Injections from A to Z (or Why and how to inject)

Injecting is really solid.

Whether you've injected food before or not, it's never too late to start. It can be intimidating for a beginner, but trust me, there's no going back once you get the hang of it. 😜

Those who want to know more about injections, you're in the right place, because I reveal EVERYTHING to you here. I tell you all my tips, all my secrets so that you become an injection pro. 🤘

Here we go!

What is the difference between brining, marinating and injecting?

Brine can be dry or liquid and is used to preserve foods for longer or to change their textures. For example, you can brine ham, prosciutto, or bacon to give them a different texture; something that is possible thanks to the nitrites contained in this type of preparation.

Generally, brining food is a fairly lengthy process. Basically, if it's dry, you coat the food with brine and let it soak in, and if it's liquid, you let it soak in it. It can last 10 days if you want.

Brines are also quite salty, compared to marinades which are more often sweet.

Moreover, unlike brine, marinade, when we marinate food, is always liquid. A marinade is a mixture that is made with a blend of herbs and spices in which we will soak our food (our vegetables, our fish, our poultry or our meat) before cooking. The purpose of the marinade is also generally rather to give flavor to the food, thanks to the oil and sugar it has, than to extend its shelf life.

Personally, I'm not a fan of liquid marinades. I'm more of a "dry marinade" person, which has less oil, sugar, and alcohol, and burns less. (If you want to know more about why I don't use them, I invite you to read my article here .)

Finally, there are injections. Injecting food is like brining or marinating it, but injecting the preparation directly into its flesh instead. Pretty much any liquid can be used to inject: beer, whiskey, juice… You can even make combinations of liquids or liquids with solids (water with spices, for example) to do it! Yes, yes, there are even products that are specially designed to inject food and keep meats juicier and amplify their flavors.

Injection is my favorite method because you can really bring the flavor to the center of the meat, and instantly. It's fast, it's effective, and it's a proven technique, since all professionals inject. In short, it's life!

What can be injected?

It's not complicated, think of any kind of meat: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, duck... they can all be injected! Even a snake could be! (I wonder what it tastes like, mind you... 🤔)

A lean piece of meat, such as a filet mignon or wild meat, injected with a fatty substance such as butter, duck fat, or, better still, a mixture of butter and cognac (😍!!!) always gives something incredible!

Fruits can also be pretty sick when injected. Just think of the famous vodka-injected watermelon slices to remember what a great mix it is! (Oh to be young again… 🤪)

Why inject?

There are several reasons why someone might be motivated to inject their food. The first, and by far the most important, is taste. (Because, let's face it, it's all about taste!)

By injecting meat, we allow it to keep its basic taste, that is to say, to retain its flavor and moisture, while enhancing it. Whatever mixture we inject inside, the meat will become juicier and, most likely, fattier, therefore even more delicious. Mmm! 🤤

Then, it's also a way to save time. Injecting takes a lot less time than brining or marinating meat.

The best flavor combinations

It all depends on what you want to inject. At BBQ Québec, we have a lot of injection mixes that can make your taste buds trip.

Pre-made injections from Butcher BBQ , Kosmos Q , What the Pork? and Sugar Daddy Bacon , among others, are quite exceptional.

Otherwise, if we get more specific, I recommend this:

• For brisket: Butcher BBQ Beef Injection Liquid
• For a whole pig: Butcher BBQ Pork Injection (powder) or Butcher BBQ Pork Injection liquid
• For chicken: Kosmos Q Original Chicken Injection
• For turkey: Oakridge Game Changer All-Purpose Brine

Obviously, the wonderful thing about injecting is that you can use whatever you want as a "liquid": water, juice, beer, Coke, butter, maple syrup, beef broth, soy sauce, herbs, melted cheese... even Gatorade if you want, I'm not picky! 😜

So, if we continue with my recommendations, I would add this:

• For the duck breast: duck fat
• For a filet mignon: butter
• For a pork loin: apple juice
• For a roast beef: bourbon
• For a rack of lamb: blond beer

You get the idea. 😉

As for fruits, you can get good results by mixing this:

• Maple syrup in an apple
• Rum in a pineapple

If I had one clarification to make, however, it would be that if you take a pre-made injection mix, you must always respect the dosages on the packaging . (And, by the way, when it says a cup, it's not a coffee cup, but a measuring cup! 😜)

The consistency of the injection mixture

You have to remember that when you want to inject, your preparation must not solidify in your syringe. So you want your mixture to be liquid, without big "lumps" of spices, for example (the seasonings must pass through the needle!), and, ideally, hot (this is optional, but if it is not, I would just say not to do your injection outside at -20 ° C, say, because it risks sticking! 🤪).

You also want your preparation to be homogeneous so that you inject the same thing everywhere.

The required tools

To inject, you don't need much. You need:

• An injector;
• An aluminum “pan” (or other container), to retain excess injection; and
• A bowl, for mixing the injection preparation.

As for injectors, we have different models that may interest you:

• The BBQ Québec Marinade Injector : An inexpensive injector ($9.99) with a plastic body and a removable needle. (This is the basic injector to have if you don't already have one.)
• The Injecterminator BBQ Québec : a stainless steel injector that comes with 3 different professional needles. Depending on the needle you choose, you can inject between 1 and 5 ml of liquid into your food. For $34.99, you really get your money's worth.
• The BBQ Québec Competition Injector : a perfect racing injector to have total control over the amount of liquid to inject. To fill it, simply place the tube directly into your injection mixture. Gone are the days when you always had to manually "pull" the liquid! A very good purchase for $34.99.

What's especially important with an injector, though, is using the right needle. It needs to be the right size and have the right number of holes for what you want to do. (The more holes, the more liquid will disperse inside the food.)

The technique

Once you have chosen your “food + injection mixture” combination, now comes the time to take action!

The most important thing is to inject the preparation every inch of the food so that it gets everywhere. To help you, visualize a grid on the piece of meat (for example) with which you are working. At each "square", stick the needle into the flesh of the animal.

Once the needle is inserted into the meat, press down on the top of the injector using back and forth motions so that the mixture penetrates the meat, without creating an "injection pocket".

And… that’s it. You simply need to repeat these steps until your food is nice and puffy. For extra cleanliness, make sure you work in a foil pan (or other container) so that the juices don’t drip onto your workspace.

How do I know if there is enough injection mixture?

Knowing if your food has the right amount of injection mix is ​​hard to say because it depends on the makeup of the injection mix. Usually, you don't want to put too much in it, but... it really depends on the mixture. There are some that you can inject very little to get enough, and then there are others that you can inject until the meat doubles in size so it's really hot. The trick I can tell you, though, is to watch videos and/or follow the dosage on the packaging of your injection mix, and quantify your preparation accordingly.

The wait

Finally, once the injection is complete, you need to give the food time to rest. Obviously, it all depends on what was injected, but generally, you can grill it right away. Some products, however, recommend waiting a minimum of 4 hours before doing anything with the food, such as Butcher BBQ injection mixes, which specify this on their packaging so that the mixes take effect. In the case of a fruit, on the other hand, you're lucky, you don't have to wait to bite into it! 😉

And… there you have it! Now you know everything there is to know about injections. I hope I’ve encouraged you to enjoy some succulent cuts of meat or funky fruits that have been injected. 😎

Happy BBQ! 🔥