Montreal Smoked Meat - Pastrami With A Twist

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO SERVE OR HAVE SERVED IN OUR MILITARY

Awhile back on the Meatwave (competition BBQ team) site, they posted a recipe for Montreal Smoked Meat which they said “is, more or less, Montreal's answer to pastrami.”  It sounded very similar to pastrami but they described it this way “In contrast to the overpowering spicy pastrami rub, the diverse Montreal seasoning created a more nuanced flavor that let the meat stand out, while still providing a robustness.”

Rather than reproduce their recipe here, which I followed except for the smoking process, please check their site for complete instructions and some excellent photos.  I used the Stumps Smoker preheated to 225*, and added the brisket fat side down - ready for the smoker.

I cooked it overnight to an internal temp of 177* using a remote probe thermometer – at this point I removed it from the smoker, sampled, let it cool, wrapped, and stuck in the fridge for use later.

During our recent RV trip, we decided to have it on a sandwich for supper one night, using bread from the Old Mill Pottery House and pickles from Brooklyn Brine Co., along with spicy mustard and Swiss cheese.  

I cut off about half of the brisket, let it come to room temperature, and steamed it for about an hour. 

I sliced as thin as I could with a dull knife, built the sandwich (except for the pickles), and fried in butter to a golden brown.  As you can see, it made a beautiful sandwich.

Unfortunately, it was way too salty even though I followed both the curing and soaking directions to the letter.  I'd hoped my salty sample at home was due to it being the thin end of the brisket.  I'm going to try soaking it again and see if it can be improved.  It’s always good to try new things, as it could have been magnificent, but I’ll stick to my old process for pastrami from here on – it was a purdy sammie though, wasn’t it? J

Sorry I'm so behind on reading and commenting on your blogs, but with readying for the wine group on last Wed and the blogger party today, it's been pretty hectic around here.  Will hopefully be better this week.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

5/14//13 meal date