Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

CountryLady's Note:

The signature sandwich from one of my favourite Canadian cities - the recipe from one of my favourite Canadian chefs, Cristine Cushing! If you don't want to go through the long process of cooking & smoking the brisket, just use the Montreal Spice Mix as a rub on a roast. Serve piled high slivers of smoked meat between 2 slices of rye bread with loads of mustard & a dill pickle on the side!

• Total Time: 3 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 brisket

Montreal Spice Mix

• 2 teaspoons peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 2 allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Montreal Smoked Meat

• 3 lbs beef brisket, with fat on
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 slices double smoked bacon
• 2 cups wood chips, such as apple,cherry or maple,soaked in water for 5 minutes

Directions:

1. Montreal Spice Mix: Over medium heat, toast the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds mustard seeds, allspice berries, celery seeds in a small sauté pan or cast iron frying pan until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Grind spices coarsely in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder; combine with the remaining ingredients.
3. Montreal Smoked Meat: Rub ½ of the spice mixture all over the brisket; let brisket sit for 1 hour or overnight so flavour permeates the meat.
4. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F; fit the rack of a roasting pan into a roasting pan, add wine to the roasting pan& put the brisket on the rack.
5. Cover the brisket with the slices of bacon, cover with foil& slow cook for 3 hours or until meat is tender.
6. Remove from oven& add remaining spice mixture; smoke brisket with the wood chips in a smoker over low flame according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 20 to 30 minutes.
7. OR use your barbecue to smoke the meat- wrap the wood chips loosely with foil paper, poke holes in the foil, add wood chips to the barbecue on medium high heat; when the chips start to smoke, turn the grill to low heat& put the meat on the upper part of grill.

Reviews

["Mean Bean" Chef #689367]

With the cumin, paprika, and coriander seed, the brisket had an almost latin flavor. We really liked it! I tripled the recipe and left out the celery seed and brown sugar. Next time I will only use one tablespoon of salt per brisket. I used a smoker to cook them. I smoked three three pound briskets for two hours @ 180*, then basted them with a stick of butter that had a tablespoon of pepper mixed in. I continued to smoke them @ 180* for two more hours. I then wrapped each brisket in foil and finished smoking them @ 225* for five more hours. After resting in the foil for a half an hour, I sliced into them and they were really great! Thanks CountryLady for sharing this unique rub!

[Chef #393959]

This rub has a wonderful toasted aroma and taste, might be a bit sweet for my taste but great overall results. I would prefer to smoke this over a day and low heat if I had the proper equipment, but this makes a close second.

[FrenchBunny]

I had made this on the weekend. Turned out great. Followed the recipe exactly, except I only found hickory chips to smoke the brisket so I used that. It was very tasty but I will have to admit it still didn't taste like the real Montreal Smoked meat. Must be the brisket. Canadian cows are just not the same as the USA. But it was wonderful none the less and I will be making it again that is for sure.