Montreal smoked meat

Ingredients

Brisket

• 4 kgbeef brisket, whole, with the fat cap on

Cure

• 100 gcoarse salt
• 18 gcuring salt, Prague powder no. 1
• 80 gbrown sugar
• 3 tbspcoarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbspcoriander seed, cracked
• 1 tbspmustard seed
• 1 tbspgarlic powder
• 2 tspground bay
• 1 tspground clove

Rub

• 4 tbspcoarsely cracked black pepper
• 3 tbspcracked coriander seed
• 1 tbspgarlic powder
• 1 tbsppaprika

To serve

• light rye bread
• yellow mustard
• dill pickles
• cherry cola, by tradition

Directions

1. Keep it labelled and well away from children, and never substitute a larger quantity for a longer cure. Trim the brisket, leaving a fat cap about 5 mm thick. Leave that fat on. It bastes the meat through a very long cook and a trimmed brisket comes out dry.
2. Mix all the cure ingredients and rub them into every surface of the brisket, working into the folds. Put it in a large non-reactive container or a bag, cover, and refrigerate for 10 days.
3. Turn it and rub the liquid over it every day without exception. The daily turning is what keeps the cure even. Fry a small slice to test the salt before you go further, and soak longer if it is still too strong. Pat it dry and press the pepper and coriander rub over the whole surface, thickly.
4. Smoke at 105 to 110°C (220 to 230°F) over hardwood for 6 to 8 hours, until the internal temperature reaches about 75°C (165°F).
5. Steam the smoked brisket for 2 to 3 hours until it reaches about 95°C (203°F) inside and a skewer slides in with no resistance. The steaming is not optional and it is what makes the meat that soft.
6. Rest it 20 minutes, then slice it by hand against the grain, about 5 mm thick. Hand-slice it rather than using a machine, which is what Schwartz’s does, because a slicer compresses meat this tender.
7. Pile it thickly on light rye with yellow mustard, and nothing else. Order it medium-fat if you are buying it, which is the standard cut and the one most people mean.

Technique

• It freezes well sliced, and is reheated by steaming rather than microwaving.
• Schwartz’s serves it with a pickle, fries and a black cherry soda.
• The smoke, the cure and the steam are three separate stages and skipping any of them changes the result.

Substitutions

• A stovetop smoker or a covered barbecue with wood chips.
• A large steamer, a colander over a stockpot, or a covered roasting tin with water.

Variations

• Sliced lean, medium or fat, which is how it is ordered.
• In a poutine, with cheese curds and gravy.
• Pastrami, the related New York version.

History

Brought by Eastern European Jewish immigrants around 1900; Schwartz’s opened on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in 1928 and still cures brisket by hand.

Frequently asked questions

What is Montreal smoked meat?

Montreal smoked meat is a main from Canada: cured spiced brisket piled high on rye with mustard. Brought by Eastern European Jewish immigrants around 1900; Schwartz’s opened on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in 1928 and still cures brisket by hand.

How long does Montreal smoked meat take to make?

Montreal smoked meat takes 1 hr plus 10 days curing of preparation and 10 hr of cooking. The recipe makes about 3 kg. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Montreal smoked meat?

Yes, within limits. A stovetop smoker or a covered barbecue with wood chips. A large steamer, a colander over a stockpot, or a covered roasting tin with water.

What is the most important thing to get right in Montreal smoked meat?

Keep it labelled and well away from children, and never substitute a larger quantity for a longer cure. Trim the brisket, leaving a fat cap about 5 mm thick. Leave that fat on. It bastes the meat through a very long cook and a trimmed brisket comes out dry.