Go Back
Smoked Meat Chopped Salad with Rye Croutons

Smoked Meat Chopped Salad with Rye Croutons

This Smoked Meat Chopped Salad features greens dressed with a double mustard vinaigrette topped with beet pickled eggs, rye croutons, dill pickles, and of course, warm Montreal smoked meat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Pickling Time 12 hours
Servings: 4
Course: Salad
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pickled Beets and Eggs
  • 3 beets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
Double Mustard Vinaigrette
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard heaping
  • 1 tbsp whole grain mustard heaping
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp malt vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
Smoked Meat Chopped Salad
  • 4 slices light rye bread cut into cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce split lengthwise, finely chopped, washed
  • 1½ cups watercress washed, tightly packed
  • 1 batch Double Mustard Vinaigrette see above
  • 250g (9oz) smoked meat** warmed and diced
  • 3 dill pickles diced
  • 1 batch Pickled Beets and Eggs see above, diced

Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • Large mason jar

Method
 

For the Pickled Beets and Eggs
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and add the scrubbed beets. Drizzle the olive oil over top of them and sprinkle them with the salt. Transfer the beets to the oven and roast until fork-tender. About an hour. Take the beets out of the oven and set them aside to cool.
    3 beets, 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt
  3. While the beets are cooling, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the baking soda and reduce to a simmer. Lower the eggs into the water and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath and let sit for another 10 minutes. Peel the eggs and set them aside.
    ½ tsp baking soda, 3 large eggs
  4. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and cut them into wedges. Place the eggs and the beets in a large mason jar and set them aside.
  5. Pour the water and vinegar into a small saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, mustard seed, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
    1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 12 black peppercorns
  6. Pour the pickling liquid over the beets and eggs and top with the bay leaves. Let cool to room temperature before placing a lid on the jar and transferring it to the fridge. Let pickle overnight or for a minimum of 12 hours.
    2 bay leaves
For the Double Mustard Vinaigrette
  1. Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour into a resealable container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
    1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp whole grain mustard, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup + 2 tbsp malt vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, ½ tsp kosher salt
For the Salad
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
  2. Arrange the rye bread cubes on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the rye bread with olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt. Place them in the oven and roast for 10 minutes or until golden. Set them aside to cool.
    4 slices light rye bread, 1 tbsp olive oil , ½ tsp kosher salt
  3. Place the romaine and watercress in a large bowl and add the Double Mustard Vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Pile the greens onto a platter and top with the warmed smoked meat, rye croutons, pickled beets and eggs, and dill pickle. Serve immediately. 
    2 heads romaine lettuce, 1½ cups watercress, 1 batch Double Mustard Vinaigrette, 250g (9oz) smoked meat**, 3 dill pickles , 1 batch Pickled Beets and Eggs

Notes

** I highly recommend Schwartz's if you can find it. The smoked meat comes in convenient pouches you can warm in a pot of boiling water. If you can't find the pouches, just warm the meat in the microwave and dice it.