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Injecting meat

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flachick
flachick Posts: 40
edited September 2012 in EggHead Forum
I have two injector needles-- one that fits on the end of my stainless steel baster and the other that came with the Tony Chachere injecting marinade. I tried using both of them to inject maple syrup into a ham, and ended up with needles plugged with fat and meat, and syrup everywhere. That left me so flustered that I forgot to add the bourbon to the maple-bourbon glaze. (Remedied during the cook). Anyway, what kind of needle do y'all use and where can I get one?
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited September 2012
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    Mine has a closed pointed tip, holes are on the sides of the needle. (versus an IV style needle, where there are no holes on the sides and the tip has a beveled point with hole - but I don't know if that style comes with any injector for food).

    The needle came with the injector and I bought it at Academy.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    One thing that may help is to "prime" the needle by holding it upside down and lightly depressing the plunger until you see a drop of marinade at the tip. Maintain pressure while you inject to keep the back-pressure from pushing the plunger back up. This is how I inject medication into patients after all. It may also help to water the Maple Syrup down a bit, as very viscous liquids are incredibly hard to inject.

    I actually use a BD 18-gauge blunt-fill needle with a 60 mL syringe for (food)injections. Unfortunately, it is not readily available for consumer purchase. The perks of a being a nurse, I suppose.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    And wrap the target meat with a saran-wrap type material before injecting.  Then inject straight through the wrap.  Really controls the stray shots and makes for quite a simple clean-up.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Philicious
    Philicious Posts: 346
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    Was the maple syrup room temperature or chilled out of fridge? I have had trouble with a similar marinade being cold.
    Born and raised in NOLA. Now live in East TN.
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  • Cullum
    Cullum Posts: 215
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    Could you inject while your inserting the needle so that marinade is coming out while your inserting the needle? I'm not sure. I've never tried it yet. I would like to marinade something soon.
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  • DonWW
    DonWW Posts: 424
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    lousubcap said:
    And wrap the target meat with a saran-wrap type material before injecting.  Then inject straight through the wrap.  Really controls the stray shots and makes for quite a simple clean-up.
    +1.  Genius!  I inject beef tenderloin with a blue cheese mixture and have never thought of this.
    XL and Medium.  Dallas, Texas.
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
    edited September 2012
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    Cullum said:
    Could you inject while your inserting the needle so that marinade is coming out while your inserting the needle? I'm not sure. I've never tried it yet. I would like to marinade something soon.
    I usually do the opposite - I stick the needle in, start slowly depressing the plunger, then when I see the meat or skin start to become "bulbous" I'll then start withdrawing the needle, all the while continuing to slowly depress the plunger the whole way out.

    Thus, it's squirting in as I'm pulling out... wait, that doesn't sound right :D
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • BGEGP
    BGEGP Posts: 47
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    I'm looking for a good injector does anybody have any recommendations or links as to where I might buy one?  I had a plastic type syringe but I'm looking for a better one.  
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
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    BGEGP said:
    I'm looking for a good injector does anybody have any recommendations or links as to where I might buy one?  I had a plastic type syringe but I'm looking for a better one.  
    Mine is like this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-5011-Stainless-Steel-Seasoning/dp/B000KDZ1VA

    or this: 

    http://www.amazon.com/PRADOTRADE-2035-Stainless-Marinade-Injector/dp/B00005NUVW

    I do not know the brand, but it is stainless like the ones I linked to, and seems pretty heavy duty.  I think I paid like $20-25 for it.  I bought it at a "brick-and-mortar" store & not online.  I like it, it does the job.
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • BGEGP
    BGEGP Posts: 47
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    Thanks Hillbilly-Hightech the Bayou-Classic  is just what I wanted.

    Thanks again!


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  • chrisnjenn
    chrisnjenn Posts: 534
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    Below is a link to the one I have. Yes it is expensive, but it will last my lifetime and more. Plus I compete so I use it a lot. I had the others mentioned above like the stainless steel Bayou one and it isn't very good IMO. Buy once and be done with it. http://spitjack.com/product/MAGNUM.html
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
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    chrisnjenn said:
    Below is a link to the one I have. Yes it is expensive, but it will last my lifetime and more. Plus I compete so I use it a lot. I had the others mentioned above like the stainless steel Bayou one and it isn't very good IMO. Buy once and be done with it. http://spitjack.com/product/MAGNUM.html
    Holy crap!!  That looks like something a horse doctor (or Barry Bonds' doctor) would use!!  =))

    That oughta do the trick alright!!
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • chrisnjenn
    chrisnjenn Posts: 534
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    Hillbilly-Hightech said:
    chrisnjenn said:
    Below is a link to the one I have. Yes it is expensive, but it will last my lifetime and more. Plus I compete so I use it a lot. I had the others mentioned above like the stainless steel Bayou one and it isn't very good IMO. Buy once and be done with it. http://spitjack.com/product/MAGNUM.html
    Holy crap!!  That looks like something a horse doctor (or Barry Bonds' doctor) would use!!  =))

    That oughta do the trick alright!!
    LOL.  It does look like something a vet would give to a horse or elephant.  It is a pleasure to use and easy to inject a pork butt, chicken, and brisket during comps.  It is solid, heavy, and built like a tank.  I find excuses to use it.  The others cost $20 and for about $30 more this is well worth it even for the backyard cook.  It is last a lifetime like our Eggs.
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  • flachick
    flachick Posts: 40
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    Thank you everyone for all of your helpful comments and suggestions. Much appreciated. And to Philicious, the syrup was at room temp.
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