject their brisket without fail

That may be true, I don't think all teams inject, but those that do, inject for one reason only: to cater to their preconceived tastes of the judges. In the same line of thought, their ribs and chicken are overly sweet, in my opinion, but that's what wins. Different regions of the country dictate the preferences of the judges. What wins in KY wouldn't necessarily win in NJ.

Now is that what tastes good to you and your guests? That's what you need to decide. That's a nice cut of beef. Sometimes less is best. Personally, I would try injecting a select brisket, but would leave the Wagyu with only a dry rub. If you're thinking of extra flavor; consider a finishing sauce that everyone can choose to use or not. The Wagyu should be very moist, especially if you foil and don't overcook it. Let us know how it turns out.

Paul
 
I vote for the dry rub on the wayu brisket and if your going to play with injecting on a choice brisket at a later date.

You have one of the highest quality pieces of beef you would want to smoke. I'd want a nice rub that brings ou the flavor you paid a premium for!!

As for injecting there was a commercial one made by the Allegro marinade company I had used a while back. It even came with an injector. I first saw it at the American Royal a few years ago and subsequently tried it. It was decent but I don't usually inject brisket so I only tried it once.
 
I'm going to go with the flow here and suggest you don't inject. Especially if you haven't done it before. Injections are more of a competition thing. Rarely, if ever, will most cooks inject a non-comp brisket. That's just my opinion though and I've been wrong before.
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If, and when you decide to inject, these are the top three competition favs. Fab B, Butchers, and Kosmos. Google em.
 
Thanks for all the replies, y'all. Perhaps I should change the title of the topic to "Inject or not?" :)

I truly appreciate the idea of letting a really great piece of meat shine through. "Good ingredients cooked simply" is a fine mantra.

But I am curious: why would an injection spoil the simple beauty of the meat, but a rub would not?
 
But I have noticed that championship competition teams inject their brisket without fail, even when using Wagyu brisket.

They are using products like Butcher's and FAB which are basically a brine and msg. From what I understand they work well. I've tried to make similar injects but have had mixed results.
 
But I am curious: why would an injection spoil the simple beauty of the meat, but a rub would not?

From what I've observed, (as I've never injected a brisket), those that inject do so in large quantities. They do this to add additional moisture, as you point out, and to add additional flavors. Because you have a very high quality piece of meat that, IMHO doesn't need help; I'd opt for the rub only option. The rub merely enhances the flavor of the meat. The amount of rub is miniscule compared to the volume of injected liquids. Because of that quantity, the injection may start to mask the natural flavor of the meat. A rub doesn't penetrate the meat so it only flavors the outer bark. As I mentioned in the previous response; a finishing sauce could add additional flavors to the meat. With a finishing sauce, you have the choice of with or without. If you inject, you'll never know how the meat might have tasted on its own.

Paul
 
I posted a similar thread the other day,

http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...80069052/m/154106234

and got some interesting response. One, from J, pointed out that the competitors can't do anything to their meat until it is inspected just prior to cooking. This means a rub can't sit on the meant for 24 hours and you can't bring ahead of time. That made a lot of sense to me. Given that us home boys don't have those issues, there are other options for increasing flavour.
 
I guess if you're adapted to using injections and are confident with the results, then go for it. I'm not. I've tried other folks injected meats and some were awesome, others not so much. My injecting attempts go in the not so much category.

So far as rubs go, we all know the end result when using a rub and for the most part it's a favorable thing. So you're not really going out on a limb if you use a rub vs injection.

Can you tell I'm not a fan of injections? I'm trying to learn and get more confidence using injections because they do well in competition. I ain't there yet.
 
Eric,
I got one of those briskets from the same source as you (I think). Check out the picts of the cook with that Brisket Waygu Brisket Photos

For an injection I keep it fairly simple but am doing one tomorrow with the following injection that I got from this post Competition Brisket Post

2 Cups Beef broth
½ Cup White Grape juice
¼ Cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
½ tsp Cayenne powder

I may replace the Cayenne with Alleppo and use whole onion and garlic instead of the powders and blast them in the Vitamix. Overall I'm comfortable with the injection technique and have done it many times so understand what it's going to taste like when done.
 
Put another vote up for NOT injecting. The Waygu is a great cut of meat. Rub it with a simple beef rub and enjoy it for what it is. Your not cooking a competition, your cooking for your friends. I promise, if you do not overcook it, they will love it. Save the experimenting for cheaper cuts of meat that can benefit more from an injection. Just my HO.
 
This subject is like to foil or not to foil. Take the plunge and give it try. Make notes as in case you want to change something up. This is the fun part of smoking. Trying new things and then you decide what works for you. Then you can publish your thoughts here.
 
Thanks for all the great advice, y'all. I'm still not convinced about some of the issues, but then again, who is? :)

Brad: Thank you for the photos. I'll be mimicking what you did pretty closely. What temperature did you run your smoker? (Your thermometer photo is too fuzzy for me to read!) Since I will be cooking the identical cut of meat, I guess I can figure on about 8.5 hours total as well (assuming that was at 225, which is what I am shooting for). Do you know the poundage of your meat at any stage?

After much thought and helpful advice, I think I will keep it simple: a simple rub, no brining/injection, using the drippings for a sauce/glaze.

I'll post photos and share results!
 
Eric,
The temperatures were 250 in the photo, kept in the range from 225 with one spike to 270 but mostly at 250.

The brisket was 13 LBS before trim and I figure about 10 LBS or so after. After cooking there were 4 LBS of flat for the freezer and 2 3/4 lbs of point meat for the freezer. Not to mention I ate some as well.

As for time I'd expect it to take longer to cook, you can always leave it in the cooler as it will keep there for 4-5 hours if it gets done early. The worst thing that can happen is everybody is waiting on you, you get in a rush and it doesn't come out right cause you try to get 'er done.
 
Brad-
Am about to buy my first brisket, and will probably look for what's been discussed on this thread. You mentioned a significant trim from 13 to 10 pounds. Is the triming obvious (trim off the obvious fat) or are there things I should know?
By the way, this is an interesting thread!
 

 

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