When to inject your butt

[donnylove]

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!

 

[grillin_all_day]

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.

 

[3montes]

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.

 

[shooterrick]

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.

 

[travcoman45]

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

 

[fire it up]

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.

 

[smokebuzz]

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.

 

[mballi3011]

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

 

[atcnick]

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

 

[lowandslowbbq]

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

 

[foxmid]

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.

 

[eman]

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.

 

[bignick]

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.

 

[downstatesmoker]

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.

 

[fire it up]

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

 

[chisoxjim]

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

 

[donnylove]

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 . . .

 

[downstatesmoker]

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.

 

[downstatesmoker]

Looks great so far!

 

[donnylove]

Qview update: 3 hours in and flipped