Smoked meat
Encyclopedia
Smoked meat is a method of preparing red meat
(and fish
) which originates in prehistory
. Its purpose is to preserve these protein-rich foods, which would otherwise spoil quickly, for long periods. There are two mechanisms for this preservation: dehydration and the antibacterial properties of absorbed smoke. In modern days, the enhanced flavor of smoked foods makes them a delicacy in many cultures.
).
since the nineteenth century, and has taken such strong root in that city that many Montrealers, and even many non-Montrealers, identify it as emblematic of the city's cuisine. Current and former residents and tourists make a point of visiting Montreal's best-known smoked meat establishments such as Schwartz's
, Lester's, Roi du Smoked Meat (Smoked Meat King), Abie's, Snowdon Deli, Smoked Meat Pete's, Main's Deli and Dunn's Famous, even taking whole briskets away as take-out
.
Warm Montreal smoked meat is always sliced by hand in order to maintain its form since doing so with a meat slicer
would cause the tender meat to disintegrate. Whole briskets are kept steaming and sliced up on demand when ordered in the restaurant.
, and is often associated with other foods popularized by Jewish communities, such as bagel
s. In The United States it is referred to as pastrami
which is derived from the . However, lovers of pastrami vociferously argue that the consistency, flavoring, seasoning and color of pastrami differs significantly from that of smoked meat. Pastrami comes in two flavors-"old fashioned" which is a process where the meat is naturally aged or cured and "regular" a process whereby additives are used to age the meat. Generally, those who have tested traditional "New York Deli" pastrami agree that it is similar, but not identical, to pastrami Smoked Meat. Both the dish and the word were brought to North America with the wave of Jewish immigration from Bessarabia
and Romania
in the second half of the 19th century; it is similar to roast brisket
, a signature dish of the local Jewish cuisine of these regions. Smoked meat, also known as salt beef in London
, is cured, spiced, and flavoured in ways similar to corned beef. Difference in meat cut and spicing mean that smoked meat's taste is different from either of these, and even varies among recipes.
, also known as Barbecue
or BBQ were developed to use the "cheaper" cuts of meats, as they were typically tough and deemed "undesirable". The "low and slow" cooking methods tenderized the connective tissue
s in the meat made these cuts a sought after delicacy . Usually done in a "low temp" environment (200 °F to 300 °F) (93 °C to 149 °C), they take a significant amount of time to prepare, which breaks down the connective tissues and collagens within the meat, and renders out of the fat. A sub-category is the plethora of sauces and "mops" that are used to flavor and further tenderize the meats. BBQ has become a culinary art form, and hundreds of competitions are held yearly.
Red meat
Red meat in traditional culinary terminology is meat which is red when raw and not white when cooked. In the nutritional sciences, red meat includes all mammal meat. Red meat includes the meat of most adult mammals and some fowl ....
(and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
) which originates in prehistory
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
. Its purpose is to preserve these protein-rich foods, which would otherwise spoil quickly, for long periods. There are two mechanisms for this preservation: dehydration and the antibacterial properties of absorbed smoke. In modern days, the enhanced flavor of smoked foods makes them a delicacy in many cultures.
General
Smoking of meat and fish has been practiced for ages. Indigenous cultures around the world may have used smoke during the drying of fish to drive away the flies. They soon found that the absorbed smoke acted as a preservative. Perhaps the most famous "smokers of meat" were the Caribbean natives who smoked it on a rack over a smoky fire, a setup they called "barbacoa" (one possible etymological origin of barbecueBarbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
).
Montreal smoked meat
Along with bagels, smoked meat has been popular in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
since the nineteenth century, and has taken such strong root in that city that many Montrealers, and even many non-Montrealers, identify it as emblematic of the city's cuisine. Current and former residents and tourists make a point of visiting Montreal's best-known smoked meat establishments such as Schwartz's
Schwartz's
Schwartz's, also known as the Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen is a delicatessen established in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, a Jewish immigrant from Romania. It is a landmark at 3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard and the most famous Montreal-style smoked meat restaurant. Schwartz's often has a line extending...
, Lester's, Roi du Smoked Meat (Smoked Meat King), Abie's, Snowdon Deli, Smoked Meat Pete's, Main's Deli and Dunn's Famous, even taking whole briskets away as take-out
Take-out
Take-out or takeout , carry-out , take-away , parcel , or tapau , is food purchased at a...
.
Warm Montreal smoked meat is always sliced by hand in order to maintain its form since doing so with a meat slicer
Meat slicer
A meat slicer, also called a slicing machine, deli slicer or simply a slicer, is a tool used in butcher shops and delicatessens to slice meats and cheeses. The first meat slicer was invented by Wilhelm van Berkel in Rotterdam in 1898...
would cause the tender meat to disintegrate. Whole briskets are kept steaming and sliced up on demand when ordered in the restaurant.
Pastrami
Famous among early smokers of meat are the Ashkenazi Jewish communities in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and is often associated with other foods popularized by Jewish communities, such as bagel
Bagel
A bagel is a bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior...
s. In The United States it is referred to as pastrami
Pastrami
Pastrami , is a popular delicatessen meat usually made from beef and, traditionally in Romania, also from pork and mutton. In Israel, "Pastrama" is the term used for sliced chicken and turkey. Like corned beef, pastrami was originally created as a way to preserve meat before modern refrigeration...
which is derived from the . However, lovers of pastrami vociferously argue that the consistency, flavoring, seasoning and color of pastrami differs significantly from that of smoked meat. Pastrami comes in two flavors-"old fashioned" which is a process where the meat is naturally aged or cured and "regular" a process whereby additives are used to age the meat. Generally, those who have tested traditional "New York Deli" pastrami agree that it is similar, but not identical, to pastrami Smoked Meat. Both the dish and the word were brought to North America with the wave of Jewish immigration from Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
in the second half of the 19th century; it is similar to roast brisket
Brisket
Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the eight beef primal cuts. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. As cattle do not have collar bones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving...
, a signature dish of the local Jewish cuisine of these regions. Smoked meat, also known as salt beef in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, is cured, spiced, and flavoured in ways similar to corned beef. Difference in meat cut and spicing mean that smoked meat's taste is different from either of these, and even varies among recipes.
Southern BBQ brisket
Smoke meats from the southern United StatesSouthern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, also known as Barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
or BBQ were developed to use the "cheaper" cuts of meats, as they were typically tough and deemed "undesirable". The "low and slow" cooking methods tenderized the connective tissue
Connective tissue
"Connective tissue" is a fibrous tissue. It is one of the four traditional classes of tissues . Connective Tissue is found throughout the body.In fact the whole framework of the skeleton and the different specialized connective tissues from the crown of the head to the toes determine the form of...
s in the meat made these cuts a sought after delicacy . Usually done in a "low temp" environment (200 °F to 300 °F) (93 °C to 149 °C), they take a significant amount of time to prepare, which breaks down the connective tissues and collagens within the meat, and renders out of the fat. A sub-category is the plethora of sauces and "mops" that are used to flavor and further tenderize the meats. BBQ has become a culinary art form, and hundreds of competitions are held yearly.
Health concerns
One study has shown a positive correlation between frequency of consumption of smoked foods and intestinal cancer.See also
- Beef jerky
- Deli meat
- New York-style pastramiPastramiPastrami , is a popular delicatessen meat usually made from beef and, traditionally in Romania, also from pork and mutton. In Israel, "Pastrama" is the term used for sliced chicken and turkey. Like corned beef, pastrami was originally created as a way to preserve meat before modern refrigeration...
- Smoked fishSmoked fishSmoked fish are fish that have been cured by smoking.Foods have been smoked by humans throughout history. Originally this was done as a preservative...
- Smoking
- Suho mesoSuho mesoSuho meso is a smoked beef food preparation eaten in Bosnian cuisine....
- List of sandwiches