Injections are the best way to get salt and flavor deep into the meat. You can simply inject a brine, or add sugar, spices, herbs, or even oils. But go easy. Injected ingredients can overwhelm the meat’s natural flavor. For information on injectors, see page 112.
Makes about 1 quart, enough to inject about 30 pounds of meat or poultry
Takes 10 minutes to make, 5 minutes to inject
1. Mix the ingredients for the brine in a large bottle or jar. Shake vigorously until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
2. Insert a marinade injection needle into the container of brine and fill the syringe. Insert the needle into the meat and push it toward the center. Press the plunger slowly and ease the needle out, injecting as you go.
3. Insert the needle in intervals about 1½ inches apart. Inject about 2 tablespoons of fluid per pound of meat. You want to avoid pockets of liquid. A little liquid will naturally follow the needle out of the puncture hole, but if it comes spurting out, apply less pressure.
4. You can cook injected meat right away or let the meat rest for an hour or even overnight. The injection will disperse a bit with time. (Discard any brine remaining in the syringe, which will be contaminated by the needle.) You can store unused brine in the refrigerator or freezer for months.