Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

In answer to your question:  I seriously doubt it. Think of how many hours it took to get to an IT of 160.  And after cooling, you want to steam heat it to 190?  That could take hours and could dry it out.  A better option would be to vac seal it with some juices and sous vide the brisket to your desired temp. No moisture loss but it will still take some time to get the temp to where you want it.

Yes excellent points. I am making Montreal style smoked meat. Apparently the old pros in Montreal smoke it, wrap it and leave it in the fridge for a week, and then steam it and serve it.  Perhaps I was confused in thinking that they "partially" cook it up to 160 and after the week in the fridge,  finish it off with steam up to 190...when in fact they smoke it up to the complete 190, in the fridge for a week, and then simply steam it up for slicing and serving. Does that sound more realistic? Thanks!

IIRC, Montreal Smoked meat is essentially like pastrami except that it gets its own blend of spices in the rub on it when smoked. The brisket is wet cured in a brine just like corned beef. Then, it’s rinsed to remove the excess saltiness and smoked to 160-170, just past the plateau. Then, like pastrami, it’s refrigerated, then steamed before service to somewhere in the low 190s. The result is a moist, very tender brisket that is firm enough to slice, yet tender enough for the slices to be thicker (say 1/4”). That's how Ive done pastrami, and it’s similar to what.you’ll find at Katz in NY or Langer’s in LA. There’s no bark in the BBQ sense because of the steaming. AFAIK, you can steam either on the stove top or in the oven. Either way, the brisket goes onto a rack in a pan over water and is tightly sealed in with either a lid or foil. I haven’t made pastrami in a few years, but as I recall, it only takes 2-3 hours to steam it to the finish temp because it has already gone through the plateau during the smoking. Certainly not an authority, but that’s been my experience. Admittedly, I have not tried making Montreal Smoked meat itself, only pastrami.

@Paul Irving posted:

Thanks for all the input. Based on it I am going to brine my 11 lb. brisket for three weeks. Then smoke it  to  160-170 F internal. Then wrap it immediately in foil and refrigerate for a week. Then back in the smoker [no wood] and get it up to low 190s. I hope that will give it a type of "steaming" in it's own juices.

I'm not sure if you'll get the same result putting it back into the smoker wrapped as opposed to unwrapped on a rack over water in a closed pan where the steam is heating and permeating through the meat. If you do use a pan with water to steam the brisket, start out with hot water so the steam generation will start right away.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×