What Is Montreal Steak Seasoning?

Montreal steak seasoning is a coarse blend of salt, cracked black pepper, garlic, coriander, dill seed and red pepper flakes. It began in Montreal's delis, where the spices used to cure smoked meat ended up on grilled steaks. It is chunky on purpose. Those big pieces are what turn into a crust in a hot pan.

What spices are in Montreal steak seasoning?

Recipes vary from one maker to the next, but nearly every version is built from the same six things:

• Coarse salt. Usually first on the label, so there is more of it than anything else.
• Cracked black pepper. Cracked, not ground to dust. You should be able to see it.
• Garlic. Dried and granulated. This is the savory middle.
• Coriander seed. A little lemony and warm. It is the quiet one that makes the blend taste like a deli.
• Dill seed. The surprise. It tastes more like rye bread than like a pickle.
• Red pepper flakes. A small amount, for a gentle kick.

Many blends add onion, mustard seed, caraway or paprika. If you see whole seeds in the jar, that is not a mistake. That is the style.

Where does Montreal steak seasoning come from?

From Montreal, as promised. The blend is based on the dry rub used to cure Montreal smoked meat, the city's cousin to pastrami. The story most often told is that a grill cook at a well-known Montreal deli in the 1940s started shaking the smoked-meat spices onto his own steaks. Customers smelled it, asked for the same, and it spread to delis and steakhouses across the city.

Nobody can prove that story to the last detail, and it has surely improved with each telling. The deli roots are real, though, and they explain the taste. Coriander, dill, mustard and pepper are pickling and curing spices.

What does Montreal steak seasoning taste like?

Salty, peppery and full of garlic first. Then a savory, almost rye-bread note from the seeds. It is not sweet and not smoky, and the heat is mild. If your crowd splits between "no spice, please" and "pass the hot sauce," this one keeps both sides at the table.

Is Montreal steak seasoning the same as steak seasoning?

It is one kind of steak seasoning, and probably the best known. A plain steak seasoning can be as simple as salt, pepper and garlic. We have a page on that one too: what SPG seasoning is. Montreal style starts with the same three and adds the seeds. So think of SPG as the white shirt and Montreal as the same shirt with a good jacket on.

How do you use Montreal steak seasoning?

• Pat the steak dry. A wet steak steams. A dry steak browns.
• Season both sides and the edges. About 1 tablespoon per pound of meat is a good starting point. We have a longer guide on how much seasoning to use per pound.
• Press it in. The coarse pieces need a gentle push with your palm so they stay on the steak and not on the grill.
• Give it time if you have it. Thirty minutes on the counter is good. Overnight in the fridge, uncovered, is better.
• Cook it hot. A cast-iron skillet or a hot grill turns those coarse bits into a crust.

Because salt comes first in most blends, do not salt the steak separately. Taste first, then decide. For one cut in detail, here is how to season a ribeye.

What else can you put it on?

Nearly anything that goes in the oven or on the grill this time of year:

• Burgers and meatloaf
• Pork chops and chicken thighs
• Pot roast, prime rib and roast beef
• Salmon and shrimp
• Roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts and broccoli
• Olive oil, stirred in for dipping crusty bread

The roasted potatoes alone are worth buying it for. Toss the wedges with oil and a good shake, then roast until the edges go dark.

How do you make Montreal steak seasoning at home?

If your spice cabinet is well stocked, stir these together. It makes enough for about four steaks:

• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed, lightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon dill seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Crush the coriander with the bottom of a heavy mug. No special equipment needed, and it is a fine way to work out the day.

What is in Flavor Seed's Montreal-style steak rub?

Divine Bovine is our organic Montreal-style steak rub. It has fifteen ingredients, and here they are in the same order as the label: sea salt, organic garlic, organic onion, organic caraway seed, organic poppy seed, organic black pepper, organic coriander, organic mustard seed, organic dill seed, organic celery seed, organic basil, organic anise, organic oregano, organic dill weed and organic red pepper. Sea salt is first, so taste before you add more.

That is the whole list. No MSG, no fillers and no anti-caking agents. It is USDA Certified Organic, gluten-free and kosher, and we make it in small batches. It is coarse, crunchy and heavy on the garlic, with caraway and dill seed doing the deli work.

It comes in a 5 oz resealable pouch, which is the one to get if steak night is a regular event at your house. There is also a 2.4 oz glass jar for the table.

If your family likes steak plain and simple, The OG is our salt, pepper and garlic blend. Three ingredients: sea salt, organic garlic and organic black pepper. Nothing else.

Quick answers

Is Montreal steak seasoning spicy?

Only a little. The pepper and red pepper flakes give it warmth, not fire. Most children and most grandparents are fine with it.

Does Montreal steak seasoning have gluten in it?

The spices themselves do not. Some blends add other ingredients, so read the label every time. Divine Bovine is gluten-free.

Can you use Montreal steak seasoning on chicken?

Yes. It is very good on chicken thighs and on a whole roast chicken. Rub it on with a little oil so the seeds stick.

Keep a pouch by the stove, and remember that free shipping kicks in at $25.