Overview

A practical guide to formulating and using injected brines for pork shoulder that boost moisture and savory depth without compromising food safety. Includes percentages, workflow, and a clean base recipe you can tune for Texas or Carolina profiles.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder, bone‑in (6–10 lb / 2.7–4.5 kg)
• Base injection solution (yields ~1 liter / 1.06 qt):
• • Cold water: 1000 g (1 liter)
• • Kosher salt: 20 g (2.0% by weight) [weigh; Morton ≈ 1 tbsp ~18 g, Diamond ≈ 2 tbsp ~20 g]
• • Light brown sugar: 10 g (1.0%) ≈ 2 tsp
• • MSG: 4 g (0.4%) ≈ 1 tsp
• • Food‑grade sodium phosphate (STPP or meat phosphate blend), optional: 3 g (0.3%) ≈ 3/4 tsp
• • Worcestershire sauce: 10 g (about 2 tsp)
• • Apple cider vinegar, optional for a hint of brightness: 5 g (1 tsp)
• Your preferred pork rub, to taste (apply externally; not part of the injector)

Equipment

• Meat injector (12–14 gauge needle, multi‑hole if available)
• Digital scale (0.1 g resolution preferred for additives)
• Small saucepan or pitcher for mixing
• Fine mesh strainer or coffee filter
• Instant‑read thermometer and pit probe
• Butcher paper or heavy foil
• Nitrile gloves and sanitizer for tools
• Food‑safe container for chilling solution
• Cooler/Cambro or warm oven for holding

Wood

Hickory, optionally blended 50/50 with apple; post oak for a milder Texas profile

Time & Temp

Time & Temp
Smoke temp: 270 °F (132 °C)
Target internal: 203 °F (95 °C)
Approx duration: 9 hours

Why Inject Pork Shoulder

Injection lets you place a measured, clean-tasting brine directly into lean zones that dry out—especially around the money muscle and the horn. Unlike soaking, injection is fast, repeatable, and doesn’t wash off rub or soften bark. Done right, it raises water-holding capacity, seasons the interior subtly, and supports a consistent, juicy pull without a hammy texture.

Salt Percentages and Batch Math

Think in percentages. For shoulder, a 1.8–2.2% salt injection solution is standard. Inject 8–10% of the meat’s weight by mass. Example: for a 3.6 kg (8 lb) butt, inject 288–360 g/ml of solution. A 2.0% salt solution at 10% pump yields roughly 0.18% added salt inside the roast; the surface rub provides the rest of the perceived seasoning. Keep particles minimal and fully dissolved—solutions should flow through a 12–14 gauge injector without clogging. Always weigh salt; volumes vary wildly between brands (Morton vs. Diamond Crystal).

Flavor Builders: Keep It Clean and Functional

Sugar at 0.5–1.0% rounds edges and helps browning. MSG at 0.3–0.5% adds savory without muddiness. Food‑grade sodium phosphates (STPP or blended sodium phosphates) at 0.25–0.35% of the solution increase pH and water retention—useful for long cooks or leaner shoulders. Avoid heavy acids in the injector; they reduce phosphate effectiveness and can firm proteins unpleasantly. If you want apple or vinegar notes, keep the acidic portion under 5% of the solution and lean on the spritz or finishing sauce for the brighter notes. Use liquids and dissolved powders only; steep spices in hot water, then fine‑strain and chill before mixing to prevent clogs.

Food Safety: Injection Changes the Rules

Injection moves surface microbes into the interior, so treat injected shoulder like mechanically tenderized meat. Keep solution and meat at or below 40°F (4°C) before injecting. Sanitize the injector between pieces and after use. After injection, hold the meat refrigerated and covered; do not leave injected pork at room temperature. During the cook, target a pit temperature that ensures the roast reaches 140°F (60°C) internal within 4 hours; if it’s lagging, raise pit temperature. Cook well past 145°F (63°C) anyway for pulled pork, but the early climb matters. Do not add curing salts (nitrite) unless you’re intentionally making a cured product and following a curing formula. Cool leftovers to <40°F (4°C) within 4 hours; reheat to 165°F (74°C).

Base Injected Brine Recipe and Workflow

This is a clean, competition‑style backbone you can tweak for regional flavor. It delivers moisture, subtle seasoning, and umami without tasting processed. Steps: 1) Mix the solution completely and chill to 34–38°F (1–3°C). 2) Weigh the roast and calculate 8–10% injection by weight. 3) Inject on a 1–1.5 in (2.5–4 cm) grid, angling the needle to distribute without blowouts. 4) Rest injected pork 1–4 hours refrigerated to equalize. 5) Apply your rub just before the cook. 6) Smoke at 265–275°F (129–135°C) with steady, clean hickory or post oak. 7) Wrap in butcher paper or foil when bark is set and the internal reads 160–170°F (71–77°C). 8) Cook until probe‑tender in the money muscle and near the blade (usually 200–205°F / 93–96°C). 9) Rest vented 10 minutes, then hold wrapped 1–2 hours at 150–165°F (66–74°C) before pulling. Doneness checks: the bone should wiggle free; a skewer should slide in with butter‑like resistance.

Regional Tweaks Without Compromising Function

Carolina‑leaning: swap 10–20% of the water for unsweetened apple juice and add 5–10 g apple cider vinegar per liter of solution; keep phosphate at the same level and avoid dairy or oils. Texas‑leaning: keep the base as written and lean on a pepper‑forward rub and post oak; add 2–4 g Worcestershire powder or 10 g liquid per liter for subtle depth. Kansas City‑leaning: keep sugar at 1% and finish the pulled pork with a mild, tomato‑based sauce rather than loading sweetness in the injector.

Troubleshooting and Pit Notes

Mushy texture: back off phosphate to 0.2–0.25% or reduce injection volume to 7–8%. Salty interior: lower solution salt to 1.8% or reduce pump percentage. Pockets and squirts: inject with smaller shots at multiple angles and slow the plunger; avoid thick particles. Washed bark: don’t inject immediately before rub; allow a short refrigerated rest so purge doesn’t dissolve the crust. Dry pull despite injection: cook longer—collagen conversion, not just moisture, drives juiciness. Raise pit to 275°F (135°C) during the stall and let it go probe‑tender, not just to a number.

Wood, Smoke, and Fire Management

Hickory is classic for pork shoulder in the Carolinas—medium‑heavy smoke that plays well with a savory injection. Post oak yields a steadier, milder Texas‑style profile. Fruitwood (apple or cherry) can be blended at 25–50% to soften edges without losing backbone. Whatever the species, prioritize clean combustion: thin blue smoke, dry splits, and steady airflow. Bark sets faster and cleaner when the fire is running clean at 265–275°F (129–135°C).

Yield, Holding, and Storage

An 8 lb (3.6 kg) bone‑in butt typically yields 4.5–5.5 lb (2.0–2.5 kg) pulled. For service, hot‑hold wrapped at 150–165°F (66–74°C) up to 3 hours. If you must hold longer, separate the fat cap and add a little warm defatted jus when pulling to keep strands glossy. Rapidly chill leftovers in shallow pans to <40°F (4°C) within 4 hours; refrigerate 3–4 days or freeze 2–3 months. Reheat covered at 300°F (150°C) with a splash of reserved juices to 165°F (74°C) internal.

Notes

• Calculate injection volume: weight of roast (g) × 0.08–0.10 = milliliters/grams of solution to inject.
• Chill solution to 34–38°F (1–3°C) before injecting; keep meat refrigerated until it hits the pit.
• For injected roasts, ensure the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C) within 4 hours; run the pit 265–275°F (129–135°C) to make that window.
• Do not use household TSP; use only food‑grade sodium phosphates labeled for meat processing.
• Avoid chunky spices in the injector; if using spice teas, steep, fine‑strain, and fully dissolve; test flow through the needle before injecting.
• Probe tenderness beats a single temperature: check between the blade bone and money muscle; the bone should wiggle free easily.
• Diamond Crystal and Morton kosher salts measure differently—always weigh salts for injections.
• Storage: leftovers 3–4 days refrigerated, 2–3 months frozen; reheat to 165°F (74°C).
• Do not add curing salts (nitrite) unless following a curing recipe that specifies ppm and holding times.