Tried injecting brisket with beef broth - total mess

I thought I'd be clever last weekend and inject a whole packer with warm beef broth before smoking it. The meat turned out mushy and the bark never set right, even after 14 hours on my offset smoker in Nashville. I ended up pulling it off early because the internal temp hit 208 way too fast from all that extra liquid. Has anyone else had this happen with injections, or did I just pick the wrong liquid to pump in there?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_williams5d ago

Warm beef broth" - yeah, because all that meat needed was a hot bath before it even hit the smoker. Might as well have injected it with soup and called it a day.

sean485d ago

Heat that broth first, you'll scald the meat and cook the outside before the smoke even gets a chance to work. Cold liquid is the only way to go if you want even penetration. Plus warm broth just makes a mess when you're trying to rub the meat down.

white.keith5d ago

Sean, I get what you're saying about cold liquid and even penetration, but I've been doing it the OTHER way for years and my results say different. Warm beef broth on a cold brisket actually helps that rub STICK better since the meat's fat softens up a little, letting the seasoning grab hold. I've never once had a problem with the broth scalding anything because it's only like 130 degrees, not boiling. And that "hot bath before the smoker" idea from Kevin? I've pulled plenty of briskets that came out tender and smoky all the way through with that method. Maybe try it on a cheap cut first just to see what I mean.