A pork butt has plenty of fat, but an injection adds flavor right to the center. This one uses apple juice, a little vinegar and sugar for a classic sweet-tangy pulled pork. Use about 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) per pound of meat.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tbsp melted butter (optional)
Steps
- Add the apple juice, water, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and Worcestershire to a small pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Take it off the heat and stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and butter, if using.
- Chill the injection until cold before using it.
- Measure about 1 oz (2 tbsp) per pound of pork. An 8 lb butt needs about 1 cup. Pour that amount into a clean bowl and keep the rest separate.
- Keep the pork cold from the fridge. Inject in a grid about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart, all over the butt. Press the plunger slowly while pulling the needle out.
- Wipe off any leaks, then pat the surface dry and add your rub. Cover and refrigerate 1–12 hours, or go straight to the smoker.
- Smoke at 225–275°F until the pork reaches about 195–205°F and a probe slides in with little push. That's well past the 145°F safe temperature for pork.
- Throw out any injection left in the bowl that the needle touched. Wash the injector in hot, soapy water.
Why this works
Pork butt is a big, thick cut. Rubs flavor the outside, but the center can taste plain. The salt in this injection seasons the meat from the inside and helps it stay juicy over a long cook. Apple juice and brown sugar give the classic sweet pulled pork flavor, and the vinegar keeps it from being too sweet.
How much injection per pound?
Plan on about 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) per pound. That's 1 cup for an 8 lb butt and 1 1/4 cups for a 10 lb one. A bone-in butt has less meat around the bone, so go a bit lighter near it. Some liquid will run back out. That's normal.
Food safety
Injecting pushes surface germs into the meat. Keep the pork cold until it goes on the smoker, use a clean bowl and needle, and throw out leftover injection that touched the meat. Since pulled pork cooks to about 195–205°F, the center ends up far above the USDA safe temperature.
Pair it with a rub
Cut back on salt in your rub, since the injection has salt in it. A sweet rub like our sweet and smoky rib rub is a good match. Follow the full cook in our smoked pulled pork recipe, then top it with Carolina gold mustard sauce.
Gear for this recipe
Thin liquids like this one flow through any needle. For thicker injections with spices, see our list of the best meat injectors.
Variations
- Spicy. Add 1 tbsp hot sauce and the full cayenne.
- Savory. Swap the apple juice for low-sodium chicken broth and cut the sugar to 1 tbsp.
- Peach. Use peach nectar in place of apple juice.
Make ahead / storage
Mix it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Shake or stir it before using.
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