The Makings of the Meats
Plate of smoked meat on place mat at Schwartz’s.
Smoked meat plate at Schwartz’s. Aaron Arizpe
As general manager Frank Silva describes, Schwartz’s Deli was founded in Montreal in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, a Romanian immigrant. Schwartz originally delivered smoked meat by horse and buggy for other wholesalers before realizing he could make a better and cheaper product himself by not spending money on chemical preservatives.
Trimming the brisket
Mile End starts their smoked meat with whole brisket that production chef Josh Sobel trims to maintain consistent fat and juiciness in the end product.
Split image of pastrami in smoker, before and after smoking.
After 12 days, the briskets receive some extra rub before going into a wood smoker for 12 to 14 hours.
Pan of brisket sitting in refrigerator.
The next morning, the smoked briskets are put into the refrigerator, where they stay for a week while the flavors mature. Finally, they’re transported to the restaurants, steamed for one to two hours, hand cut, and served.
