# When to inject your butt



## donnylove (Jan 23, 2010)

I'm cooking a couple of bone-in butts from Sam's Club tomorrow. Our new Sam's Club just opened this past Thursday, so I want to compare the pork they have to what I typically buy at Costco. In terms of cost, the Sam's is $1.28/lb whereas it's typically $1.38 at Costco, but the bone is removed for the Coscto cryopac and the bone is left in at Sam's.

As for the cooking process, this time I've put together an injection to use. What I haven't decided yet is whether to inject tonight or tomorrow morning right before I start the cook. Figured I'd run a poll to see who injects vs. not and when you all do it. Obviously, the longer the meat is injected, the more flavor is likely to be imparted from your injection liquid. Any input or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## grillin_all_day (Jan 23, 2010)

I've only injected a brisket, but I did that about 12 hrs prior.  I'd say around there as well for a butt.  I'm curious to see what responses you get, cause I might inject my next butt.


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## 3montes (Jan 24, 2010)

I have never injected so I can't really speak from any hands on experience. I know many here inject most things they smoke but I never have. I always have thought that at some point your meat just becomes a sponge for all the injections and rubs that get used. The flavor of the meat just gets lost.
I tend to beleive that any meat or poultry if cooked properly will be tender and moist in it's own juices. 
I'm not saying injecting is wrong by any means. Heck all the champions you see on the shows are pumping their briskets and pork butts full of marinades and sometimes they still come out dry! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 So who knows maybe one day I will try one with and one without and see which comes out better.


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## shooterrick (Jan 24, 2010)

I inject the night before with apple juice mixed with my rub for butt.  My rub mixed with apple juice and beef broth 50-50 for brisket.  The night before for both.


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## travcoman45 (Jan 24, 2010)

Inject the night before, then rub an inta the icebox fer a nice rest.


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## fire it up (Jan 24, 2010)

Sometimes I inject and sometimes I don't, depends on what I am doing for flavor in the final pulled pork but if I do inject it is always the night before so the injection will completely distribute throughout the meat.


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## smokebuzz (Jan 24, 2010)

I inject and rub as the smoker is warming up. Not sure there is a wrong way/time frame of doing, just the way we do thing differnt.


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## mballi3011 (Jan 24, 2010)

I have never injected a butt before but with all tis talking about it I might just start.


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## atcnick (Jan 24, 2010)

lol, no kidding.  Me too!!  I think we must all be watching the same bbq show on tv!


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## lowandslowbbq (Jan 24, 2010)

I like to inject the night before with pineapple juice and spiced rum, also good to drink, then rub my pork.


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## foxmid (Jan 24, 2010)

TMI, bro!!

j/k - anyway I've never bothered with the injection.  I'm surprised to see so many people doing them.  May have to try them side by side to see if it's worth it.


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## eman (Jan 24, 2010)

got 2 10 lb butts on the mes cright now. didn't inject just a coating of yellow mustard mixed w/ brown sugar ,molasses and pikapeppa sauce . Then heavy coat of rub.
 Been on since 2pm this afternoon and still chuggin along.


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## bignick (Jan 24, 2010)

I have a friend that does comps and has won many notable prizes...54 grand champs including Memphis in May & Big State Festival...over a beer one night, I asked...what and when to inject a butt...(or shoulder or whole hog in his case)...a surprise came out and he says..."try an injection AFTER it's done.  Brown sugar dissolved in apple juice with some red pepper or some other kicker.  Maybe a touch of butter.  Inject and then let rest before you pull/slice/chunk it. Experiment and see what works for ya."  I had never thought of this, but surely is worth a try.


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## downstatesmoker (Jan 24, 2010)

I always inject the night before.  Just finished a butt last night (around 2:30AM) and injected with Pineapple and apple juice mixed with a product called Fab-P which is like Pork Bouillon.

I find it sweetens up the meat.  You can really taste a difference, IMHO.


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## fire it up (Jan 24, 2010)

Last time I did pulled pork I was going to inject with a pork bouillon made by Goya but when I read the ingredients the first was salt, second was MSG and third was artificial pork flavor


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## chisoxjim (Jan 24, 2010)

butts gt injected the night before for me.  Never going back to not injecting them.


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## donnylove (Jan 24, 2010)

Thanks for all of the responses. Looks like most inject the night before or not at all. For my two butts today, I injected one right before it went on the drum and left the other dry with a rub. I'll post que view as the cook progresses. Here are the befores:

Here's the meat. Bone-in pork butt from Sam's Club


Rubbed and ready. The one on the right is also injected.


On the drum and we're off!


More to come . . .


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## downstatesmoker (Jan 24, 2010)

There is MSG in this but it really does work.  Don't mind MSG.  I think it got a bad rap in the 80's but it really is just a seasoning.  An asian guy I used to work with was telling me his family (who owned a restaurant) basically used it like salt.

FabP contains:
Hydrolyzed soy protein, partially hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed and peanut oils, sodium phosphates, monosodium glutamate, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium inosinate and guanylate, xanthan gum.


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## downstatesmoker (Jan 24, 2010)

Looks great so far!


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## donnylove (Jan 24, 2010)

Qview update:  3 hours in and flipped


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## richoso1 (Jan 24, 2010)

What he said.


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## donnylove (Jan 26, 2010)

Sorry I never finished this thread off with Qview.  I was cranky Sunday night after that football game.  Also, my butts were humming along nicely and up to 185* in the foil when I decided I would take them back out of the foil to let the bark firm up.  I won't ever do that again.  I did it quickly, but an our later the meat temps were down in the high 170s and it took forever to get them back to 190, so it was late by the time I pulled.  Turned out good though.  I couldn't discern a real big difference between the one that was injected (right before the cook) and not injected.  Next time I may try injecting one the night before to see if I like the results better.  Thanks for riding along!


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## Dutch (Jan 26, 2010)

I've never injected my pork butts as my butts turn out great. If it enhances the flavor, then this old dawg is up for learning a new trick.


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## litto747 (Jan 27, 2010)

I do it the night before if I am starting the smoke that morning,  but if I do an overnight smoke I inject first thing in the morning.

I think you will be happy with the Sam's Club butts, I have used them for about 3 years now and have had no complaints about them.


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## coyote (Jan 28, 2010)

I have done them both ways, injected and not injected.
I have a big bore needle that allows me to also inject with the bourbon apple juice mix or what ever juice you like black pepper, garlic ect. normally a tbs of what ever rub I am using goes in the injection mix. I 1st paint the out side of the butts with pecan oil then I do the bottom of the butt, sides then top. then I sprinkle with rub and tightly plastic wrap them individly, then theycan nest in the icebx for up to 48 hours. while the smoker is warming up I have added more rub while the butts are coming to a room temp or close to it so I do not throw them into the smoker cold.
flavor is always good and I am trying new ingeridents all the time.


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## butcher bbq (Feb 2, 2010)

We inject about 6 to 7 hours before putting in the smoker.


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## fireguydrew (Feb 2, 2010)

I have done Both and found my butss come out much tastier with an injection. I also Inj my briskets.
what actually works very well is Cola or root beer.
really does well with flavour and helps break down Connective tissue
Works espescially well if you use a cola and ketchup based sauce for the end


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## codymcgee (Feb 5, 2010)

any recipe for a sauce like that? I'd love to try that on my next butt


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## onedragon221 (Feb 5, 2010)

Well it all depends my mood... Something i do something i dont.. the results to me is the same.. mmm mmm good!!!

But now i thinking about, I was thinking injecting one with some apple sauce.


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## wingman (Feb 6, 2010)

I inject in the morning when I pull the pork butts out of the refrigerator. I inject the pork butts with apple jiuce then let them stand out for 1 to 1.5 hours to bring the meat up to room temp. Then its into the Traeger!


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## harleyguy (Feb 6, 2010)

I have never injected a butt, however I may give it a try on the 1 I am gonna do tomorrow. Gonna rub it in a while, so I may mix up some apple juice & a little rub to see how it turns out.


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## deltadude (Feb 11, 2010)

I always inject pork butts (no special reason, just think it adds flavor), but smoking butts without injection I'm sure can also produce an excellent product.

I inject the night before, and put a light coating of rub (which the down side of the meat will mostly come off because the liquid leaks out during the night).  When I pre-heat the smoker, the butt gets another light shot of injection.  From here on you have to gently handle the butt or a lot of liquid will leak out.  I put tangy types of mustard on, then the rub.


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## richoso1 (Feb 24, 2010)

Wjat he said.


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## ak1 (Feb 25, 2010)

I've never injected a butt. IMO with all the fat, it doesn't need it, and I like the flavour of the pork to come through.


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## mama's smoke (Feb 25, 2010)

At what temp did you set the MES and at what temp will you take out the butts?  Will you foil?


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## pops6927 (Mar 15, 2010)

Never injected them, always figgered the grinder would squeeze it all out anyways...


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## northern greenhorn (Mar 26, 2010)

When I get an infection


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## meat magician (Mar 27, 2010)

I make up a huge batch of marinade 24 hrs before cook, inject and them submerge it in the remainder untill about 3-4 hours to cook time. I pull it out of marinade, pat dry with paper towels them apply rub, I save the rest of the marinade for use as a mop sauce while cooking.


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