garlic and other items put into large slits in a roast

[SaskatoonBusche]

Does putting garlic (and other items i.e. bay leaves) into large slits cut into a roast really help? Are you just basically getting flavour pockets in the meat or does it penetrate throughout?

[AZRedneck]

I would think (and I am no expert) that the penetration of flavors would be no more that a brine or rub, which isn't very deep. On a slow smoke I guess you may gain some extra bark from the slits. The flavor pockets all chopped with the final product could be wonderful. This is all hypothesis. Aka SWAG.

[Jerod Broussard]

Lotta that going on back home. Especially with whole ducks, stuffing the breast next to the keel bone with jalapeño & bacon. Pork roasts too. It just gives a nice extra burst of flavor every so often, lagniappe if you will.

[Spinaker]

I did this with a brisket one time. I find that you get little pockets of flavor but it didn't seem to permeate the meat at all. It tasted like the garlic was just braised in beef fat. (awesome) but it was very localized in flavor. I wouldn't say its a bad thing but it didn't cause the garlic flavor to permeate through out the meat.

So to answer your question, Flavor Pockets, YES. Permeation of Flavors through out the meat, Not so much.

[EdF]

Seems about right, but with the amount of garlic wifey likes in them, it doesn't matter - you've got permeation.

[SaskatoonBusche]

thanks for the feedback. you can always count on the people on this site to provide their expertise.