Hi, all! This question, I think, is better suited to Dr. Blondin or anyone who has more than just anecdotal stories to tell on this topic.
I make Montreal smoke meat from scratch, at home. For the good Americans out there who haven't been blessed with a trip to Smoke Meat Pete, or Deli Bees, or, heaven forbid, Schwartz's (all three in Montreal), MSM is a kissing cousin of pastrami. Spiced a little differently, made with brisket, not plate, tends to be more piquant than pastrami, and is a quintessential part of Jewish Montreal food. (For greater clarification, the differences are better explained here: http://www.mrbbq.ca/2010/01/smoked-m...f-brisket.html)
The method is pretty simple. Dry cure it for the requisite amount of time using spices, salt, sugar and #1 (I suppose you can wet-cure, but call me a snob, purist, whathaveyou- I dry-cure), smoke it, let it rest, and then steam it. The steaming is an integral part of the method. Why? It completely changes the texture from something delicious, but firm, into something that that has enough integrity that it can be cut into slices with a knife, but at the same time is tender enough that the connective tissue is barely holding on, and may be flaked off with a spoon. You might dream of Katz's; I dream of Smoked Meat Pete.
In any event, I've been making it for years, but get inconsistent product. I'd smoke it "till done" and steam it "till done". Makes no sense and is the reason, I think, that I get inconsistencies in results.
My question to any food-sciency guys or gals out there:
Big hunks of meat like texas brisket are relatively easy- low-and-slow to about 203F, potentially using the crutch and a cambro to help things out. How does the curing change the process and the end temperature to be achieved while smoking? How does the steaming affect the end temperature to be achieved while smoking? How much of each is too much, versus not enough? What, ideally, are the temps you want to aim for in both the smoking and the steaming, in order to get a consistently fabulous, tender, melting off the sandwich, punch-your-best-friend-in-the-face deliciousness?
Thanks in advance to anyone who dares to take a stab at this one. I'm a week or two away from buying 30 lbs of brisket, cutting them into chunks and experimenting by rote!
I make Montreal smoke meat from scratch, at home. For the good Americans out there who haven't been blessed with a trip to Smoke Meat Pete, or Deli Bees, or, heaven forbid, Schwartz's (all three in Montreal), MSM is a kissing cousin of pastrami. Spiced a little differently, made with brisket, not plate, tends to be more piquant than pastrami, and is a quintessential part of Jewish Montreal food. (For greater clarification, the differences are better explained here: http://www.mrbbq.ca/2010/01/smoked-m...f-brisket.html)
The method is pretty simple. Dry cure it for the requisite amount of time using spices, salt, sugar and #1 (I suppose you can wet-cure, but call me a snob, purist, whathaveyou- I dry-cure), smoke it, let it rest, and then steam it. The steaming is an integral part of the method. Why? It completely changes the texture from something delicious, but firm, into something that that has enough integrity that it can be cut into slices with a knife, but at the same time is tender enough that the connective tissue is barely holding on, and may be flaked off with a spoon. You might dream of Katz's; I dream of Smoked Meat Pete.
In any event, I've been making it for years, but get inconsistent product. I'd smoke it "till done" and steam it "till done". Makes no sense and is the reason, I think, that I get inconsistencies in results.
My question to any food-sciency guys or gals out there:
Big hunks of meat like texas brisket are relatively easy- low-and-slow to about 203F, potentially using the crutch and a cambro to help things out. How does the curing change the process and the end temperature to be achieved while smoking? How does the steaming affect the end temperature to be achieved while smoking? How much of each is too much, versus not enough? What, ideally, are the temps you want to aim for in both the smoking and the steaming, in order to get a consistently fabulous, tender, melting off the sandwich, punch-your-best-friend-in-the-face deliciousness?
Thanks in advance to anyone who dares to take a stab at this one. I'm a week or two away from buying 30 lbs of brisket, cutting them into chunks and experimenting by rote!
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