Hand-cut smoked meat piled high on rye with yellow mustard — Montreal's legendary deli sandwich, brined and smoked low and slow.
Montreal smoked meat is a spiced, brined and smoked beef brisket, sliced thick by hand and piled generously between two slices of light rye bread with nothing more than yellow mustard — a deliberately simple presentation that lets the meat itself do all the talking. Brought to Montreal by Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it developed its own distinct identity from New York pastrami through a different spice rub, heavier on black pepper and coriander, and a longer, gentler smoke. The brisket is brined for a week or more, coated in a cracked pepper and coriander rub, then smoked low and slow before being steamed to finish, a two-stage process that keeps it moist while still developing a firm, dark, peppery crust. Delis like Schwartz's slice it to order, cutting fatty or lean depending on the customer's preference, and pile it absurdly high — a proper Montreal smoked meat sandwich should barely close. Home versions can't replicate a week-long brine and commercial smoker overnight, but a shortcut version using a pre-brined brisket or corned beef, heavily re-seasoned and smoked or slow-roasted, gets remarkably close to the real thing.
Serves 6
Combine cracked pepper, coriander, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder and mustard powder. Rub thoroughly over the whole brisket, pressing it into the surface.
Smoke at 110°C (225°F) for 5-6 hours, or slow-roast covered in an oven at the same temperature, until internal temperature reaches 90°C and the meat is fork-tender.
The heavier pepper-and-coriander crust is what distinguishes Montreal smoked meat from New York pastrami — don't skimp on it.
Wrap the brisket in foil with a splash of water and steam over a pot of simmering water (or in a covered dish in a low oven) for 45-60 minutes to soften further.
Rest 15 minutes, then hand-slice against the grain into thick slices.
Spread yellow mustard generously on rye bread. Pile the smoked meat high — at least 200g per sandwich — and close.
Slice against the grain, not with it — slicing with the grain makes the meat chewy no matter how tender the brisket is.
The steaming step is what makes deli smoked meat so tender; skipping it leaves the meat drier and tougher.
Warm the rye bread slightly before assembling — cold bread against hot meat is jarring.
Use a pre-made corned beef brisket as a shortcut base, re-seasoning it heavily and smoking for 2-3 hours instead of brining from scratch.
Ask for 'medium fat' at a real deli, or leave some fat cap on your homemade version — it's what keeps the meat from drying out.
Serve with a side of dill pickles and fries, the classic Montreal deli combination.
Refrigerate sliced smoked meat up to 4 days. Reheat gently by steaming over simmering water for a few minutes to restore moisture; microwaving dries it out.
Montreal smoked meat developed in the early 1900s as Jewish immigrants, many from Romania, brought Eastern European brisket-curing traditions to Quebec, eventually distinguishing itself from New York pastrami through its distinct pepper-forward spice rub. Schwartz's Deli, opened in 1928 on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, remains the most famous purveyor and helped cement the sandwich as one of Canada's most recognizable regional foods.
Montreal smoked meat uses a spicier, more pepper-and-coriander-forward rub and is traditionally made from brisket, while pastrami typically uses a sweeter, more garlic-forward cure and can be made from other cuts as well — the two are cousins, not the same dish.
Yes — a low, slow oven roast followed by the steaming step gets you most of the way there, though you'll miss the authentic smoky bark of a real smoker.
This usually means it wasn't cooked long enough to break down the connective tissue, or it was sliced with the grain instead of against it — check for fork-tenderness before slicing, and always cut across the grain.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 6 servings total
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