Picanha

About Picanha

Picanha is the rump cap with its fat layer still attached, also sold as culotte or top sirloin cap. In Brazil it is the classic churrasco cut, rolled onto a skewer and turned slowly over charcoal.

That fat cap is the whole point. It needs to render slowly so the fat runs through the meat, and that only works if you start fat side down over moderate heat. Go straight to full fire and the fat burns on the outside while the inside is still firm.

The meat itself is fairly lean with a pronounced, coarse grain. That makes picanha behave more like a steak than a marbled cut: past medium it turns tough. Most people take it off the heat around 55 degrees.

Slicing happens in two steps. First cut the whole piece into thick slices across the grain, then cut each slice across the fibres again on the plate. Cut with the grain and even a perfectly cooked picanha will be chewy.