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Turkey Injection

Inject some extra flavor into your next bird

By Derrick Riches, About.com

Imagine a way to get your favorite flavors deep into your next turkey. That’s where injection sauces come into play. Sauces, rubs and marinades can only go so far but an injection gets right to the heart of the meat. By using a meat injector you can combine your favorite flavors and inject them straight into the thickest parts of the bird.

Meat injectors are basically a hypodermic needle with a large gauge needle. You use this syringe to place small amounts of sauces into thick parts of any meat before you cook it. Whether you are grilling, smoking, frying or roasting a turkey this is the best way to get extra moisture and flavor into the bird.

To make this work and to get the most from your injection sauce you need to start with a liquid that doesn't contain anything that might clog up the needle. Avoid flaky herbs, crushed garlic or anything else that might have a tough time getting through the needle. Good things to look for seasoned oils, vinegars, finely crushed spices, wines or beers.

Secondly, make sure to spread out your injection pattern. You want to get small amounts of the solution into as many places as possible. You also want to aim the needle to the middle of the meat. If you over shoot, the sauce will just slip through to the other side of the meat. If you don't get it in far enough it will seep out the hole it went in through.

On a final note try not to over power the flavor of the turkey. You might be tempted to add a lot of hot sauces or cayenne and end up with a turkey too hot to eat. Go with subtle and mild flavors or use strong flavors in small amounts. Remember you want to enhance the flavor of your turkey not cover it up.

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