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Meat, Americas

Montreal smoked meat sandwich with fries

This Montreal smoked meat sandwich serves 4 and takes 40 minutes to make, for about €3.80 per person. It's a very easy recipe with rye bread, sliced smoked beef brisket, and homemade fries. The key is reheating the meat with steam so it stays tender instead of drying out.

We're heading to Montreal for a street sandwich, rye bread, thinly sliced smoked meat, mustard and pickles. Fries on the side.

Montreal smoked meat sandwich with fries
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
720 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

The thinly sliced smoked meat, warm and juicy, plays against the crunch of lightly toasted rye bread. Yellow mustard brings the sharpness that wakes everything up, and the pickle adds a crisp bite that cuts through the richness. It's a generous sandwich, meant to be eaten with your hands, no fuss, and genuinely filling.

This is the kind of meal Mon Chou suggests for a weeknight when nobody wants to overthink dinner. Kids like the mild smoky flavor and the homemade fries, while adults enjoy the street sandwich feel you'd usually find at a deli counter. Make it on a Sunday night in front of a movie too, as a family.

The ingredients

4 people

Bakery

  • Rye bread slices 8 slices

Butcher

  • Sliced smoked beef brisket or pastrami 450 g

Pantry

  • Yellow mustardoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Picklesoften in the pantry 8
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 800 g

Allergens Gluten, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the potatoes into fries, toss them with oil, season with salt, and bake at 220°C. 35 min

    Dry them well with a kitchen towel before oiling, they crisp up better.

  2. Reheat the smoked meat over a pot of hot water, in a covered strainer. 8 min

    If you don't have a strainer, wrap it in foil and heat it in the oven instead.

  3. Lightly toast the rye bread slices.

    A thin layer of mustard on each slice protects the bread from getting soggy.

  4. Spread mustard generously, pile on the hot meat, and close the sandwiches. Serve with fries and pickles.

    Cut the sandwich on the diagonal, you'll see the layers of meat.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick smoked beef brisket sliced really thin, it heats through faster and stays more tender in the sandwich.
  • Don't crowd the fries on the baking sheet, spread them in a single layer so they brown instead of steaming.
  • Wrap the assembled sandwiches in parchment paper for a few minutes before serving, the heat spreads more evenly through the meat.

The variations

  • Swap the smoked beef brisket for sliced turkey pastrami for a lighter flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, use thick portobello mushroom slices seasoned with paprika instead of the meat.
  • To save time, use frozen fries and focus on building the sandwich.

What to serve it with

  • Creamy coleslaw
  • Extra pickles on the side
  • Ginger ale or lemonade

Storage

The smoked meat keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Fries don't freeze well once cooked, so only make as much as you'll eat. Reheat the meat with steam rather than in the microwave so it doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can I use store-bought pastrami instead of smoked beef brisket?

Yes, thinly sliced pastrami works just as well and reheats the same way with steam. Just make sure it's sliced thin, that's what keeps the sandwich tender.

How do you reheat the meat without drying it out?

Gentle steam in a covered strainer set over a pot of hot water is the safest method. Avoid the microwave, which dries out thin slices quickly.

Can you prep the fries ahead of time?

You can cut and season the potatoes a few hours ahead, but bake them right before serving so they stay crisp. Fries lose their texture if they sit around.

Is rye bread essential for this sandwich?

Rye bread is the traditional choice, dense and slightly tangy, but you can use a whole wheat loaf if you prefer. The flavor will be a bit less classic.

How long does it take to make a Montreal smoked meat sandwich with fries?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a Montreal smoked meat sandwich with fries?

About 720 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Montreal smoked meat sandwich with fries cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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