Preparation
Although the preparation method is similar to that of New York pastrami, Montreal smoked meat is cured in seasoning with more cracked peppercorns and savoury flavourings, such as coriander, garlic, and mustard seed. The recipe for Montreal steak seasoning is based on the seasoning mixture for Montreal smoked meat. Montreal smoked meat is made with variable-fat brisket, whereas pastrami is more commonly made with the fat-marbled navel/plate cut. This is because "navel is much harder to find in Canada because of its British beef cut tradition". The use of brisket means that smoked meat is "not fattier throughout the cut, but it has a larger cap of fat, and it has a stringier texture, more fibrous. American-style pastrami is more marbled with fat and has a denser texture." Montreal smoked meat is typically served in the form of a light- rye bread sandwich accompanied with yellow mustard. While some Montreal smoked meat is brine-cured like corned beef, with spices applied later, many smoked meat establishments prefer dry-curing directly with salt and spices.History
The origins of Montreal smoked meat are uncertain and likely unresolvable. Many have laid claims to the creation or introduction of smoked meat into Montreal. Regardless, all of these stories indicate the creators are of the Jewish Diaspora from Romania or Eastern Europe: * Some point to Benjamin Kravitz, who founded Bens De Luxe Delicatessen & Restaurant in 1910, as the introducer of Montreal smoked meat. According to the Kravitz family, he used a brisket-curing method he recalled being practised by Lithuanian farmers. His first smoked meat sandwiches were made and sold from his wife's fruit and candy store. * According to Eiran Harris, a Montreal historian, Herman Rees Roth from New York may have created the first smoked meat sandwich in 1908, selling them from his deli, the British American Delicatessen Store. * In another claim by Bill Brownstein, the smoked meat was brought over in 1902 by Itzak Rudman, who was an accomplished salami and smoked meat maker who had a shop on de Bullion Street (formerly Cadieux Street). * In yet another possibility, a butcher by the name of Aaron Sanft who arrived from Iași, Romania, in 1884 founded Montreal's first kosher butcher shop (Sanft Kosher Meat at 560 Craig Street (now Saint Antoine Street)) and likely made smoked meat in the Romanian style similar to '' pastrama''.Serving
Warm Montreal smoked meat is always sliced by hand to maintain its form, since doing so with a meat slicer would cause the tender meat to disintegrate. Whole briskets are kept steaming and sliced up on demand when ordered in the restaurant to maintain its temperature. Even when hand-cut, Montreal smoked meat produces a considerable amount of broken bits when sliced. These pieces are gathered together and commonly served with French fries, cheese curds, andCultural identity
Montreal writer Mordecai Richler, in his novel '' Barney's Version'', sardonically described the spices used in the smoked meat at Schwartz's deli as a "maddening aphrodisiac" to be bottled and copyrighted as "Nectar of Judea". Montreal smoked meat is offered in many diners and fast food restaurant chains throughout Canada. Montreal smoked meat has also been added in to Quebec dishes such asSee also
* Deli meat * Montreal steak seasoning * Cuisine of Quebec * Montreal-style bagel * Reuben sandwich * Pastrami * Corned beef * List of sandwiches * List of smoked foodsReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montreal-Style Smoked Meat Canadian cuisine Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Montreal Smoked meat Jewish cuisine Lunch meat Sandwiches Montreal cuisine Cuisine of Quebec Jewish Canadian cuisine Jews and Judaism in Montreal Romanian-Jewish culture in Canada Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine