We’ve all been there: mouthwatering meat on the grill, sizzling it’s way to juicy, flavourful perfection. Hot off the grill and on to your plate, it’s time for the moment of truth: the first bite. Instead of an explosion of juicy flavour hitting your tastebuds, it’s dry, crumbly and little-to-no flavour can be detected. What happened? One of the most likely reasons is it didn’t marinade long enough. Luckily, there’s a short-cut. By applying a marinade injection into your meat, you add instant flavour and moisture to it and likely more than would be absorbed through traditional marinading since it goes straight to the meat itself. Read on for how to use this method.
What can be injected?
You can inject an array of things, ranging from salt water to butter, but we suggest using a marinade if you’re aiming for maximum flavour and not just moisture. You can also add olive or pepper oils, spices, syrups, sauces, stocks, broths and butter.
What kind of injector should you use?
There’s an array of options when it comes to injectors, and some can appear pretty complicated. Our primary advice is always to find one that’s simple and easy-to-use for you. As long as the needle has sharp tip, the injector has the capacity for at least two ounces and won’t leak, you’re good to go.
HOT TIP – Avoid brass, copper or aluminium since their integrity can be affected by salt.
How do you inject the meat?
Pinch the skin, insert the needle in the direction of the skin’s grain and slowly inject the marinade. Be mindful of injecting too much, as the meat could become too supple. To finish, push the plunger in while slowly pulling out the needle.
Make sure to evenly inject the marinade throughout the meat, creating as few punctures as possible. Tip: Use the same hole to angle into other areas of the meat if possible. The goal is to get flavour in as many places as possible. If the liquid comes out of the surface, just baste the skin with a little rub or marinade.
HOT TIP – Make sure you wash the injector needle after each use. If you need to remove small pieces of trapped meat, use a toothpick or wire to coax it out.
