schwartz’s smoked meat sandwich
replica #009 — schwartz's, montreal, may 2025. the smoked meat sandwich, from a 7-day cure to the rye and the yellow mustard. it asks for one thing: patience.
the spice rub (scaled to the brisket)
ingredients
for a brisket of W pounds, use — in grams:
prague powder (pink curing salt): 1.1 × W
ground mustard: 1.2 × W
black pepper: 1.5 × W
white pepper: 0.5 × W
garlic powder: 1.5 × W
onion powder: 1.5 × W
cayenne pepper: 1.5 × W
fennel seeds: 2.0 × W
sugar: 2.5 × W
salt: 10 × W
example: for a 3 lb brisket (w = 3), multiply each number by 3
method
thoroughly blend all the spices in a bowl.
7-day fridge cure
ingredients
1 beef brisket
the spice rub
method
pat the brisket dry with paper towels to remove any surface moisture.
rub the spice mixture evenly over the entire brisket, coating both sides.
wrap the brisket tightly in plastic wrap.
place the wrapped brisket in a large bowl or on a tray and refrigerate.
each day for 7 days, unwrap the brisket, blot off any liquid, flip it over and re-wrap it tightly.
finish the smoked meat
ingredients
the cured brisket
black tea, for the steaming liquid
method
soak the brisket in cold water for 2 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes, to remove the excess spice.
slow-bake at 100°c / 215°f for 10 hours.
steam over a tea-infused liquid for 4 hours, until tender and fragrant.
assemble the sandwich
ingredients
light to medium rye bread
french's classic yellow mustard
the smoked meat, sliced — a mix of fatty and lean
method
spread the rye with yellow mustard, pile on the sliced smoked meat, fatty and lean together, and close it up.
the step-by-step photos are on the replica project page · schwartz's, montreal.
