Injection Only for Pork Butt Inquiry

[grogorat]

Hello,
Just wondering if anyone has smoked a pork butt with injection only with a rub?  (No brine)
I'm thinking of doing it with just a brown sugar rub with a light salt/pepper added. 

Thoughts?  Suggestions?

 

[smokeasaurus]

Hey Gary, the rub sounds good, should get a good bark. I never inject my pork butts. There is so much fat in em that they stay moist. I also like the fact that without injecting, I can use the pork for a bunch of different meals. Now if I shoot it up with apricot nectar it will limit my leftover meals..............

 

[grogorat]

Thanks for the info, Scott.
Do you brine instead or do you just do the rub only?
I've read here on this forum about how many folks who brine and inject their pork butts and wanted to cut down a step on the prep.

 

[elkins20]

Hey Gary, I inject mine with Super Dave's recipe, if you want will give it to you, just let me know. But, it does give the butt a better flavor. Also after you pull the butt, then sprinkle on some more dry rub.

 

[grogorat]

Thanks Bill, much obliged if you could resend Super Dave's recipe.

The reason I'm asking about alternative methods is because I want to smoke a pork butt for Thanksgiving and I don't want it to be too BBQ-ey in flavor with the spices.  I know the smoke will inherently make it taste BBQ-esque but I'd like to temper that down a bit.

 

[gregbooras]

Gary,

You can get great bark without the brine, but on the injection I would use 1/4 cup of salt.

Also if you want less smokey flavor, just cut back on your wood.

Greg

 

[grogorat]

Thanks for the helpful tips, Greg!  I will certainly use half of the recommended wood and using a mild one, like cherry.

I'm thinking of using chicken broth, some water, and a little apple cider vinegar as the base for my injection and adding garlic & onion powder, some soy sauce and/or Worcestershire, and some other spices.  Hopefully, that will be enough sodium.

I will also use a water pan to maximize the moisture content.

 

[SconnieQ]

I have smoked pork butts several times without brine or injection. Just the rub and salt the day/night before. They are still delicious. It's pork after all, and fat, and connective tissue that becomes gelatinous.

 

[smokeasaurus]

Thanks for the info, Scott.
Do you brine instead or do you just do the rub only?
I've read here on this forum about how many folks who brine and inject their pork butts and wanted to cut down a step on the prep.

I like to rub mine down and wrap in real tight clear wrap and set in the fridge for 2-3 days. A real good rub for this method is by Savor Spices.."Fine Swine and Bovine".  That stuff really penetrates into the surface. That is all I usually do, unless I am looking for a certain type of flavor profile other than just the pork and rub...........

 

[elkins20]

Thanks Bill, much obliged if you could resend Super Dave's recipe.

The reason I'm asking about alternative methods is because I want to smoke a pork butt for Thanksgiving and I don't want it to be too BBQ-ey in flavor with the spices.  I know the smoke will inherently make it taste BBQ-esque but I'd like to temper that down a bit.

Hey Gary, A pork butt for Thanksgiving, wow sounds good, I am leaning towards a turkey breast. I have the recipe for pork injection written down and here it is:
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp rub (your favorite will do)
1 tsp garlic powder
Mix all in large pan. Simmer until well dissolved. Fully cool and inject with 1/2 oz. per pound.
And for beef I use the following:
2 cans beef broth
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp better than bouillon beef base
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
Mix all in a large pan. Simmer until well dissolved. Fully cool and inject.

 

[grogorat]

Thanks Bill!
Ironically, the injection recipe I ended up using is similar to what you posted, haha.
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp. beef broth bouillon
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage
light dust of cayenne (essentially one light tap on the bottle)
tiny dot of siracha
1/3 stick of butter
1 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. Worcestershire
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp. ground mustard

I melted the butter and added the dry ingredients to marry them.  I then added the wet ingredients until it was warm.  Cooled it in the fridge for a few hours and then injected it. I then did the mustard rub, coated it with brown sugar, and put it the fridge last night. Going to put it in the #2 tonight after work, let it smoke overnight.  Using a 3.42 oz. chunk of cherry and a water pan.

I wanted to experiment with a flavor profile that was more roast like.  I know that the brown sugar rub will create more bark but I don't think that it will overpower it.  It's going to be pulled and served over jasmine rice with a nice meat gravy.

 

[elkins20]

Hey Gary was wondering with adding the butter did it thicken up the injection? The rest does look good.

 

[grogorat]

Hey Bill,
It did a little bit, like a light sauce.

 

[grogorat]

Here's a picture of the results of my 1st pork butt. Approx. 9lbs, bone in at 13 hours at 230, water pan, no peek.
Gonna let it rest for a few hours, foiled, toweled, and in a cooler before I unleash the bear claws on it.

 

[elkins20]

Hey Gary that looks really good, I bet it tasted good as well.

 

[smokeasaurus]

That looks really good 8)

 

[DivotMaker]

Gary, you're butt looks good enough to be in a magazine!  Uh, your pork butt, that is....in a food magazine! ;D

 

[grogorat]

Hey Bill,
I was spooked from the high sodium content in the commercial rub that I used in my inaugural smoking of some baby back ribs so I was a little conservative with the salt in the injection, relying primarily on the chicken broth for the salt.  It could've used a bit more, for flavor and juiciness but it was still tender.
Think I'm going to try a brine with the 2nd one for Thanksgiving.

 

[elkins20]

Hey Gary, would love to brine some of the meats that I smoke. But, last summer had to purchase a new fridge and the wife picked out a large whirlpool with french doors and a third drawer. And actually very little room, I am thinking of getting a small fridge just for that purpose. As I want to brine briskets and other large cuts of beef.