Montreal Smoked Meat

Ingredients

• •2.25 kg (5 lb) whole beef brisket, untrimmed (flat and point together)
• •6 g (1 level tsp) Prague Powder #1 pink curing salt (6.25% sodium nitrite) — see curing safety note
• •30 g (2 tbsp) kosher or non-iodised coarse sea salt
• •15 g (1 tbsp) dark brown sugar
• •10 g (1 tbsp) whole black peppercorns, half coarsely cracked and half left whole
• •10 g (1 tbsp) whole coriander seeds, half coarsely cracked and half left whole
• •4 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
• •2 whole bay leaves, finely crumbled
• •5 g (1 tsp) yellow mustard seeds
• •2 g (½ tsp) ground allspice
• •20 slices light or dark rye bread
• •60 ml (¼ cup) yellow ballpark-style mustard, for serving

Directions

1. 1CURING SAFETY — MANDATORY: Weigh your brisket precisely. Measure Prague Powder #1 at exactly 0.25% of the meat's weight (6 g / 1 level tsp per 2.25 kg). Use ONLY Prague Powder #1 (sodium nitrite); never use Prague Powder #2 or saltpetre, which are for long dry-cured products and are unsafe here. Never guess — always weigh the curing salt.
2. 2Make the cure: combine the weighed Prague Powder #1, kosher salt, brown sugar, the whole (uncracked) black pepper, the whole coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice, crumbled bay leaves, and minced garlic paste in a small bowl and mix thoroughly so the pink curing salt is evenly distributed through the blend.
3. 3Pat the brisket dry. Rub the entire cure mixture firmly and evenly over every surface of the brisket, pressing it into all crevices. Place the brisket in a large zip-lock bag, press out all the air, seal tightly, and set it in the refrigerator at 4 °C (39 °F) or colder on a tray. Cure for 6 full days, turning the bag over once each day to redistribute the liquid that forms. Do not rush or shorten the cure.
4. 4After 6 days, remove the brisket from the bag and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water. Place it in a large pot or deep container, cover completely with cold water, and soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours to draw out excess surface salt, changing the water once at the 1-hour mark. Remove, pat dry, and allow to air-dry on a rack at room temperature for 30 minutes so the surface is tacky.
5. 5Make the smoke crust: combine the coarsely cracked black pepper and coarsely cracked coriander seeds (the other halves you set aside) in a small bowl. Press this mixture firmly and generously over the entire surface of the brisket — it should form a visible crust.
6. 6Smoke the brisket: prepare your smoker to run at 107–120 °C (225–250 °F) using hardwood chunks or chips (hickory, oak, or cherry work well). Place the brisket fat-side up on the smoker grate. Smoke until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the flat reads 71 °C (160 °F), approximately 3.5–4.5 hours depending on your smoker. The bark should be deep mahogany and fragrant.
7. 7Steam to tenderness: transfer the smoked brisket to a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Add 500 ml (2 cups) of hot water to the pan below the rack. Tent tightly with a double layer of heavy-duty foil, crimping the edges to seal in steam. Place in a 150 °C (300 °F) oven and steam until the brisket is very tender and a probe or skewer slides in with almost no resistance, about 2 to 2.5 hours. The internal temperature will reach 90–95 °C (195–203 °F). This steaming step is what separates Montreal smoked meat from Texas brisket — it must not be skipped.
8. 8Rest the brisket tented under foil for 30 minutes before slicing. Identify the direction of the grain — in a whole brisket the flat and point run at an angle to each other, so adjust your knife accordingly. Using a sharp carving knife, slice across the grain by hand into slices about 4–5 mm (scant ¼ inch) thick — not paper-thin, not thick-cut, but the classic medium-cut standard of Montreal delis. Pile generously high.
9. 9To serve: lay two slices of rye bread on each plate. Spread one slice generously with yellow mustard. Pile a tall, generous mound of sliced smoked meat — roughly 180–200 g (6–7 oz) per sandwich — on the bread, press the second slice on top, and cut diagonally. Serve immediately while the meat is hot and steaming, with a dill pickle and a few pickled peppers on the side if desired.
10. 10Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 4 days; reheat by steaming slices for 3–5 minutes over simmering water, never in a microwave, which dries them out.

💡 No smoker? Roast the crust-coated brisket uncovered on a rack in a 120 °C (250 °F) oven until the thickest part reads 71 °C (160 °F), about 4 hours, with 1 tsp smoked paprika added to the pepper crust for colour and a gentle smoky note — then steam exactly as in step 7.

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