Introducing my version of the Canadian Montreal Steak Spice that is derived from our very own Pickling Spice, with added ingredients to elevate certain flavors. This is an impressive Montreal Steak Spice recipe that you use just the same for various foods. We even have included Montreal Chicken Seasoning & Montreal Pork Seasoning. Combine the ingredients and mix well, then store in a spice jar.
The standard mix of coarse salt, dehydrated minced garlic, black pepper, dehydrated minced onion, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, dill seeds, and chili flakes makes up the majority of the mixture. However, you really need to have that unique Pickling Spice in there for those incredible undertones that just bring the whole seasoning together. Then there is a trick to get the same color as McCormick’s version.
Is Montreal Steak Spice a whole food
This question ultimately hinges on your definition of a whole food, specifically whether you consider salt and oil to be one. All other added ingredients are widely accepted as whole foods, as these are just herbs & spices.
Salt is generally accepted as a whole food, because the body does need it. Oil is not considered a whole food. Although beef fat, tallow, suet, and other animal fats are considered whole foods. These can be melted and added in place of the neutral oil in this recipe or omitted altogether for a Montreal Steak Spice made with whole ingredients.
Montreal Steak Spice Ingredients
Dehydrated Minced Garlic, Dehydrated Minced Onion, Coarse Salt, Crushed Black Peppercorn, Crushed Pickling Spice, Mustard Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Dill Seeds, Aleppo Chili Flakes, Neutral Oil, Smoked Paprika. Optionally add Liquid Smoke to bring some of that smoke flavor to it.
- Montreal Chicken Seasoning includes paprika, cumin, poultry seasoning or savory, and/or sage.
- Montreal Pork Seasoning includes paprika, thyme, and increased mustard seeds.
Homemade Montreal Steak Spice
The base seasoning is coarse salt, crushed black peppercorn, dehydrated garlic & onion with pickling spice, and additional spices added to enhance the ingredients already present in the pickling spice. Feel free to adjust how you see fit to obtain certain flavor characteristics over others. This Montreal steak spice is also used to make Montreal Chicken Seasoning & Montreal Pork Seasoning.
Note that Aleppo chili flakes are used in the base seasoning instead of red chili flakes, which are used in the pickling spice. Red chili flakes are much hotter than Aleppo, and for that reason, we use Aleppo as the main chili flake in Montreal steak spice.
Pickling Spice
The pickling spice is the magic, and it took me many years to come up with this particular one. I have tested so many other versions of a pickling spice and even used store-bought pickling spice, and none of them compare.
Combine the following to make the pickling spice and use 1 tsp of this crushed in a mortar for Montreal Steak Spice.
- 1/2 tsp dill seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and allspice berries
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground mace, ground bay leaf, and ginger powder.
How to make Montreal Steak Spice
There’s a crafty trick used here to color the spices the color that is associated with McCormick Montreal steak spice. That is to mix in oil with paprika. This technique is what yields that color.
Combine all the ingredients into a spice bottle and shake so that the oil can be evenly distributed throughout the seasoning. You’ll see the spices go darker in color. Store in a spice jar for up to 1 year.
The main recipe for the Montreal steak spice is used for either steak or pork chops. It can be used on chicken as well, just like this. From the Montreal Steak Spice, we can further specialize the blend by adding in additional ingredients to create a Montreal Chicken Seasoning or Montreal Pork Seasoning.
Montreal Chicken Seasoning
For Montreal chicken spice, add the addition of 1 tsp paprika & 1/2 tsp cumin. Additional herbs like poultry seasoning, savory, or sage can also be added.
Montreal Pork Seasoning
For Montreal pork seasoning, add the addition of 1 tsp paprika & 1/2 tsp thyme & 1/4 tsp or more of mustard seeds. The Montreal Chicken Seasoning can be used for pork as well.
Smokey Montreal Steak Spice
A smoky version is created simply by adding in liquid smoke to evenly distribute throughout the seasoning. This adds exceptional smoky flavors, especially if cooking meats on or in the oven instead of the grill. But even on the grill or barbeque it can be added to really accent that flavor.
How to use Montreal Steak Spice
The Montreal Steak Spice or any derivative contains big bits of dried spices and therefore needs to go on the choice of meat and refrigerated or left on the counter to rehydrate the spices before cooking. Use about 1 Tbl of Montreal Steak Spice for every 1 lb of meat. More or less depending on taste.
Searing with Montreal Steak Spice
When searing with Montreal steak spice, it is best to reverse-sear. Season the meat and let the spices rehydrate. Then place into the oven at 300F until about 10-15 degrees away from the desired internal temperature. Then sear in a hot skillet set over medium heat with oil. Limit the sear to about 2–3 minutes per side so as to not burn up the spices. You can also do the reverse, starting with a sear first and finishing in the oven.
If the meat is relatively thin, about 1/2 inch or less, with no bones (thin boneless pork chop, filleted chicken breast, or thin steak), and will be cooked through just from the 3-minute sear on each side. Then you can just season the meat and let it rest until the spices are rehydrated and go straight to searing.
Barbecuing or Grilling with Montreal Steak Spice
Even when grilling or barbecuing, season the meat and let the seasoning rehydrate before cooking it over indirect or low heat, and then expose the meat to high heat to develop the crust. This should be limited to how fast the seasoning browns; you don’t want fully burnt spices.
Marinating with Montreal Steak Spice
Montreal steak spice or any of the derivatives can also be used in marinating. Usually done with meats that will go directly to high heat. The marinade adds moisture to the meat and the flavor of Montreal Steak Spice without the risk of the spices burning when seasoned directly on the meat and exposed to high heat.
Montreal Steak Spice can also season cooked meat while it is resting. The juices and heat from the meat will slightly rehydrate the seasoning.
Montreal Steak Spice Sodium Content
The main recipe below with 1 Tbl of coarse salt results in about 120 mg – 180 mg of sodium per 1/2 tsp. A little less than McCormick Montreal Steak Spice, which is at about 200 mg per 1/2 tsp.
To target 200 mg of sodium more closely, add in about another 1/2 tsp more of coarse salt. This will bring the sodium amount closer to 180 mg – 210 mg. But feel free to adjust the salt level to your preference. You can also use salt directly on the meat. Followed by the desired amount of Montreal Steak Spice.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbl Dehydrated Minced Garlic & Onion
- 1 Tbl Crushed Black Peppercorn & Coarse Salt
- 2 tsp Aleppo Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp JAH Pickling Spice - crushed in a mortar, see notes
- 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds, Dill seeds, and Mustard seeds & Neutral Oil - each
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke - Optional
Instructions
- Pickling Spice: Prepare the pickling spice and place 1 tsp in a mortar and pestle and crush it. Empty into a spice jar.
- Spices: Add the remaining ingredients into the spice jar.
- Color: Shake for a while until the spices break down a bit and change color with the oil and paprika evenly distributed through the seasoning.
Notes
- 1/2 tsp dill seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and allspice berries
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground mace, ground bay leaf, and ginger powder.