Lunatic Singe BBQ - Bama BBQ Beans

Recipes for Meat Injections & Brines

Brisket Injection - (for use on any beef)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, melted, or olive oil
1½ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to the melted butter, and stir to incorporate.

Stirring continuously, cook the marinade until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are well combined, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Place the trimmed beef brisket into a shallow baking dish.

Fill a meat injector with the brisket injection marinade.

Pierce the flesh of the meat with the injector needle and push down on the plunger while simultaneously pulling the syringe out of the meat slowly.

Repeat this process in a grid pattern over the surface of the meat, leaving 1–2 inches between each injection spot. Refill the injector as needed.

Apply your favorite dry rub to the surface of the brisket, and cook using the method of your choice.

Pork Injection (butts & shoulders):

Ingredients:
1 cup apple juice, or apple cider
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons pork rub, plus more for seasoning the pork

Combine the apple juice or cider, apple cider vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, melted butter, and pork rub in a small mixing bowl. Season the pork on the outside using some extra dry rub.

Using a meat injection syringe, inject the mixture into several different spots in the pork roast. The more entrance points you can make, the better the flavor distribution will be.

Grill or smoke the pork shoulder right away or store in the fridge until ready to use—from a few hours up to overnight.

Pork Rib Injection - (baby-backs & spares):

Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs brown Sugar
1 Tbs rib rub of your choice
1 Tbs melted butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer for 3 minutes. Once brown sugar has melted through and the mixture is well combined, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before using. Discard any remaining mixture after it has come into contact with raw meat.

The mixture can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days after preparation. Simply bring up to room temperature before using.

Chicken & Turkey Injection:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Add the chicken broth, butter, lemon juice, garlic powder, black pepper, and white pepper in a small saucepan. Mix well until the butter is completely melted.

Add salt and taste test. Add more salt if needed, but keep in mind the mixture needs a good but not overpowering flavor. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool until just warm for 8 minutes.

Load the marinade into a meat injector and slowly and carefully inject it into various spots in the bird. The breast meat really benefits from this mixture—the best approach is to go for a dozen spots and add about 2 teaspoons per site, or less if you see the fluid oozing out.

Massage around all of the injection sites to distribute the mixture throughout the bird.

Cover the bird and let rest in the fridge for several hours (overnight if possible) before cooking. If you have any leftover mixture that came in contact with the syringe, discard it. If you would like to have some for basting the turkey as it roasts, make another clean batch of the marinade. If keeping the bird in the fridge overnight, keep the mix in a closed container and melt before using it to baste.

Turkey Brine:

Ingredients:
3 cups apple juice or apple cider
2 gallons cold water
4 Tbs. fresh or dried rosemary
5 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
2 cups brown sugar
3 Tbs. peppercorns
5 whole bay leaves
Peel of three large oranges

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow the brine to cool completely.

Place the uncooked turkey in a large brining bag or pot, pour in the brine solution to cover the turkey, and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

Before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine (discard the brine) and submerge the turkey in a pot or sink filled with fresh, cold water for 15 minutes. This removes excess salt from the outside.

Remove the turkey from the water, pat very dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

Chicken Brine:

Ingredients:
16 cups water
¾ cup kosher salt
⅔ cup white sugar
¼ cup dried sage, or to taste
¼ cup dried basil, or to taste
2 heads garlic, crushed and chopped
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 large bay leaf

Bring water, kosher salt, sugar, sage, basil, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat; this could take upwards of 20 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let brine sit at room temperature for 2 hours; this lets the dried herbs steep and really enhances the flavor of the brine. Refrigerate to finish cooling before using, at least 1 hour.

Brisket Brine:

Ingredients:
6 quarts boiling water
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
6 cups Ice

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the boiling water. Add the ice, then let cool to room temperature.

Place the brisket in the brine and cover. Transfer to the refrigerator to brine overnight.

Remove the brisket from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season evenly with theb beef rub of your choice before cooking.

Pork Butt & Shoulder Brine:

Ingredients:
6 cups apple cider
4 cups water
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs garlic powder
2 Tbs onion powder
1/3 cup of pork rub of your choice

In a large plastic container or food safe bucket, combine all of the brine ingredients and stir until the salt and sugar crystals have completely dissolved. Be sure the pork is almost fully immersed in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but no more than 12 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the pork from the brine and set on a large cookie sheet with raised edges. Do not discard the brine liquid. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Using a meat injector, inject the pork with some of the remaining brine about every two inches across the entire roast. Discard the remaining brine!.