Frugal Cooking

I like making my own seasoning blends.  Not only is it more frugal, but it also allows me to control the amount of salt myself so I can use as much or as little of the seasoning as I like without worrying about the end result being too salty.

Montreal steak seasoning is something I really like on a nice steak or roast.  A friend from Boston sent me a jar of Lester’s Montreal seasoning and I’ve been hooked ever since.  Lester’s has a good balance of salt and spice, but I can’t find it near me.  I’ve tried some other versions but they all have too much salt, probably because salt is the cheapest ingredient.  I make it myself with even less salt than Lester’s so I can pile it on thick like a rub.

I just made a tri tip roast on the grill that was incredible so thought I would take the opportunity to document my version of Montreal steak seasoning.

Montreal/Los Angeles Steak Seasoning

• 1T Coriander seeds
• 1T Black peppercorns
• 1T Bacon salt
• 1t onion powder
• 1t garlic powder
• 1t salt

Grind the coriander seeds and peppercorns coarsly in a spice mill or by hand using a morter and pestle.  You could also smash on the counter with the bottom of a heavy skillet.  To make it really easy, you could use ground coriander and ground pepper.  Mix with the remaining ingredients and then use heavily on steaks, tri tip or a prime rib.  It might also be good on chicken or pork.

If you don’t know about bacon salt, it’s a super tasty ingredient that I’ve really not found a substitute for.  It has a nice smoky flavor without being too salty.  I’ve seen it at a few markets, but I ordered mine online.  Depending on the recipe, you could substitute real, crumbled bacon or liquid smoke.  I don’t think it’s essential to the above recipe, but it is definitely one of the ingredients that makes this recipe special to me.

This seasoning mix would also be great with some rosemary, thyme or sage as a substitute for or in addition to the ingredients above.  I might have added rosemary if I had any.  Thyme would go great with chicken and sage with pork.

If you have any suggestions, post a comment.