 Montreal-style smoked meat fromSchwartz's in Montreal | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Canada |
| Region or state | Montreal, Quebec |
| Created by | Disputed; various Jewish delicatessens in the city |
| Main ingredients | Smoked meat,mustard, andrye bread |
| Cuisine of Quebec |
|---|
 |
Montreal-style smoked meat,Montreal smoked meat, or (mainly in Quebec) simplysmoked meat (French:viande fumée,lit. 'smoked meat', or sometimesbœuf mariné, 'marinated beef')[1] is a type ofkosher-styledelicatessen meat product made by salting and curing beefbrisket with spices. The brisket is allowed to absorb the flavours over a week. It is thenhot smoked to cook through, and finally is steamed to completion. This is a variation oncorned beef and is similar topastrami.
Although the preparation method is similar to that of New York pastrami, Montreal smoked meat is cured in seasoning with more crackedpeppercorns and savoury flavourings, such ascoriander, garlic, and mustard seed.[2] The recipe forMontreal 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-marblednavel or plate cut.[3][4] 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."[5]
Montreal smoked meat is typically served in the form of a light-rye breadsandwich accompanied withyellow 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.
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:
Warm Montreal smoked meat is always sliced by hand to maintain its form, since doing so with ameat 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 withFrench fries,cheese curds, andgravy assmoked meat poutine or served over spaghetti with Bolognese sauce or even pizza.
Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches are typically built with seedless, light rye bread, and piled with hand-sliced smoked meat about 5 cm (2 in) high, dressed with yellow prepared mustard. The customer can specify the amount of fat in the smoked meat:
Montreal writerMordecai Richler, in his novelBarney's Version, sardonically described the spices used in the smoked meat atSchwartz's deli as a "maddening aphrodisiac" to be bottled and copyrighted as "Nectar of Judea".[9]
Montreal smoked meat is offered in many diners and fast food restaurant chains throughout Canada.[10] Montreal smoked meat has also been added in to Quebec dishes such aspoutine.[11] Along with bagels, smoked meat has been popular inMontreal since the 19th century and is identified as emblematic of the city's cuisine. Despite the food's origins in, and association with, Montreal's Jewish community and, contrary to what is sometimes asserted, delis are seldom certified askosher.[4]
After the Quebec government passed theCharter of the French Language (Bill 101) in 1977, theOffice québécois de la langue française (OQLF) took action against the leading Montreal smoked meat delicatessen retailing imported kosher goods that did not meet its labelling requirements, an action perceived in the Jewish community as an unfair targeting andantisemitism. In particular,Dunn's got in trouble with the OQLF for having the English word "Smoked Meat" on the sign out front. Dunn's, along with other well-known delicatessen establishments, fought the OQLF's original order to change the name of "Smoked Meat" to "Boeuf Mariné" in order to conform toQuebec Language Law.[12] They won the ruling on appeal by proving that if they didn't advertise "Smoked Meat" they would confuse and anger customers.[13] A good example of this wasParti Québécois MNAGérald Godin who himself ordered the sandwich by its English name.[14] Due to the work of Myer Dunn, under the ruling enacted in 1987, the French word "smoked meat" gained legal recognition in Quebec.[15]
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