Montreal Smoked Meat

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg (5½ lb) beef brisket, trimmed to 5 mm (¼ in) fat

Brine

• 3 litres (12 cups) water
• 190 g (¾ cup) kosher salt
• 60 g (¼ cup) sugar
• 6 g (1 tsp) pink curing salt (Prague powder #1 only, from butchers, sausage-making suppliers or online, not Himalayan pink salt; about 2.5 g per kg of meat)
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp pickling spice
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

Rub

• 3 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp cracked coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds, cracked
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Rye bread, yellow mustard and dill pickles, to serve

Steps

1. Simmer the brine ingredients in a large pot for 5 minutes until the salt and sugar dissolve. Cool completely and chill.
2. Submerge the brisket in the brine in a non-reactive container, weighting it down. Cure in the fridge for 8 days, turning every 2 days.
3. Remove the brisket, rinse, and soak it in cold water for 1 hour. Pat dry and let it air dry in the fridge, uncovered, overnight if you can, so the surface turns tacky.
4. Mix the rub and press it thickly onto all sides.
5. Heat a smoker or grill to 110°C (225°F) with oak or maple. Smoke the brisket, fat side up, for 3 hours until the surface is dark mahogany.
6. Move the brisket to a deep pan, add 250 ml (1 cup) water, and cover tightly with foil. Steam in a 120°C (250°F) oven for about 2 hours, until the beef feels very tender and probes at about 93°C (200°F).
7. Rest for 30 minutes in the pan, then slice about 5 mm (¼ in) thick against the grain, cutting through both fat and lean.
8. Pile onto rye bread with plenty of yellow mustard, with a dill pickle alongside.

Notes

• Oven version: skip the smoker; roast on a rack at 120°C (250°F) for 3 hours, then steam as in step 6, adding a pinch of smoked paprika to the rub.
• Make ahead: the cooked brisket keeps 3–4 days chilled; steam slices over simmering water to reheat, as delis do.
• Curing salt: it is essential for safety and colour; weigh it accurately and use Prague powder #1 only.
• Freezer: freeze sliced portions with a splash of their juices for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge and steam until steaming hot.
• Pair with: crisp fries and a vinegary coleslaw, as at the delis.