Injecting marinade in pork butt?


 
C

Calle

New member
I'm thinking of trying the marinade injection technique for my next pork butt, but I haven't seen any good instruction on this on the net. Let's see if I got it right?

1) Get an injector (seems like most are made for turkeys, but I'm guessing they'll work for butts too)
2) Inject marinade (about 1 oz per lb?) in different spots and different depths to get the marinade distributed as evenly as possible
3) Apply rub and put in fridge for at least 6 hours
4) Smoke and baste the butt as usual.

My main concerns are how much marinade to use, and whether or not I should put the meat on right away or not, considering that the cooking time is 12+ hours?

Any comments are very welcome.

-- Calle.
 
You are on the right track sounds like. I have done several that I injected with only 2 or 3 injector full, and I done one that I injected a entire 16 oz. jar in a 10 lb butt, so it is personal preference I think. The marinade was oozing out everywhere.

My only other comment would be that I cannot tell very little difference in injecting anything into the butts, Everyone has a different opinion so try it and see what you think. Let us know how it turns out.

Same thing applies to holding in fridge. Some do and some add the rub after they light the fuel right before going on the WSM.
 
Well I have injected for sometime now and if the injection sauce isnt right, you wont get much flavor. I am still looking for that perfect sauce but one thing that I have learned, the sauce needs to be fairly potent to withstand 18 hours of smoldering wood chunks and charcoal. "yes im laughing at myself as I type". You really dont need to inject to get great PP but I think it can be a winner if you can figure out the right recipe. Im still looking.
 
I am doing a butt this coming weekend for the Final Four. I've never injected one, so I ran it by a guy in our Memphis office who is a 2 time MIM ribs champ. (before it became big time on the food network)

He swears by pineapple juice. He said it gives the meat a great flavor, it stands up to the long cooks, and works well as a tenderizer. He cautions that a little goes a long way. 2 or 3 injectors full is plenty.

I'm going to give it a try this weekend and report back.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Beaulieu:
I am doing a butt this coming weekend for the Final Four. I've never injected one, so I ran it by a guy in our Memphis office who is a 2 time MIM ribs champ. (before it became big time on the food network)

He swears by pineapple juice. He said it gives the meat a great flavor, it stands up to the long cooks, and works well as a tenderizer. He cautions that a little goes a long way. 2 or 3 injectors full is plenty.

I'm going to give it a try this weekend and report back. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I went with the pineapple route one time. I used the Lilly injection method, but used the pineapple instead of apple juice. Meat came out a little to mushy for me. I love it on ribs, but it was just a little to much for me to inject butts angin. Hope yours turns out the way you want it.
 
If you have Dr.BBQs book he has an injection recipe for Butts that I like alot. I've also done the lilly method, but only replaced half the apple juice with pineapple juice and liked the results.
 
Pineapple juice on ribs intrigues me. Please explain in detail Bob. Do you use it as a baste instead of apple juice, or is it a little more involved than that?

My friend did say that pineapple tenderizes the butt, so it sounds like too much will make it mushy. I'll try several small, well placed squirts from one injector full.
 
Uncooked pineapple juice has enzymes that will indeed make meat mushy. Cooking pineapple juice or using pasteurized juice will prevent that but note that an acid mix can have negative effects on meat fibers as well; depends on the acidity and the length of time the meat is exposed to it.
 
I have spray basted with the Pineapple juice, and/or put some in with the ribs when foiled. I have even put a little into the bbq sauce and simmered, then applied to the ribs at the end of the cook. I really don't do spares the same way all the time, try to keep them different. Ribs are probably my #1 meal to eat.
See now, I haven't done the Pineapple juice route for a while now, and you have me in the mood to do it that way the next time lol.
 
I tried an apple juice based injection on my last butt and have to say I failed to notice a difference and probably won't bother with it again. Just my experience though.
 
I injected once and I don't know if I over did it, but it was to mushy for me. I like just putting a rub on it and after I pull it I mix in a bbq sauce. I'm happy with these results. Whatever works for you go for it. If everybody liked the same think, it would be a dull world.
 
I second the vote for Chris Lilly's shoulder injection. BBQ competition judges as well as the judges that really count (friends, family, and all of the residents at my grandmother's senior citizen apartment complex) seem to be very pleased with that version. I think I posted his shoulder injection and rub over in the recipe section somewhere a while back. I know you can still find it over on Dave Klose's site.

Keri C
 
i'll 2nd (or is it 3rd or 4th by now) the chris lilly injection. i've used it on a half dozen butts and they've all come out delicious.
 
I know that Chris kicks up that recipe when he uses it himself. Just like I kick up the Rub recipe I share. It's a great start just not the whole recipe.
 
I've used Fab P before and it wasn't too bad. Some people think its the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you go that route I recomend mixing it thinner than the container calls for. You can get it at theingredientstore.com
 
Konrad said, <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It's a great start just not the whole recipe. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah, but dear Konrad, even the dummied-down version that he shares with the public is better than what I was doing before I tried his public version for the first time! I'm familiar with a fruit juice change that he makes sometimes, but this one made a great starting point for me.

Keri C, still smokin' on Tulsa Time (and occasionally cooking as Hot Wire BBQ)
 
i just finished googling fab. interesting stuff. has anyone has used accent (or other msg products) in their injections and/or rubs?
 
Hey thanks everyone for the feedback. I'll try the Lilly thing (I emailed Ray Dr. BBQ and he recommended it too, saying that he's used it a bunch of times - but using less W-sauce).
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brian J:
i just finished googling fab. interesting stuff. has anyone has used accent (or other msg products) in their injections and/or rubs? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Many competiton cooks use it in their rubs. The LBJ BBQ book has it in the rub. Robb Walsh does a good treatment in Legends of Texas BBQ. I don't put it in my home/catering rub. I always use it in my competition rub.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Keri C:
Ah, but dear Konrad, even the dummied-down version that he shares with the public is better than what I was doing before I tried his public version for the first time!
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree anything from Chris is a great starting point, my point was don't be sacred to experiment using his recipe as a start.
 
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