Ingredients
Method
- Prep. Mix all the ingredients in a bottle and shake vigorously before injecting. Pour into a narrow container so you can suck fluid in through the needle. In a wide bowl it is hard to get the holes below the water line and you then need to unscrew the top, pour it into the syringes, spill it everywhere, screw on the top, inject, and repeat. I bought a V-shaped flower vase for the job.
- Inject. Insert the needle and go all the way to the center. Press the plunger slowly and ease the needle out. Insert the needle about every 1.5" (38.1 mm) apart and leave behind about 1 ounce (30 mL) per pound (453.6 grams). A little liquid will follow the needle out of the hole, but if it comes spurting out, use less pressure. We want to avoid pockets of liquid.
- Cook. You can cook right away, but if you let the meat rest for an hour or more, even overnight, the injection will disperse more evenly through the meat. Then dry the surface with a paper towel and apply your rub and cook.
Notes
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
Add umami. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of MSG such as Ac'cent.
Add herbs and spices. You can add herbs and spices such as garlic and pepper, but they can overwhelm the meat's natural flavor.
Add oil. After you have used a brine injection, if you want you can go back and inject a small amount of oil. You can't mix the oil with the brine since it floats to the top. If you don't have canola you can use another neutral flavored oil like corn oil. Olive oil can be strong flavored. You can try warm butter, but it tends to clog the needle when and form blobs in the bird when it hits the cold meat. The blobs disperse somewhat during cooking, however.