Montreal came to us...

As I've been sharing with you all some of our delicious meals this past weekend, I've been really excited to post this final one. At long last, our Sunday dinner of smoked meat!

From package to delicious!

One of the most unique gifts for our wedding came courtesy of Matt's aunt and uncle, Ken and Elva, and came in a FedEx box via Montreal. It also came with directions that it should stay refrigerated, so immediately we were curious about the parcel's contents. What we found was the above vacuum-packed brisket of meat from Schwartz's Deli! You might remember our visit to Montreal this past December to enjoy their famous smoked meat sandwich, so we were absolutely delighted with this gift and could not wait to try it out! Well, that was what Sunday was for.

After reading the directions on the package, we divided the meat into 4 pieces (3 to freeze for a later date, 1 to enjoy this weekend). We steamed the meat in a home-made steaming concoction for 2 hours and waited anxiously as the scents of deli meat filled the condo, making us even hungrier! We had prepared well for this day, making sure to pick up a fresh loaf of rye bread (on our trip to Kensington Market the day before), a full bottle of mustard in the fridge, and of course salt and vinegar chips and coleslaw to enjoy along side the main course. And to wash it all down, a cherry cola (Matt ran out to get those from the Grindhouse when we realized that we needed them to complete the meal). And we were NOT disappointed! The steaming worked perfectly to give us very juicy slices of meaty goodness... and ta da!!!

Matt and I certainly enjoyed these sandwiches, as is evident from the photos. I had to ask Matt to describe the taste and experience himself, as he is truly the smoked meat expert of the two of us.

“I have to admit – I was expecting it to be good but not THAT good. As I ate the sandwich, I literally felt like we were at Schwartz’s. All we were missing was a server who was slightly rude and trying to rush us out the door. There is a certain taste that Schwartz’s has to their smoked meat this is unlike any other brisket I’ve ever eaten. It’s why they are unparalleled in my books and why our Sunday dinner actually exceeded the already high expectations I had. P.S. Even though I loved it, nothing beats my wife’s cooking. ”

Matt summed it up pretty well, and I agree with everything he's written, so there isn't much more for me to add. I loved biting into the fresh bread with a hint of rye peaking through the tartness of the mustard, which off-set the saltiness of the meat, and rounding it out with a sip of the Cherry Coke. Well, Ken and Elva, thank you for bring this meat into our lives! We look forward to enjoying at least three more meals like this, and all without having to leave the comfort of the condo. And now that we know how great cooking the brisket at home can be, we will certainly make sure to pick up another on our next trip to Montreal. And for all you smoked meat lovers, I recommend, next time you are in Montreal, head on up to Schwartz's for a taste you're sure to remember.

And to you, Dear Sandwich, with all your salty and mustardy goodness... we'll see YOU again soon!