Quebec - Montreal

Today is our last day in Montreal so we decided to bring Roxy with us as we did some exploring at some dog friendly locations.

We loaded into the car and headed out to Mount Royal Park; heading up the gentle slope of Mount Royal to see views of Montréal from the mountain's lookouts. Right in the middle of town, the park is a year-round hub of both natural beauty and cultural activities. At the mountain's base, the elegant streets of Outremont await with chic shopping, dining and gob-smacking houses on view.

The views of the city are spectacular. The mountainside is littered with a a network of hiking and biking trails. With the park being so large you could wander around all day and not travel the same path twice.

After a stroll through the park we headed over to the latin quarter to check out the sights. It is a small area of that is close to the university. The main streets are lined with restaurants and bars and bustling with action. A quick visit is all we did before heading back to St Laurent Blvd for lunch.

After having a smoked meat sandwich at Swartz's and Montreal Poutine, the last stop on our list was at Main Deli. A friend of ours had been to this place and recommended it. Little did we know it has also been featured on "You Gotta Eat Here" . Rick and I shared the smoked meat plate. It came with a pile of smoked meat, bread slices, pickles, sauerkraut and a plate of fries. Roxy got to sample the smoked meat and loved it - of course there was no doubt. I think that the smoked meat at Main is probably the best we have had yet.
They even had a outdoor patio where we could enjoy our lunch with Roxy tucked at our feet. It was nice since she is a part of our family and want to keep her safe out of the heat of the vehicle.

From there we headed back to the apartment to drop Roxy off for the

afternoon. It was such a nice day that we decided to head back to Old Montreal for a second stroll. We spent most of our time down at the Old Port and enjoying some time down by the waterfront. There was a large cruise ship in town, so there was a ton of action all around town.

We really enjoyed Montreal and everything it has to offer. The fresh markets and bakeries/boulangeries are second to none. Not to mention the wonderful selection of cheeses. You have to do a ton of walking just to burn off the heavy calories.

Tomorrow we head out to Quebec City for the weekend and continue in our journey and discovery of Canadian history and its amazing architecture.

Montreal Smoked Meat Recipie

Ingredients

For the Cure

1 cup Kosher salt
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons pink salt, such as Prague Powder #1
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 whole brisket, around 12-14 pounds, fat cap trimmed to ?-inch

For the rub

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2-3 fist-size chunks of medium smoking wood, such as oak or hickory

Type of fire: Indirect
Grill heat: Low
Directions
1. To make the cure, in a small bowl mix together salt, pink salt, black pepper, coriander, sugar, bay leaf, and cloves. Coat entire brisket with the cure and place in an extra-large resealable plastic bag. Place in the coldest part of the refrigerator and cure for 4 days, flipping brisket twice a day.

2. Remove brisket from bag and wash as much cure off as possible under cold running water. Place brisket in a large container and fill with water and let soak for 2 hours, replacing water every 30 minutes. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. To make the rub, mix together black pepper, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, mustard, celery seed, and crushed red papper in a small bowl. Coat entire brisket with the rub.

4. Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place brisket in, fat side up, and smoke until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the brisket, about 6 hours.

5. Transfer brisket to large roasting pan with V-rack. Place roasting pan over two burners on stovetop and fill with 1-inch of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, cover roasting pan with aluminum foil, and steam brisket until an instant read thermometer registers 180 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the meat, 1 to 2 hours, adding more hot water as needed.

6. Transfer brisket to cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice and serve, preferably on rye with mustard.