What is a picanha cut and how is it cooked?

Do you consider yourself a meat aficionado? Do you want to try something new and exciting? Then we have the perfect cut of meat for you! You should try the picanha cut, famous for its flavor and texture.

What is a picanha cut?  Picanha is a cut of beef taken from the cow’s rump. It’s a fairly rare cut in the US, sometimes called top sirloin tapa or rump tapa, but it’s hugely popular in Brazil. This particular cut has a very delicate and juicy flavor and is very soft and tender. 

Read on to learn more about the picanha cut and how you can cook it.

What is the picanha cut?

The picanha cut (pronounced pee-Kahn-yah) is a very popular cut of beef in Brazil. It comes from the upper part of the rump of a cow.

You may have heard of this cut as a culotte, top sirloin top, rump top, and top rump top. 

The word picanha comes from the process of branding cows by farmers. The sticks with which they marked were called picana, which ended up becoming picanha.

There are many different stories about its origin, but the most popular is its origin in Brazil in the 1960s.

Brazilian millionaire Francisco Pignatar visited a steakhouse, and was accidentally served a different part of the meat, the picanha cut.

He liked the juicy and tender taste of the steak so much that it became famous throughout Brazil.

In the United States, this cut of meat is divided into three parts: the loin, the rump, and the round. Typically, US butchers also cut off the fat cap, which is an essential item in Brazil.

If you live in the US and this cut is not available anywhere, you can specifically ask your local butcher. You can also give them specifications on how you want the cut to be.

Why should you try the picanha cut?

Although picanha is a rare cut in the US, people in the southern states love it. In Brazil, this cut of beef is more popular than cuts like rib eye, shank, brisket, or sirloin.

Read on to find out more about the picanha cut and why you should try it.

Taste

It comes from the rump part of the cow, which is not too hard a cut. Therefore, it is soft and tender. It has a beautiful flavor profile when cooked.

If you know the taste of grilled sirloin, then you’re in luck because the picanha cut tastes just the same.

In addition, it also has a thick layer of fat, which offers a rich, big and meaty flavor, and when smoked or roasted, the flavor is multiplied.

The fat also keeps the cut juicy and tender. You can even remove the fat if you don’t like its taste and texture.

Texture

The overall texture of the picanha cut is tender and smooth. Because of the fat cap that is traditionally kept in the cut, it also has a very buttery texture.

After cooking, the fat becomes crispy, providing a very nice contrast to the tenderness of the meat. Because of its crunchiness and tenderness, many people do not remove the fat cap after cooking it.

Thickness

The picanha cut is a fairly thick cut of meat. When cut like a fillet, it is about 5 to 6 cm thick. In addition, the fat cap is about 1.5 cm thick.

Because of this thickness, it will take a little longer to cook, potentially about 5-6 minutes on both sides, but that can vary of course.

However, if you put it on high heat, the outside will overcook and burn and the inside will be raw.

Price

My favorite thing about the picanha cut is how affordable it is. The whole picanha cut is quite heavy, weighing around 1.5 kg or 3.3 oz.

However, it is relatively cheaper than the smaller cut, such as the rack of ribs. For its weight, this cut is a real bargain as you can feed your friends and family and impress them with your cooking.

How to cut picanha

Picanha is a precious cut of beef, and you must handle it properly. The meat is usually cut against the grain, but this piece is cut along the grain.

This means that you must cut the meat in the same direction as the grains. This process will ensure maximum tenderness when you have cooked the meat.

Below we explain step by step how to cut the picanha correctly:

1. Place the cut out on your counter. 
2. Cut the silver skin from the meat and remove it. The silver skin is the membrane of meat or connective tissue, which is a bit tough. 
3. Keep the fat cap side on the cutting board and begin to cut into the steak. 
4. Make sure the cut is not too thin as it will dry out, or too thick which will make cooking difficult. 
5. Keep the individual fillet 2-3 inches thick.

How to cook picanha

There are many different methods of cooking picanha, such as pan-searing, grilling, smoking, or roasting it whole.

cast iron skillet

This is how you can cook picanha in a cast iron skillet:

1. Season the cut with kosher salt. 
2. Place the cast iron skillet over medium heat.
3. Once the pan has warmed up, pour some vegetable oil into it.
4. Place the cut with the fat cap facing down so that the fat comes out. 
5. Cook it for about 2-3 minutes. 
6. Sauté on both sides for about 4-5 minutes or until each side has a golden crust. 
7. Once the crust has formed, you can butter the steak. To do this, put 2-3 tablespoons of butter in the pan along with some crushed garlic and thyme. Using a spoon, baste the steak for another 2-3 minutes.
8. When the steak has reached an internal temperature of 125°F, remove it from the pan and transfer it to the plate. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
9. Season again with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, serve and enjoy.

Grill

If you want, you can grill the picanha by following these steps:

1. Prepare your grill. Let it heat up for 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, season your picanha by massaging it with olive oil and kosher salt. 
3. Place the picanha as far away from the scorching heat as possible; otherwise, the exterior will cook faster than the interior. 
4. Place fat side down to cook for about 2 minutes then flip and sear meat side for 4-5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat when it has reached an internal temperature of 125°F.
6. Let it rest for 10 minutes after removing it from the grill. 
7. Season these fillets with salt and pepper.
8. Serve them and enjoy them!

Roast

Do you like to grill? Well try this method below!

1. This is a double cooking method where two utensils are used, one is a cast iron skillet and the other is an oven. 
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, heat cast iron skillet over medium heat. 
3. Season with kosher salt and place in the pan. 
4. Do not add any oil; instead, allow the fat from the fat cap to release into the pan. 
5. Cook the fat until it’s nice and crisp, and then put it in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Reserve the excess fat, which you can use later for basting. 
7. The picanha cut tastes best when it’s medium rare, so cook it until its internal temperature reaches 125°F.
8. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, after which you can carve the whole picanha cut into individual pieces. 

smoked picanha

Smoking the meat is another great option that you can try. Add a new dimension of flavor to the usual dish.

1. If you have a pellet grill, you can make the perfect smoked picanha. If you don’t have one, you can place the meat on the grill and cover it to get the smoky flavor. 
2. Make cuts in the meat and fat so that the smoke is absorbed as much as possible. Season the meat with olive oil. It will draw more smoke from the grill. 
3. Grill each side for about 4-5 minutes until it reaches your desired temperature. 
4. Let the steak rest for 10-15 minutes and serve. 

Whichever way you choose to cook it, picanha never ceases to amaze you with its tasty bites, delicious and moist juices that come out of it. It tastes best with the chimichurri garnish and a glass of red wine.

Tips for cooking picanha

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when cooking picanha:

• Always remove the silver skin or membrane from the cut of the picanha. This membrane is tough, and you should not eat it at all. 
• Make sure the picanha cut is at room temperature before cooking it. If the meat is too cold and the pan is hot, the meat will not cook evenly. Also, the meat will tighten due to changes in temperature. 
• Pat the meat dry after removing it from the freezer. Condensation can react to the heat of the pan. If you are going to dry brine the meat, season it a couple of hours ahead of time. Then pat it dry, or the moisture from the salt won’t let the cut cook through. A drier surface means better browning.
• Always give meat 10-15 minutes to rest after cooking. This helps the meat to reabsorb the juices.