Hi, I’m injecting a butt for the first time. I normally just dry brine at 1/2tsp Morton’s Koser/lb per the site. The pork injection on the site includes salt. Should I omit the salt from the injection, omit dry brining, or inject with salt and dry brine? Final step is Memphis dust.
No, no, don't do either. Pork butts don't need a brine. See my post Smoking pork the NC way. NC is the home of pulled pork and it started there. Even they can't decide between Eastern and Western so I did a write up on both. Smoking Pork the NC Way and Part 2.
If you want to do a pork loin that has no fat fine.
I dry brine at least two to three days. I injected the last one the night before and it was alright. The worst pork I ever had was injected with up to 15% solution, so I didn't add any salt and it was the blandest pork I've ever eaten. I figure the injector might have gotten 2%, if it was lucky. The brine tank must have been almost empty.
mountainsmoker my problem was NO salt. Hence the reason I dry brine all butts and briskets 48-72 hrs. Those "up to" injections are telling what the max could be, when all along it could be 0.1%....I know, I check these things at work.
Your over brining them butts don't need any and briskets need at most 24 hours. It is a thin piece of meat generally. .Just put a little more on the point end.
mountainsmoker. Dry brining starts with a measured amount, the salt does not multiply with time, only diffuses and does its thing. Hence the reason I can go three days and feed hundreds for a fundraiser, then have to explain I don't cook for a living. I gots a job.
Really cool to see two experienced guys (Jerod and Mountainsmoker) with the different views. Well, I’m a rookie and messed this butt up. I injected using slightly more salt than the injection on the site. Did not dry brine. Memphis Dust. Then I did the Myron Mixon braise because I wanted to try it. The flavors didn’t pop at all. Full disclosure, I didn’t glaze after the braise. I simply cannot eat that much sugar and corn syrup on my food which, if I had followed the recipe I’m sure I would have had candy on the outside. So expectedly I got a lame bark, with flavors that didn’t pop. Back to full Meathead treatment. Thanks for all the comments!
Comment