Recipe courtesy of Stephen Warren

Brewburger's - Old Fashioned (Montreal Smoked Meat)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 2 days 5 hr 15 min
  • Prep: 15 min
  • Inactive: 2 days
  • Cook: 5 hr
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Brine:

Directions

Special equipment:
smoker, maple wood chips
  1. Place 1 brisket fat down in a pan. Completely submerge the brisket with the brine.
  2. Brine 2 days in the refrigerator.
  3. Remove the meat from the brine and rub the meat with 4 tablespoons pickling spices.
  4. Place the meat in a smoker for 2 hours with maple wood chips.
  5. Remove from the smoker and place in a pan with 2 cups of water. Wrap with aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 3 hours at 250 degrees F.
  6. Remove from the oven, slice, and enjoy with rye bread and mustard.
rated 4.5 of 5 stars

11 Reviews

rmarshall100
rmarshall100June 4, 2014
rated 1 of 5 stars
The recipe is incomplete. What are the ingredients and proportions for the "pickling spices"?
Beamer12
Beamer12September 13, 2012
rated 5 of 5 stars
I live in North Eastern Vermont so I am no stranger to Montreal Smoked Meat. At least once a summer some friends and I will get on our motorcycles and head for Quebec for a sandwich, nearly every town in Quebec serves it so we don't always go to Montreal. ( there are also several restaurants in VT that serve it I can see the day coming when I won't want to drive that far for lunch so I thought I would give this recipe a try. I followed the recipe to the letter, even to the point of cutting down a Maple sapling in the woods behind my house and cutting it up for my smoker. The result was smoked brisket as good as I have had anywhere in Quebec. Steve C. Shelburne, VT
babbababba
babbababbaFebruary 5, 2012
rated 5 of 5 stars
I had dozens if not hundreds of sandwiches at “Charcuterie Hebraique de Montreal” A.K.A. Schwartz's.
Throughout the years I asked the same question many times to different employees, “How do you make the smoked meat”, the answer is almost always the same (very slight variations, the meat is cured for 10 days, smoked for 8 hours and steamed for 3 hours.
I believe, hard as rock, that the origin is in the pickling spices, the smoked meat spices is derived from the pickling and their steak spices is derived from the smoked meat spices. It is also believed that at a certain point in time Schwartz's sold the steak spices formula to McCormick (Montreal Steak.
Since I now live in Miami and can no longer pay Schwartz a visit I will try my best to copycat their smoked meat. My advise for all those looking to make Montreal Smoked Meat is buy some McCormick's Montreal steak seasoning or go into Schwartz's web site and order some of theirs spices (they will mail it.
Roguewavetoo
RoguewavetooMarch 9, 2011
rated 5 of 5 stars
No, I haven't made this yet, but I'm giving it a 5 star rating on faith, and hope that if it's as good as some of the other reviewers said it is, then it might even deserve a 10. I thought good smoked meat couldn't be found outside of Montreal, and haven't had any in years. Yes, I will be making this, later this year, as I'm more likely to do this than make a trip up to Montreal, as much as I'd like to go up there and visit with friends and family, but can't right now.
dinovf1
dinovf1February 13, 2011
rated 5 of 5 stars
This is corned beef not Montreal Smoked Meat.

Here is a recipe I use:

Montreal Spice Mix Base (no salt)
3 Tbsp peppercorns
1 Tbsp dill seed
2 tsp corriander seed
1/2 Tsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 Tbsp dehyd minced garlic
1 Tbsp dehyd minced onion
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4 1/2 Tbsp of kosher salt
2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
Toast first 6 ingrediants over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes
grind coarsely with mortar and pestel, add remaining 3 ingrediants. *Add hickory smoked salt to taste for a great ready to use spice mix for grilling.

Optional. Mix amount of Morton Tender Quick per brisket weight as directed on package 1 Tbsp Turb sugar and amount of desired spice mix, apply evenly over meat side (not on fat cap side).

Allow brisket to cure at least 5 days per inch of thickness in 40º or less fridge. Agitate and flip daily.




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Food Network User
Food Network UserOctober 2, 2010
rated 4 of 5 stars
I tried the recipe and kept in brine for 5 days . I then smoked it over charcoal several hours and steamed the brisket . The outcome was a little tough but good. My brisket was very very salty. Anyone recommend more of a Schwartz tasting old fashionned spice mix ?
Matthew P.
Matthew P.July 7, 2010
rated 5 of 5 stars
Can I used a standard B'bque for smoking by putting wood chips in foil packages on the direct heat side and my brisket on the other indirect heat side?
Thanks for the feedback. Can't wait to get going on this recipe. Also can I use another cut of beef besides the brisket?
John K.
John K.May 24, 2010
rated 5 of 5 stars
Tried the receipe this weekend and turned out great. I kept in brine for 3 days not 2 and cooked in the oven for 4 hours not 3. Served with Rye bread as suggested is great.
Frederic P.
Frederic P.April 30, 2010
rated 5 of 5 stars
Hi,

I bought a smoker and tried the recipe myself.

Brined for 5 days (not 2). Smoked for 2 hours then oven-steamed until internal temperature gets over the 200 degrees plateau up to over 215 degrees. That indicated no more collagen in the meat and it is now tender.

I added 1 smoked hot hungarian pepper and juniper berries to the pickling spices (my personal touch and it worked very well)

It is also important to steam before slicing. Steaming slices in a microwave alters the experience in a bad way.

I had doubts about approaching the quality of Schwartz but to my amazement, it tasted almost the same. The only difference in taste comes from the Schmuck factor. 90 years of smoke and fat is layered inside Schwartz smoker room which affects the taste. The older the smoker, the better is tastes.
Gary S.
Gary S.June 27, 2009
rated 5 of 5 stars
I purchased a 18 pound brisket at Western Beef. I followed the recipe tripling all the seasoning. I purchased the Prague Powder on-line. I let the brisket soak for 5 days in a plastic vegetable draw of my refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. I wish that I could share a slice of the delicious smokey beef with all of you. I used Hickory wood because I could not find maple. You MUST try this recipe if you are a Deli meat lover or a barbecue aficionado!

Guy thank you so much for finding this recipe for us.

Gary Solomon