Montreal smoked meat is Canada’s answer to the pastrami sandwich. And it is a seriously great sandwich.
I love sandwiches. And my absolute favourite sandwich is the Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Piled high on rye bread with ballpark yellow mustard and served up with a kosher dill.
Montreal smoked meat is bullet proof BBQ brisket
My second favourite thing to do with a brisket is to smoke it Texas style. BBQ brisket is one of the truly great things in this world. In my opinion anyway.
But it’s hard to nail. Really hard. Overdone or underdone it’s dry. But there’s this point where BBQ brisket just jiggles when you poke it. Where it’s so juicy and flavourful. Magic.
I’ve tried many times. Sometimes it fantastic. Sometimes it’s not. But I can make Montreal smoked meat consistently. And so can you.
Making it is a campaign. Epic really. It takes 10 days start to finish. It takes up a bunch of room in your fridge. You have to tend to it every day. Smoke it then and then steam it. Real work. But it’s so worth it. And it’s pretty much bulletproof.
Montreal smoked meat is different than BBQ
Montreal smoked meat is cured, then smoked, then steamed. Just like pastrami. It’s made with beef brisket though. Pastrami is made with the navel.
You want to find a source for a high quality, untrimmed brisket. If the fat cap is any less than 3/8 inch stay away. Fat is critical. You want it. This isn’t health food. No doubt about that.
Curing salt is key
The first step is to cure the meat. So you need to know what you are doing. There are different formulas for curing salts. It’s important to understand the differences.
This recipe uses pink salt or prague powder number 1. It’s 6.25% sodium nitrite in salt. If you use a different curing salt follow the instructions to make sure you are using the right amount.
More is not better here. You want to use what you need and no more. These are nitrates. Those scary things everyone is always worried about. Pay attention. Maybe don’t eat this everyday. But once in a while probably won’t kill you.
It’s a 8 day cure. Seems like a long time. But it works. Wrap it up. Make room in your fridge. And flip it every day. That’s it. Not hard. Just slow. The ultimate slow food.
Eight hours in the smoker comes next
This is why it’s bullet proof. You aren’t trying to hit perfectly done in the smoker. Just trying to give it some good smoky flavour and a nice bark.
Pull it after eight hours and put it back in the fridge. Don’t worry. You’ll finish it in a steamer. A big steamer.
Montreal smoked meat is finished in a steamer. For 2 to 3 hours. This is where you get that wonderful jiggly texture. That perfectly juicy beef.
Then it’s just a matter of letting it rest. Then all you need to do is slice it thin across the grain. And pile it high on good rye bread. A little ballpark mustard. Heaven.
Try this when you have a bunch of friends coming for a backyard barbecue. Tell them the good old boys from Canada let you in on their secret. Only in Montreal and your backyard…
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montreal smoked meat
Ingredients
- 12-14 lb beef brisket flat and point with fat
The curing mix
- 8 oz black peppercorns cracked
- 4 oz coriander seed cracked
- 4 oz white sugar
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp whole cloves
- 10 dried bay leaves crumbled
- 3 tsp pink salt - prague powder number 1
The rub
- 6 oz black pepper corns, cracked
- 3 oz coriander seed cracked
Instructions
Cure the brisket
- Trim the brisket, removing pockets of hard fat and trim the fat cap (or just don't) to no less than 3/8 inch. Best to google this looking for "trim texas brisket".
- Combine all the cure ingredients and coat the brisket. You want to use all of it because you have included your curing salt in the mix and you need all of that. Wrap the brisket in plastic bags and place on a large cookie sheet. Refrigerate, turning the brisket over 2 times per day for 8 days.
- On the eighth day, soak the brisket in a sink of cool water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and refill, continuing to soak the brisket. Repeat this for 3 hours (6 water changes), dry the brisket and coat it with the pepper corn, coriander seed rub. Back into the fridge it goes.
Smoke the brisket
- On the ninth day smoke the brisket for 8-9 hours at 225-250F with maple if you have it. You may need to separate the brisket into the flat and the point to fit it onto the smoker. You should just be hitting the stall at this point. You are looking for an internal temperature of 155-165F.After 8-9 hours remove the brisket from the smoker, let cool slightly and refrigerate overnight.
Steam the brisket
- On the tenth day, set up a steamer that will fit all this wonderful brisket. Outside is better. This is going to smell. Plan for this step. You are going to need a big steamer. I use a turkey fryer with an inverted strainer and about 3 inches of water to steam my smoked meat.
- Steam the brisket gently for around 3 hours. Don't let it boil dry. You are looking for a couple things. A 195-200F internal temperature will ensure tender Montreal smoked meat every time. Probe tender is the other key indicator. Take the opportunity to figure that out by getting a feel for it when you hit 195F.
- Probe tender means when you insert your probe you don't feel any resistance in the meat. It's like pushing a hot probe through warm butter. It just slides in. This is a good to learn if you are going to do briskets or pulled pork - it's how the pros figure out what's done and what's not.
- Once you hit 195F and probe tender pull the brisket and let it cool to around 160-170F. This can take up to an hour.
- Once it's cool enough to handle slice thinly against the grain with a sharp knife. Serve a mix of the flat and the point in each sandwich. Pile it high on rye bread with yellow mustard and you'll have a sandwich worthy of any of the Montreal smoked meat shrines in Montreal.
Just to let you know that briskets are on sale this week at Sobey’s ( Ottawa )
for $3.50 a lb ! Time to get ready for a smoke-off !
Haha. I have a 17 lb monster in the freezer but I’m thinking it will be Texas style brisket for a change. Going to pull out some of my best charcoal for that just as soon as it’s warm enough enjoy being outside. It will be curbside pick up for my neighbours soon. Think I’ll send them home with some beans and slaw as well.
Hi Romain,
This recipe is amazing thank you for sharing. Question : sometimes when I make it there is a grey “eye” in the center of the brisket. Did I just not cure it long enough?
That’s the only think I can think of. People are getting monster briskets these days. I developed this recipe with around 12 lb packers.
Hi Romain,just to let everyone know around Ottawa that briskets are on sale this week at 2.99 a pound at Independant Grocers, Wow!Time to stock up!
Thanks for the heads up!
Howdy,
I’m at the smoke stage of this project – steaming tomorrow. I’m using a Traeger pellet smoker that has the ‘super smoke’ function. Any thoughts on whether to use that function or just run it as is?
Mine is a 21lbs brisket; smoked meat for days!
Cheers.
Monster brisket! I don’t have a Traeger but I don’t think super smoke is necessary…
Hello, I would like to try your recipe, but I’m a little concerned about your instructions on how much pink salt to use. Most recipes say that sodium nitrite is a chemical that should be weighed by an accurate digital scale, to at least 0.1g increments, and secondly, most websites state that you cannot simply “half” the amount of pink salt, if you are curing a piece of meat half as big as the recipe you are given. There is a formula for how much pink salt to use, according to the size of the piece of meat you are curing. So, you state 3 teaspoons of pink salt… I am concerned that this is not an accurate way to measure such an ingredient as sodium nitrate.
All that being said, I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I used to live in Montreal, and yours is the only recipe I have found that seems legit!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi
I’ve made this recipe and it’s was delicious,like Montreal smoked meat .
I did this recipe at least 5 time .
The only problem is that it was to dry and to red .
Sometimes once it reaches 195degree in the steamer it’s still not probe tender.
So what should I do?
Also if I want to make a whole brisket and then slice it and put under vacuum in small bags what is the best way to do it if I want to keep the moisture inside .
Thank you so much for thus recipe.
Looking forward to hear from you .
The red is from the cure (the pink salt). I don’t know how much you are using but for the amounts specified the brisket should look about like in the picture. Too dry sounds like either you are under or over the magic temperature. Usually it’s around 195-200F. Every brisket is a little different. I don’t know why that is but it is. There’s a point where the collagen is nicely broken down and everything is moist.
If it’s not probe tender at 195F then keep going. I don’t ever go above 203F because then you get to the other side and it starts to dry out pretty quickly. Sometimes it helps to cut the flat from the point so you can keep steaming the point if needed. That’s a call you need to make while cooking. I always keep an eye on the temp in both the flat and the point because you can run into trouble (dry flat) while waiting for the point to get to the right stage.
To cryovac I would cut chunks of smoked meat (not slices) and cryovac that. To reheat I take it out of the bag and steam gently. Note that your house will smell like smoked meat if you do this…
I am originally from Montreal and now live in Arizona. I look forward to trying your MSM recipe!
One question, do you have any recipe for making Smoked turkey that Schwartz’s made . I remember my father buying smoked Turkey as a treat once or twice a year. I wonder if it’s a similar cure mix before smoking?
I’ve never had the turkey at Schwartz’s. I have never managed to get enough of the MSM!
Maybe something like a shorter cure (with correspondingly less pink salt) and the same rub? Smoked to around 160F for white meat and serve (no steam)? If I could get to my smoker (winter here now) I would try that myself!
My memory of the smoked Turkey is that it was great cold!. A slight pink color and spicy smoke flavor. It had to be ordered weeks ahead.
Maybe other readers may know
As soon as this is all over I am going to Montreal to find out!
Smoking the brisket here in Gatineau tomorrow. I was wondering why you refrigerate the brisket for 12 hours after smoking? Can you go from the smoker to the steamer?
To give the meat a chance to rest. I’ve never tried it straight from the smoker to the steamer. I know it’s hard to wait but you’re nine days in already…
Hi,
I live in montreal and have a hard time sourcing whole packer brisket untrimmed. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
I’m in Ottawa so don’t really know my way around Montreal butchers but if you talk to your butcher I’m sure they could get one in for you. Any butcher that works with a meat packer should be able get them so long as they have some advanced notice.
Thanks!
First try at your recipe. Just hit 165 (after a long stall) and pulled my brisket off the smoker and was so tempted to go right to the steaming but will heed your advice to put in fridge overnight. I appreciate the importance of letting the meat rest. Give me time figure out something to steam it in. My first thought was steam on stovetop but you mentioned it’s smelly and my wife will not appreciate the house smelling like a the inside of my smoker😝. Will steaming on the side burner on my gas BBQ be ok even though it’s cold outside? Or maybe pull the grates and put the steaming pan right on the flavour bars above the burners with lid closed? Thanks!
Won’t smell quite like the inside of your smoker. It will smell like Montreal smoked meat. A lot.
If you can get water to boil you are golden. If you can’t you have a problem. Can you borrow a turkey fryer from someone by any chance? Maybe trade them a sandwich? That would be a good deal for them.
Hello,
What difference would it make if I make a wet brime for this recipe?
I have absolutely no idea. This recipe relies on a cure, not a wet brine.
You can find the super large ziplock bags at Dollarama here in Ottawa, big enough for a 14 pound brisket !
Just did this last weekend. Used Masterbuilt electric smoker, 14 lb packer. I used an electric turkey frier to steam. Took about 4 hours or to steam. Came out so good. Everyone is loving the meat. I have been asked to do one for my wifes co-workers.
Can you recommend a large brining bag for next time?
Maybe note on the recipe that spices are by weight rather than volume. I did volume but works out pretty close anyway. Thanks for the recipe.
That’s the danger with making Montreal smoked meat. Everybody wants some.
I just wrap in a couple of plastic grocery bags on a sheet pan. Wouldn’t know where to even find a big enough brining bag…
Tried this as well last week, and the result was amazing. Used an electric smoker and while I can’t compare to other methods, there was no complaining. Thanks for putting this together.
My pleasure. My crusade to convince the world that Montreal Smoked Meat is the greatest sandwich on the planet!
I was an easy sell being from Montréal, but I also managed to get thumbs up from my (German) family members as well as a neighbor I invited to sample. As COVID-19 prevented us from our yearly summer trip to Montréal, I had to do something to satisfy that craving. Will be making this again soon. Was just happy I managed to find all the ingredients, from the meat to the spices.
(I also have to admit I was a bit concerned after smoking but before steaming when the meat is rather tough).
Nice! Yes, the meat is tough before smoking because it hasn’t been pushed to the magic internal temperature that makes BBQ what it is. It’s like underdone brisket or pulled pork. Until you get to the jiggly probe tender stage it just isn’t good…
Have you ever tried using a digital/electric smoker? I’m considering getting a MasterBuilt or Bradley digital smoker and just curious if they are good for smoked meat and this recipe in general.
(Ps. I tried your recipe a couple of months ago – it turned out Amazing!)
Thanks
Never tried an electric smoker. I have charcoal and a real offset stick burner. For really long low and slow I like my kamodo with a controller. Set and forget.
I use my Bradley. It’s on right now. Works great. This recipe is awesome. I can’t thank you enough. Third time so far. I buy a whole brisket (16lbs), cut the flat off which fits perfectly in a x-large Ziploc freezer bag and coincidently fits perfectly on a Bradley rack. Use the point the day I start the cure, also on the Bradley. 1 brisket, 2 weekends. Have fun!
Just cut the recipe in half
You are very welcome. Your idea about 1 brisket over two weekends is a great one. Thanks for sharing!
Is the peppercorn measure by weight? So 8oz would be 2 cups?
Yes, by weight.