Injecting a brisket to smoke

Try it and find out, keep experimenting to find what you like... That's the fun of smoking, trying new things to see what works for you and what doesn't...

The salt/pepper Franklin fan boys won't like it though. They don't ever make one anywhere close to the caliber of their hero though, so you shouldn't care so much about them.

Did it once with creole butter, was kind of a big mess and didn't notice any difference really.

Wouldn't really recommend doing it

Brisket or pulled pork don't really need it. Chicken, definitely.

dont do it. doesnt need it

I've done it before. It is tough because of the density of the meat. My best success was a combination of beef broth and crab boil. The crab boil gave it a kick and was definitely recognizable after it was cooked. I'm not sure if any other flavors would come through.

Why would you want to inject anything that you are smoking? Especially a brisket? Why even bother smoking it in the first place? I thought people smoke things to get a smokey flavor. If you inject, won't you just be tainting the smoke flavor with something foreign?

I inject a little brine of salt water, sometimes with garlic, and it makes a difference getting the salt into the thicker part of the cut. Salt and a little garlic sometimes is all I use on the outside too.

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Thoughts

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Most everyone on the competition circuits injects. At least the ones who walk do. You can go to a site like Kosmos BBQ or Butchers BBQ if you want what they use. Or you can just use a super concentrated beef broth, using like 6 tbsp. beef base to 1 quart of water.

Also a good tip for injecting is to wrap your brisket in cellophane before injecting to prevent the blow back.

Most importantly is to get a good cut of meat. Certified Angus Beef is really the only route to go unless you spend big money on prime or wagyu. Make sure it has the CAB logo on it or it will be some sort of knock off Angus. It is like $5.99/ here, but totally worth it.

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To add flavor to the meat in addition to the smoke. Why can't there be both?

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Everyone has their preference I guess. It just seems odd to me, like putting steak sauce on a steak or mixing a high quality spirit with coke instead of drinking it straight. Why mask the taste of something of good or high quality? Brining and injecting are used to enhance the flavor of not so flavorful meats, like turkey. Those methods don't seem to fit for something like a brisket or pork butt.