Injections...I on the fence.

OK I understand injections...sometimes they really help. With Pork Butt I like them more than brisket. The philosophy of injecting pork vs beef is way different on the comp circuit. With pork it is usually interesting flavor/moisture enhancements...with brisket it is phosphates and chemicals along with flavor and moisture stuff..

I want to compete without phosphates but there are only a few teams out there that done inject their brisket.

I think that I am going to cook two pork butts tonight...one injected and one not.....I know Andy injects but he cooked one at the Arizona contest as a test cook non injected nad it was total pork goodness and moist...but he is Andy Mr Pork King.

You can turn out some AWESOME meat either way you go.

When we are not cooking for contests, we don't always use the injections, mainly for a time saver. But we have other secrets that we do that help with flavor.

I will tell you that neither of our SOW products contain any phosphates. Just awesome flavor. Which we should be picking up on Monday.

I inject pork buts also but I use apple juice, orange juice, apple/raspberry, sometimes put a little of my favorite rub in the juice makes for yummy juicy pork

LTS

I know Kim We are excited to sell and promote your stuff!

I inject butts with a concoction of the folloowing ingredients -
apple cider, dilluted
light brown sugar
salt
Worcestershire sauce
soy sauce

I like the results so well, that I'm hesitatant to butt without!

Injection in butts:
Butts have enough fat and moisture in them that they will cook up fine by themselves. BUT, being a 5lb hunk of meat, to really get flavor all the way through them injection is a great way to add flavor. So is brining. We used to brine out butts, but injection is so much easier and achieves great results. The goal of phosphates is two pronged, #1, moisture retention - without getting to boring and propeller-headed, the phosphates essentially help moisture bind to the meat fibers, so whatever your injectable is should become retained moisture (and any flavor you add) in your meat. #2 Because of the retained moisture and the "opening" of those meat fibers, you get a larger window to play in for doneness. If you overshoot, it can be salvageable. I don't think pork needs this. So I don't inject phosphate into my pork. I also think it changes the texture of pork to make it more "mealy", not quite spongy, but you get the idea.
I do like what the papain in pineapple juice does with the pork texture, so I include it in my injection.

Brisket:
If you are cooking select or choice briskets, especially ones that have not gotten a chance to wet age and develop, many times there is a value to injecting with phosphate. It helps keep your flat from drying out, and give you a large window to keep it from crumbling/ falling apart if you do overcook it. If you are cooking a high end beef product, a quality prime, or waygu - I don't feel you need the phosphate crutch. I would not want to mask the texture or "beefyness" of those cuts. Having said that, I inject briskets for flavor, and do add a little phosphate, however I only add about 1/3 of the recommended amount, as I dont want it to change the texture of my slices. I do not inject the point, only the flat.
I would also liketo say that you dont have to do anything to briskets either.... they will still cook up fine. I have cooked alot of briskets that were never injected, and they were wonderful. Get really brave and cook one with just salt and pepper. It will astound you how good that can be.

what temps and times do you cook your briskets andy? foil?

Kim handed me the laptop, so I apologize for posting in drag. You can have success in several different ways.... If I am going "naked", no injections, etc. I trim to about 1/4" of cap, peel the fat out of space between the point/flat... then lay the point back down. I cook at 200 until the the brisket is around 165... then wrap and cook at 220 until the flat is 190. At that point, I separate the point off completely, reseason, seal the foil and take until the flat will take a probe like butter. the point goes for another hour or so past that, until all that gelatin has the point a pile goo inside, and crispy outside.

I have also had alot of luck cooking at hot cook brisket, in about 4 hrs. cook over 350 degree fire, turning every 20 min, then flipping every two turns.... until it is colored perfectly At this point move away from the coals, and wrap with seasoning, and beef stock finish tightly wrapped - the cooker is still at 300 or so, but you are cooking indirect at this point instead of 18-20" over the top of a coal bed.
Pull when tender. Wrap is usually after about 100 min, with completion 2 hrs after wrapping.

You know Andy Trigg and many oldschoolers dont inject their briskets and I think Johnny got a 180 this year in Colorado. I think that the phosphates add a funky chemical after taste. I understand both of them but wanted to open this up for conversation...Pork butts you can injects with nearly everything...chris Lilly told me about injecting one in new york wiht peach snapple iced tea!

The last few pork shoulder's I've done, I took a different page from Andy's book with super great results, but it wasn't an injection.

A while back in another post he mentioned trimming the fat cap off (brisket and butts) for more surface area for more bark. Well I tried it, liked it and thought I'd try taking it a step further. I took 7 - 8 lb. shoulders and cut them in half thereby creating even more surface area.

It worked so well; They were still just as moist and with the extra bark, added even more flavor. Had I not been reading this forum I might not have thought to try it.

So how did your Butts come out BP?

Ididnt cook them yet probably tonight...got swamped!

Big Poppa said:

You know Andy Trigg and many oldschoolers dont inject their briskets and I think Johnny got a 180 this year in Colorado. I think that the phosphates add a funky chemical after taste. I understand both of them but wanted to open this up for conversation...Pork butts you can injects with nearly everything...chris Lilly told me about injecting one in new york wiht peach snapple iced tea!

Click to expand...

Yes, you definitely don't have to inject. Many times I dont. I can tell you the guys I know cooking comps on Cans dont inject either. Two royal winners. For comps, the key is getting as much flavor into that one bite as you can so that judge is blown away by the taste, tenderness, and texture of your brisket. There are other ways to do that... Backbasting with aujus, adding extra kick to the back of your slices, all kinds of tricks. I have injected briskets without phosphates for years however. A great starting place is Dr. BBQ's Big Beef Injection. But a light sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt and pepper also is a great start

Sparky - you had asked about foil, I do foil, just about everytime...but it is just for selfish reasons. All that captured juice makes a killer french onion soup.

TentHunter said:

The last few pork shoulder's I've done, I took a different page from Andy's book with super great results, but it wasn't an injection.

A while back in another post he mentioned trimming the fat cap off (brisket and butts) for more surface area for more bark. Well I tried it, liked it and thought I'd try taking it a step further. I took 7 - 8 lb. shoulders and cut them in half thereby creating even more surface area.

It worked so well; They were still just as moist and with the extra bark, added even more flavor. Had I not been reading this forum I might not have thought to try it.

Click to expand...

Glad the idea worked for you! I have not cut one in half. But I have butterflied one from the blade bone out, so I would expect a similar result. Glad you liked it!

Andy, you rock! Thanks for sharing your expertise!