Injecting and rub - overnight


 

Mac LA

TVWBB Super Fan
Hello Everyone,

Anyone else notice that their injection is being pushed out when you apply rub and leave it to sit overnight? I'm unsure if it is just my technique but I've noticed that when I inject/rub and leave to sit over night the bottom of the pan has wayy more injection vs when I first put it in there.

Is the salt in my rub pushing out all the moisture? I've not had complaints about my product but it's just something I have been thinking about lately and wondering if I should modify my injection/run times.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

Johnny O.
 
When you do an injection you're pumping fluid at pressure into the meat where it's going to sit mostly between the muscle fibers. Basically the meat is like a beach ball with a lot of tiny holes in it. You pump it full of fluid at much greater than atmospheric pressure and that fluid is going to look for a way out.

The last time I injected a brisket I was very surprised when I injected at one spot and fluid literally shot out of the meat a good six inches away. I put enough fluid in at high enough pressure that it found its way between the muscle fibers and all the way to freedom quite a distance away.

Unless there's something going on chemically that I really don't understand, I doubt the rub has anything to do with it. It's most likely just the amount of fluid, pressure, and time.
 
Johnny, do you inject every time? The reason I ask is that I have never injected my pulled pork, I follow the same method time after time...I trim and apply the rub at least 8-10 hours before I want to put it on the smoker. After I apply the rub, I place the Boston Butt in a large stainless steel bowl, cover, and place the bowl in the fridge until morning. Every time I remove the butt from the bowl there is "juice" (water? Blood? I'm not sure) in the bottom of the bowl. I wonder if that is what you are seeing in your pan?
Just a thought,
Tim
 
I have used the Chris Lilly rub and inject on my pork butts for years. I always get some fluid in the container but it's not a sign of a problem. I pushed it in and the pork pushed back. I'm pretty sure it's not the rub.
 
When you do an injection you're pumping fluid at pressure into the meat where it's going to sit mostly between the muscle fibers. Basically the meat is like a beach ball with a lot of tiny holes in it. You pump it full of fluid at much greater than atmospheric pressure and that fluid is going to look for a way out.

The last time I injected a brisket I was very surprised when I injected at one spot and fluid literally shot out of the meat a good six inches away. I put enough fluid in at high enough pressure that it found its way between the muscle fibers and all the way to freedom quite a distance away.

Unless there's something going on chemically that I really don't understand, I doubt the rub has anything to do with it. It's most likely just the amount of fluid, pressure, and time.

That sort of makes sense as well. My worry was that the salt content of the rub I use was drying out my meats. Again, never had a complaint but just wanted to gauge if I should not rest it injected for the amount of time I have. Thank you for the input Jay

Johnny, do you inject every time? The reason I ask is that I have never injected my pulled pork, I follow the same method time after time...I trim and apply the rub at least 8-10 hours before I want to put it on the smoker. After I apply the rub, I place the Boston Butt in a large stainless steel bowl, cover, and place the bowl in the fridge until morning. Every time I remove the butt from the bowl there is "juice" (water? Blood? I'm not sure) in the bottom of the bowl. I wonder if that is what you are seeing in your pan?
Just a thought,
Tim

I inject every single time, it's the way I was taught and the way I'll keep my technique going for the foreseeable future.

The liquid you see is not blood but Myoglobin. There is no measurable blood in meats from I understand after it has been butchered, someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I def see my injection in my pans, recognize it and smells the same. Could be some myoglobin as well, but I'm not bold enough to taste it..:eek:


Nor have I, but I feel inspired to try the Chris Lilly method after reading Cliff's post, here: https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?71553-Low-and-Slow-Pork-Shoulder-18-hour-coo

I'd try injecting and see if you enjoy that product more vs your injected product, maybe you won't notice a difference?

I have used the Chris Lilly rub and inject on my pork butts for years. I always get some fluid in the container but it's not a sign of a problem. I pushed it in and the pork pushed back. I'm pretty sure it's not the rub.

I don't think it's a sign of problem either. I just wanted to get some input from you all and perhaps improve my product, maybe I was missing something - thank you team!!!

Johnny
 
My worry was that the salt content of the rub I use was drying out my meats.
My understanding of the chemistry suggests the salt, at least in the levels likely to be used in a rub, will actually improve the moisture content of the final product. When you put salt on the outside of the meat a complex dance begins. The end result is salt being drawn in to the muscle fibers. The sodium imbalance causes moisture to be attracted to the salt, which tenaciously hangs on to it through the cooking process. This is the basic process of dry brining that seems to be the in thing in cooking circles these days.

Whatever salt is in your injection fluid should work the same way near the injection target site. The salt will keep the moisture in the meat.

If you use a lot of salt and leave it for a very long time, like one would when curing, things work out a little different and it will eventually reduce the moisture content of the meat. But one doesn't typically put rub on long enough prior to cooking, or in high enough concentration, to have that kind of effect.

I've only injected butts one time. Unfortunately, other things went wrong on that cook so it wasn't a good test of the benefits of injecting. I will most likely inject the next time I do butts. The added moisture can't hurt.
 
I inject my butts. I'm way more of a purist when it comes to brisket, but I feel like pork, especially commodity pork, can use some extra flavor. I also use the Chris Lilly injection, mainly because it's pretty simple. Really just getting some salt in there can work wonders. A brine, or dry brine could have similar effect.

You may be getting a dry brine effect that's causing the meat to retain more of its own moisture and not as able to take the injection but I've never heard of it.
 

 

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