Grilled Picanha
The churrascaria cut with the glorious fat cap, rendered until it crackles and salted like the grill master intended. Coarse salt, high heat, a proper rest, and absolutely nothing else getting in the way.
- Total time
- 16 min
- Serves
- 2
- Effort
- Medium
What you need
Written for 2 — nudge the counter and the numbers follow.
0 of 8 in the basket.
How you make it
Cut the picanha across the grain into 3cm thick steaks, keeping a strip of fat cap on each, then rub all over with the salt and pepper.
Mix the onion, tomato, vinegar and parsley with a pinch of salt in a bowl and set aside as your vinaigrette.
Stand the steaks fat edge down in a dry heavy pan over medium heat and render for 4 minutes until the fat is golden and a pool of it has formed.
Turn the heat to high, add the oil, and sear the steaks flat for 2 to 3 minutes per side until a thermometer in the centre reads 52-54C for medium-rare.
Rest the steaks on a warm board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain and spoon the vinaigrette over the top.
Read all that and thought “absolutely not”?
Completely fair. Grilled Picanha is sitting in the Brazilian kitchen right now, it costs nothing, and it will never arrive.
Order it insteadMore from the Brazilian kitchen
Smoke, beans and a party that starts at the grill.