Learn about picanha meat and how to cook it perfectly. Links to authentic picanha recipes and a mouthwatering step-by-step recipe for Picanha with Garlic, Horseradish and Parsley.
What is Picanha?
Picanha is a cut of meat known for its exceptional tenderness, rich beefy flavor and thick fat cap.
It is the star beef cut of any reputable Brazilian steakhouse (churasscaria). You cannot have a churrascaria without grilling picanha. On the flip side, the cut aquired its popularity because it became the favorite of churrascaria patrons.
Read more about Picanha first or
Go straight to the How to Cook Picanha section and the linked recipes or
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Where is the Picanha Cut Derived From?
Picanha,pronounced pee·kaa·nyuh, is the Portuguese word Brazilians use to refer to the top sirloin cap.
It is a muscle with a triangular shape that sits like a cap onto the top sirloin subprimal, hence the name.
The scientific name of the muscle is biceps femoris.It does very little work and therefore picanha is naturally tender.
What Does Picanha Mean?
There is no direct translation of picanha in English,but there are many stories that attempt to explain the etymology of the word.
The one we like best has been shared with us by several Brazilian friends at churrasco summer parties and provides a wonderful account of the origin of the name picanha.
It goes like this:
An Argentinian gaucho found himself in the Pampas plains of South America, an area where the Spanish influences of Argentina and the Portuguese ways of Brazil comingle. One night the gaucho enjoyed a meal of delicious grilled meat prepared by a Brazilian parrillero (grill master). He was impressed by the juicy, tender meat and asked what the cut was called. The parrillero shrugged and explained that all he knew was that the meat came from the area where cows are branded or ‘donde se pica la aña’. He meant the general location of the sirloin cap and so by word of mouth the phrase ‘pica la aña’ became the word picanha.
Picture credit: Unknown (found on Pinterest)
What are Other Names for Picanha Steak?
Two very common names for picanha steak are coulotte steak and top sirloin cap steak.
The whole roast also goes by rump cover or rump cap because of its location on top of the rump.
What Does Picanha Taste Like?
Picanha tastes like no other cut of beef. Its flavor – intensely beefy and rich – is truly exceptional, a pure bliss.
If you were to compare picanha to ribeye you will find that it tastes at least as good as the ribeye and most likely better. And while a ribeye can be somewhat chewy depending on what side of the steak you are biting into, the beef grade and how well you cooked it, a picanha is never chewy, even if you cooked it wrong.
A picanha steak is reliably and uniformly melt-in-your-mouth tender. To many carnivore enthusisasts picanha is the best beef steak cut. Just ask a Brazilian.
The Prized Flavor of the Picanha Fat Cap
A huge part of the luxurious taste of picanha is owed to its thick layer of fat. A top sirloin cap without a generous fatty band is simply not a picanha.
The flavor of that fat is unique. It is thicker than the rest of the fat on the cow and its texture is firmer. You have to taste it to experience the difference.
As the fat melts it moistens and flavors the already delicious meat creating a legendary taste.
TIP: When cooking picanhas and trimming the fat cap to desired thickness do not throw away the trimmings. Freeze and save them for a day when you will be cooking on the charcoal grill. Once your charcoals are hot and white and just before you begin to barbecue throw a couple of pieces of these picanha fat trimmings on top of the embers. The fat will help the charcoal burn, sizzle and produce incredibly savory smoke that will open up the appetite of your guests (and anyone within half a mile) and perfume whatever meat you happen to be grilling with deliciousness.
What is the Difference between Picanha and Sirloin?
The sirloin is part of the loin primal cut (the loin is separated into short loin and sirloin).
Picanha is a muscle that is part of the top section of the sirloin.
What is the Difference between Top Sirloin and Picanha?
The sirloin has top and bottom parts. Picanha caps the top sirloin and is much more tender than the center cut top sirloin butt and adjacent muscles.
What is the Difference between Tri Tip and Picanha?
Picanha resembles the triangular shapedtri tip roast beef cut but is far superior in terms of both flavor and tenderness. Picanha is from the top sirloin while tri tip is from the bottom sirloin of the animal.
NOTE: A smaller picanha will weigh about 3 pounds and will have a white fat cap. Both of these are signs of a younger animal with more tender flesh. A larger picanha, from an older animal, will weigh well over 3.5 pounds and have a yellowish fat cap.
Why is Picanha so Popular?
Smaller restaurants like Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse, Rodizio and larger chains like our beloved Texas de Brazil have managed to elevate the previously unknown in the US beef cut to the status of a celebrity steak.
The rotiserrie style cooking and carve-at-the-table presentation add meat glamour to the already appetizing cut. Who can forget a giant skewer of chunky, sizzling beef half circles that have a salty, delicious crust and succulent meat?
It used to be that the picanha cut was exclusively sold at wholesale to food service outlets. Due to the raise in its popularity among consumers hundreds of meat-packer and butcher outfits big and small around the country have started offering it. If you can use Google, you can buy picanha.
How to Cook Picanha?
The best ways to cook picanha showcase the rich tasting beef and the unique umami of the fat side. Cooking times are quite short.
Grilling over open fire or charcoal infuses the steak with appetizing (almost heavenly) notes. Alternatively, brief slow roasting followed by an even more brief high temperature fat sizzling roast time allows meat and fat flavors to meld together and dominate. You really do not need to flavor picanha besides seasoning it with kosher salt.
When you do flavor it – less is always more. A minimalistic approach and taste compatible ingredients give the best results.
Picanha tastes best when cooked medium-rare to medium or internal temperature of 135-145 F. But, truth be told, Brazilians do not bother taking temperature with a meat thermometer when grilling or roasting.
The picanhas recipes below have Brazilian origins, we have hardly changed anything from how we observed Brazilians cook the cut at home or at the churrascarias mentioned above. The coulotte steak recipe is classic French, naturally.
Grilled Picanha Steak Brazilian Churrasco Style
By far the most spectacular way to cook picanha is to grill the fat capped steaks folded into C’s and skewered as shown above.
The fat layer creates a protective cap around the meat and as it melts to form a delicious crust it also keeps the beef juicy. This style of cooking picanha was invented by the gauchos and the skewers were cooked over open fire.
This recipe walks you through the method A to Z, including where you can find authentic Brazilian coarse salt and sturdy and extra long skewers. It also advises on how to divide the picanha into portions and read the grain to slice for tender meat. You are welcome.
Pan-Seared or Grilled Coulotte Steak
The French call the biceps femorismuscle coulotte. When they separate it from the top sirloin they do not leave as much of a fat covering as is customary with picanha. The exact same method holds true for the US.
So when you hear coulotte steak the meat in question is picanha with less of the delicious fat but all of the natural tenderness. This recipe will guide you to grill or pan-sear a culotte steak.
Whole Picanha Roast
It takes about 25 minutes to cook a whole picanha in the oven plus a little extra time to brown the fat cap and coax even more flavor out of it.
This easy picanha roast is a masterpiece of simplicity and we pair it with Horseradish Sauce when serving it as an entree. Recipe here.
Picanha with Garlic, Horseradish and Parsley
This appetizing roast picanha is stuffed with a paste of softened garlic cloves, prepared horseradish and parsley. It is easier to prepare than it looks! Consult the recipe card below.
Picanha with Garlic, Horseradish & Parsley
Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
How to cook picanha stuffed with garlic confit, prepared horseradish and parsley. Delectable, juicy beef roast delicious as an entree or thinly sliced for steak sandwiches or steak quesadilla. In Portuguese this dish is known as Picanha com Alho e Raiz Forte.
Psst. You will need butcher's twine and about half an hour to prepare the garlic from scratch.*
Ingredients
- 15-20 garlic cloves (depending on how large)
- 1/2 cup olive oil (for softening garlic) + 2 tbsp for making paste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup prepared horseradish (liquid squeezed out) or to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3.5 lbs picanha meat (whole roast)
- sal grosso (or kosher salt) to sprinkle over fat cap
Instructions
- Bring the picanha to room temperature while you work on the paste (#2 and #4).
- Soften the garlic (make garlic confit). In a sauce pan over low heat cover the peeled garlic cloves with the 1/2 cup olive oil. Cook until the garlic is soft (up to 30 mins). Remove the garlic from the oil and allow to cool. (Save the garlic infused oil to use as dipping oil, etc).*
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- In a bowl smash the soft garlic cloves with a fork, add the 2 tbsp of olive oil, the horseradish, chopped parsley and season with the kosher salt and the black pepper. Mix all together into a paste. (Or follow the short cut outlined below).
- Trim the fat from the picanha to an average thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut a C-shaped pocket in the middle of the picanha starting from the thickest side towards the slightly tapered opposite end. A sharp boning knife works well here.
- Stuff the paste you made into the pocket, spreading it out evenly with your fingers. Tie the picanha roast with butcher's twine.
- Season the fat capped top side with sal grosso and place onto a baking sheet/roasting pan.
- Bake the picanha at 300 F for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 115 F. Remove it from the oven and tent it with foil to keep warm.
- Turn on the broiler to 500 F. Place the picanha back in the oven, at least 10 inches away from the top heating elements. Broil for 7 to 12 minutes so that the fat cap can bubble up and brown nicely (watch it closely and do not allow it to burn). Once the broiler is ready place the picanha back in the oven, at least 10 inches away from the top heating elements**. Remove it from the oven and allow for a 10 minute rest before you slice the meat.
Tie the picanha roast with butcher's twine. 
Remove it from the oven and tent it with foil to keep warm. 
Remove it from the oven and allow for a 10 minute rest before you slice the meat.Notes
*If you do not have enough time you can take a short cut to make the garlic horseradish paste. Mince the garlic cloves and cook them over medium heat in the 2 tbsp of olive oil just until soft and fragrant. Allow to cool, add the horseradish, parsley and season with salt and pepper.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 704Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 903mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 75g
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