Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

Method

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1. Make the brine: bring 500 ml of the water to a simmer with the salt, sugar, curing salt, garlic, pickling spice and 1 tablespoon of peppercorns, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the remaining 2 litres of cold water and stir. The brine must be completely cold before the meat goes in.

   Mark done

2. Trim the brisket, leaving a layer of fat about 5 mm thick on one side. Put it in a large non-reactive container or a food-safe bag, pour over the cold brine so the meat is fully covered, and weigh it down with a plate.

   Mark done

3. Refrigerate for 5 days, turning the meat over once a day.

   Mark done

4. Lift the brisket out of the brine, rinse it well under cold water and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Throw the brine away.

   Mark done

5. Make the crust: crack the 3 tablespoons of peppercorns and the coriander coarsely, in a mortar or under the flat of a knife, so they are in pieces and not powder. Stir in the garlic powder, paprika, brown sugar and mustard seeds, then press the mixture firmly over every side of the meat.

   Mark done

6. Set up a smoker, or a covered barbecue for indirect heat, at 120°C / 250°F and add a few chunks of oak or hickory. Smoke the brisket fat side up for 4 hours, until the crust is dark and the inside reads 85°C.

   Mark done

7. Heat the oven to 150°C / 300°F. Wrap the brisket tightly in two layers of foil with 120 ml of water and cook for 2 hours more, until a skewer slides in with almost no resistance and the meat reads 95°C / 205°F.

   Mark done Start 2 hr timer

8. Rest the meat, still wrapped, for 20 minutes. Unwrap and slice it against the grain, by hand, about 5 mm thick.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

9. Pile the meat onto slices of rye spread with mustard and serve with dill pickles.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Weigh the curing salt and use pink curing salt no. 1, not pink Himalayan salt. It makes a five-day cure safe and turns the meat pink.
• Slice against the grain. Brisket cut along the grain is stringy however well it is cooked.
• No smoker? Skip the smoking, add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the crust and cook the wrapped brisket at 150°C for 5 hours. It will be less smoky but as tender.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Dill pickles
• A crisp coleslaw
• French fries

Storage & Reheating

Keep the cooked, unsliced meat wrapped in the fridge up to 5 days. Reheat slices in a covered pan with a splash of water. Freeze in portions for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.