What is Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich, why is it famous, what type of flavors it has and how can you make it at home? This is what we are going to discuss here.
If you are a resident of Canada, this is a common name in terms of sandwiches that you have heard here. You might have tasted it too. Now for those who are unaware of this famous dish, let’s give them the answers!
What is Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich?
Have you ever heard of or tasted a Pastrami sandwich? Montreal smoked meat sandwich is a type of Pastrami sandwich. It is a Canadian classic dish that originated in Montreal, Quebec and thus it is named after its city of origin.
What it consists of is, slices of smoked beef brisket served on rye bread with mustard. The beef brisket is cooked with spices, such as peppercorns, coriander, garlic, and mustard seeds. These beef briskets are smoked and steamed to achieve tender and flavorful meat and a smoky flavor. The main part of the sandwich is also a mustard paste. The sandwich is often served with pickles or coleslaw and even fries. It is a famous dish in Montreal and can be found in restaurants throughout Canada.
History of Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich
Montreal smoked meat is a delicious sandwich with a mysterious past. Many stories exist about its origins, but they all point to the Jewish community from Eastern Europe, particularly Romania. This is why it is called Koshe-tyled Deli meat product.
One story says that Benjamin Kravitz, who started Bens De Luxe Delicatessen & Restaurant in 1910, was the first to make Montreal smoked meat. He fled Lithuania in 1899 and, with his wife Fanny Shwartz. There, he began serving smoked meat sandwiches from their fruit and candy store on St. Laurent Boulevard using his special brisket-curing method.
Another story is about Schwartz’s Hebrew Delicatessen, which was established in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, as the birthplace of Montreal smoked meat.
However, Montreal historian Eiran Harris disagrees with these stories. He believes that Aaron Sanft, a butcher from Romania, deserves the credit. In 1884, Sanft opened Montreal’s first kosher butcher shop. He advertised his meat as clean, fresh, and of the same quality as New York. He made salami, smoked meat, corned beef, smoked beef, and sausages.
Despite the debate over its exact origins, Montreal smoked meat remains a beloved part of Montreal’s food heritage.
Why is This Sandwich Famous?
This sandwich is famous for several reasons like:
- Smoked meat taste and aroma.
- Its traditional preparation method
- The smoked meat is cured with a blend of spices, that gives a flavor that sets it apart from other types of smoked meats.
How To Order If You Are in a Restaurant?
How to order this sandwich is what most people don’t know. Here’s how you can customize your order to get exactly what you want:
- The bread: Montreal smoked meat sandwiches are usually served with rye bread, but you can sometimes choose other options like white or whole wheat if available. This depends on your choice.
- Meat cut: The meat comes from different parts of the brisket, so you have options:
- Lean: This cut is from the flat of the brisket. It is less fatty and may be drier, but still packed with flavor.
- Medium: The most popular choice! This cut comes from the middle of the brisket, offering juicy slices with a mix of lean and fatty pieces, bursting with flavor and moisture.
- Old-Fashioned: If you want something between lean and fatty, this is the choice for you. The slices are often a bit thicker and offer a balance of meat and fat.
- Extra Add-ons: Some places offer extras like mustard or pickles to complement your sandwich. There is always a choice available. You can also ask to add coleslaw to your sandwich and also ask them to serve extra.
This is how you can order your favorite sandwich.
How To Make Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich at Home?
Making Montreal meat sandwich at home is not difficult because you can easily get the bread, mustard sauce and other adds and they are also easy to prepare. The main thing is its meat. As we have mentioned above its meat is smoked and cured in spices. This is the main thing and this is what we will discuss about making this sandwich. The thing that you must keep in mind is that it takes time to be prepared.
Keep in mind that you will need nearly a week to make this sandwich.
The ingredients that you will need are:
- Rye bread
- Spices for seasoning or Montreal steak spices
- Mustard sauce
- Beef brisket
- Mustard
- Pickle for serving
After collecting the ingredients move to the preparation method.
For preparing, take a beef brisket, and clean it. Place it in a big bowl for seasoning.
For Making Seasoning Spices
For making seasoning take the following spices
- Red pepper flakes
- Mustad seeds
- Black pepper
- Coriander powder
- White pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
Groud all these things in mortal and pestle or a spice grinder. The quantity of the spices is up to your choice and the size of the beef brisket you have chosen.
Now, after grinding these spices, put them in a bowl and add some salt and Prague powder number one to it.
Seasoning the Meat
In the next step, take your meat brisket and put these spices over it. Spread it all over the meat by tapping on it with water so that the dry powder, doesn’t get removed. Flip the side and repeat the same procedure. Make sure that the meat brisket is totally covered with the spices.
Now this is the time when you will need to keep the marinated beef brisket for few day or nearly a week so that the seasoning gets fully absorbed in it. Keep flipping the side and tapping on it regularly.
After a week, take out the meat brisket. In all these days, it has cured itself. Now it is ready to go into the smoker. At this point, some people prefer to rinse off the spices and sprinkle it with black pepper and other seasoning. However, it is up to you and there is no such strictness.
Before placing it in the smoker, place the flavored coal or essence wood for the smoked flavor that you want to give your meat. Place it in the smoker at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a temperature probe you can insert in it to know the internal temperature of the meat.
The temperature of the meat should be 160 or above before taking it out from the smoker. This will take a few hours nearly 3 or so. The best option is to keep checking.
Making the Sandwich
Now take the beef brisket and cut it into slices. Take two slices of bread, spread mustard sauce on it, then place the sliced beef in the middle of the two pieces and serve with pickle or coleslaw.
This is quite easy, indeed time-taking but the fact is your time pays off and you will get a delicious, juicy, and tender meat sandwich.
So, this is all about Montreal’s smoked meat sandwich. However, if you want to enjoy this famous sandwich out at some restaurant, check our comprehensive listing of halal restaurants and choose a restaurant for enjoying this delicious sandwich.