Montreal smoked meat sandwich on rye
25 min · 36 g protein · 403 cals / serving
The deli counter classic at home: a tall stack of warm, peppery smoked meat steamed until it falls apart, on light rye with a swipe of yellow mustard, a whole dill pickle on the side and a sharp vinegar coleslaw instead of the fries.
Ingredients
Coleslaw
- 400 g (5 cups) finely shredded cabbage, green cabbage
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Sandwiches
- 600 g (1 1/3 lb) sliced Montreal smoked meat montreal smoked meat, lean, as most packs are
- 8 thin slices light rye bread rye bread, deli-style, with caraway
- 2 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
To serve
- 4 large reduced sodium dill pickles
Steps
- Make the coleslaw first so it has time to soften: toss the cabbage and carrot with the vinegar, sugar, oil and salt, squeezing it with your hands for a minute. Leave it 15 minutes, then toss again.
- Warm the smoked meat the deli way, by steam: pile it into a steamer basket over simmering water, cover and steam 6–8 minutes, until it is hot right through (165°F) and the slices loosen and go soft. No steamer? Wrap it in foil with 2 tbsp water and heat at 300°F for 15 minutes.
- Spread one side of each slice of rye with mustard. Pile the hot meat high on four slices, about 150 g each, and close the sandwiches.
- Cut in half and serve right away with a pickle and a heap of coleslaw.
Good to know
Lean, medium or fatty?
Montreal delis slice to order, and "medium" is the one regulars ask for: enough fat to be juicy without being greasy. This recipe is built on lean, which most supermarket packs are; steaming keeps it moist, and medium makes a richer sandwich.
Can I use pastrami?
Yes. It is the closest cousin, cured and smoked the same way with a slightly sweeter rub, and steams just as well: about 59 instead of 64.
Why steam instead of the microwave?
Steam heats the meat gently and keeps it moist, which is what makes deli smoked meat fall apart in the sandwich. A microwave dries the edges before the middle is hot.
Per
- Calories
- 98
- Protein
- (37%)
- 9 g
- Fat
- (19%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (43%)
- 11 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 601 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1613 kcal goes into the pot and 1650 g of ingredients comes out as about 1640 g of food: 98 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.