Brine and Inject Pork Butt?

[WeekendWarrior]

I will be making my 2nd Butt this weekend for holiday lunch on Monday.  Last time I brined the butt using DivotMakers brine recipe.

Would it be overkill to Brine AND Inject, or should I just do one or the other?

If I were to do both, would I inject before brining, after brining, before and after, or after the 12 hour rub happiness (just before smoking)?

I would probably use a take off on UWFSAE injection recipe, but would probably leave out the vinegar and salt since I would be brining it.

Pork Butt Injection
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp Sriracha
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

add

Garlic Powder and Onion Powder

Or just use some of the DivotMaker brine and inject that?

Which is

1 gallon water
1 1/8 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tblsp garlic powder
1 tblsp onion powder
1 tblsp cayenne
2 tsp black pepper

 

[swthorpe]

I have not injected a BB,  but I definitely do the brining.  With so much fat that renders during the cooking process, I am not sure that injecting is necessary.

 

[NDKoze]

I think it would be either/or for me, but not both. I always brine and have had great luck. If I were doing brisket, then definitely inject.

 

[Walt]

On my 1st shoulder in the #2, I thought "Why not do both?".  I did.  It was very good.  I then tried it with a brisket.  It was absurdly good.  My wife prefers slow cooked shoulders in the dutch oven, so I haven't done another in the #2 since.  However, I have done quite a few briskets since.  The last brisket I did, my injector broke.  So it only got a swim in an equillibrium brine for 3 or 4 days.  My wife asked after if I did something different.  She said she thought it was equally tender and moist as when I do both brineing & injecting.  However, she thought the flavor was much better when I do both.  I agree 100%.  It was great but not absurd.  Therefore, I believe the brine has more effect on the the tenderness, moisture & causeing the fat to turn in to something special on a brisket.  As well as adds some additional flavor, but with limited penetration.  The injection is a great way to get deep flavor penetration as well as aids in moisture retention.

These methods both imorove upon a naked primal cut, individually.  I find, particularily with brisket, useing both amplifies flavor & moisture retention.  It is by no means necessary, but I think, well worth while.  And I leave you with this question, Is there any way it could possibly hurt?

To answer your question, 1st brine (rinse & dry when complete), 2nd inject then apply binder & rub, 3rd wrap & rest.

 

[DivotMaker]

I can see Walt's opinion on brining and injecting brisket, since it's sliced.  I think injecting a butt, that's being brined, for pulled pork is overkill.  Here's why:  You pull it and it all gets mixed together!  The outer layer of the meat, which is a little saltier, gets mixed in with the center portion.  Brining is not intended to flavor the meat to the center, but to create a chemical reaction in the protein molecules at the surface of the meat, which "seals" the moisture in the meat.  Brining butts, alone, is fine!

 

[Walt]

Great point Tony.  To me, the reason to inject has more to do with adding a flavor profile.  The amplified flavors of ones choosing throughout any meat is accomplished better through injecting.  I, as does most on this site, add seasoning to my brine as well.  So the slurry does become a marinade of sorts as well as a brine.  After the 1st BB, I have not done both to any BB since.  However, on occasion I will again.  As for brisket, I will do both every time, 

The experimenting is half the fun.

 

[WeekendWarrior]

Well I think I will "give it a shot", but do this.

Make Divotmaker's brine, but before I add the salt to the heated mixture, reserve 2 ozs of the concentrated flavor mixture and mix with 2 ozs of apple juice in a jar and put in the fridge to cool.

Add salt to the brine mixture and desolve.  Add ice and water and put this in the fridge to cool.

T minus 24 hours, place butt in brine, brine for 12 hours.

Rub butt with binder and rub.  Place in fridge wrapped in plastic wrap for 12 hours to get happy.

Remove butt from wrap, and take the 4 ozs of enhanced flavor mixture, and use the 1 hole injection method to inject from the top of the butt.

Place in smoker and smoke.

This will allow the enhanced flavor to render throughout the meat during the rendering phase, but since I did not add the salt, it should not make the final product too salty.

Kind of wish I was doing 2 butts, and do one with and one without the injection and have a blind taste test to see if anyone notices the difference.

 

[DivotMaker]

I like your plan, Bruce!  Let us know how it goes.

 

[bigbassnutt]

I have an 8 pounder smoking right now, its around 175 so won't be long. I brined for about 8 hours, then put on some mustard and Memphis dust (first time trying this) and put in the smoker with about 4.5 ounces of cherry. I had a friend give me some seasoning they made that they sprinkle on the pulled pork for additional flavor, gonna try that this time too. Making ribs, wings and baked beans tomorrow. Having a friend over that is considering buying a smoker and I want to show him what it will do. He was really impressed with this site but don't think he would have found it without me telling him about it, need to figure out how to get the word out about these smokers!

 

[DivotMaker]

He was really impressed with this site but don't think he would have found it without me telling him about it, need to figure out how to get the word out about these smokers!

That's what we're trying to do, Mike!  Your help is making that happen.  We are showing up more in search engines, have grown about 700 members in the last year, and have some good things on the move.  The company is young, but coming on strong.  We are part of the finest electric smoker forum on the planet!  Just keep spreading the word, and be sure to have new buyers tell Steve you sent them! ;D

 

[WeekendWarrior]

Well I started it up slow at 6:30, 170 for 20 minutes then up to 200, then 225.

9:00 PM and IT is 108, and the storm sirens are going off.  80 MPH winds on the way.

Luckily I put the smoker in the garage.  Closed the garage door and headed inside.

Placed the box probe on the bottom shelf right next to built in probe.  Temps are running 215 to 265.

Temp at the vent is running 200 to 230.

crossing my fingers that the power stays on.

 

[WeekendWarrior]

Did have about 5 minutes with fairly heavy yellowish smoke, but no burps.

 

[WeekendWarrior]

Well everything turned out great.  I think this one was even better than the first.  Not sure if it was the injection, or the full 2 hour rest.

I was really worried that this one was going to get done way faster than the first, as the box temps where much higher than what I've seen before.  I think it is mostly due to how close to the element the box probe is.  I have been trying to put my box probe as close to the built in one as possible, and keeping it away from the meat.

About 8 AM, I was getting worried it wasn't going to get done in time.

Total time was 16.5 hours to a 198 IT, and then rested 2 hours double wrapped in foil in a cooler with a towel on top.

Everyone wanted a doggy bag to take some home.

Time   Temp Hrs.   4:30 AM 162 10   5:00 AM 165 10.5   7:00 AM 172 11.5   8:00 AM 178 12.5   8:30 AM 180 13   9:00 AM 181 13.5 10:00 AM 185 14.5 11:00 AM 189 15.5 12:00 PM 198 16.5

 

[DivotMaker]

Awesome, Bruce!  Sounds like only one thing would have made it better (for us):  Pictures!

 

[WeekendWarrior]

Yeah I wanted to do some pics as well, but wife was wanting to hit the road.  Out of the smoker, wrapped in foil, into the cooler and off we went in the car.