Rotisserie Picanha
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Picanha is a tender cut of beef that’s popular in Brazil. It’s also known as a sirloin cap or coulotte steak. In this post, I’ll teach you all about this cut of meat, plus how to grill it, or cook it Brazillian-style on a rotisserie.
This rich, flavorful steak is cooked with the fat cap attached, making it juicy, tender and full of flavor. If you’ve been looking for a reason to use the rotisserie on your grill, this recipe is the perfect excuse!
Thank you to my friends at California Beef Council for sponsoring this post.
Table of contents
If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, you’ve probably tried picanha. But have you ever thought about making it at home? Because you definitely should!
What started out as an experiment to use the rotisserie function on my new grill, turned into one of my favorite recipes ever. And the discovery of my new favorite cut of beef!
Picanha (pronounced pee-kawn-yuh) is a cut of beef from the upper rear of the cow. It’s also known as a sirloin cap, and sold in North American grocery stores as a top sirloin cap roast, rump cap, or coulotte steak. Whenever you hear the word “cap” after a cut of beef, that means that the fat layer is still attached. This is part of what makes the picanha, or sirloin cap, such a flavorful cut of beef.
As the steak cooks with the fat cap attached, the fat melts around the beef and gives you a tender, juicy, flavorful steak, every time. I have become absolutely obsessed with this cut of beef for both grilling, and cooking Brazilian-style on the rotisserie.
While I highly recommend trying the rotisserie recipe for picanha, if you don’t have a rotisserie available, don’t worry, this cut of beef is still incredibly delicious cooked on the grill. You can even roast it in the oven!
The flavor of picanha is so delicious on it’s own, but I also love to serve it with traditional chimichurri sauce from South America, or a scrumptious herb butter sauce.
What is picanha?
Picanha is a cut of beef from the upper rear of the cow, also known as the “sirloin” portion of the cow. The bottom of the sirloin is where you get delicious cuts, like the tri tip, whereas the top of the sirloin is where you’ll get top sirloin steaks.
The top sirloin cap, or picanha, is the triangular shaped muscle that covers the top sirloin. It contains lots of marbling and is traditionally sold, and cooked, with the fat cap attached, making this a juicy, savory, cut of beef.
When the picanha is cooked with the fat cap attached, the fat melts as it cooks, creating a buttery flavor and mouthfeel. When you bite into the steak, it literally melts in your mouth!
Shown above, you can see a picanha roast with the fat cap up, and with the fat cap down. You always want to cook picanha with the fat cap up so that the fat melts over the meat as it cooks.
How to cook picanha on a rotisserie
This form of cooking large pieces of meat on a long metal rod, over a grill, is also known as churrasco, or skewered barbecue meat, in Portuguese and Spanish. This is my favorite way to cook picanha! If you have a rotisserie available, I highly recommend giving it a try.
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this picanha rotisserie recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Skewer the picanha
- When cooking picanha on the rotisserie, you’ll want to slice it into steaks that are approximately 1 1/2 inches thick. One picanha roast should weigh approximately 2 1/2 pounds and should be sliced into 3-4 steaks.
- I found that because the fat cap was so thick, it was hard to get the steaks on the rotisserie rod, so for a work-around, I first skewered the steaks with a sharp metal skewer. This gave me a smaller hole to start with before skewering the steak on the rotisserie rod.
- Once you have a hole in each steak from the metal skewer, you can more easily slide them on to the rotisserie rod. The goal is to bend each steak into a C shape, or “crescent shape”, as you place it on the rotisserie rod.
Season the picanha
- Picanha is such a flavorful cut of steak that it doesn’t need much in the form of seasoning. Start by rubbing all sides of the steaks with olive oil.
- Next, season with a simple combination of coarse salt and black pepper, or for even more flavor, use your favorite steak seasoning, or my homemade Montreal steak seasoning. The coarse spices in this seasoning blend add a delicious layer of texture and savory flavor to the steaks.
Cook the picanha on the rotisserie
- Turn the rotisserie heat function on your grill to medium heat. If this is your first time using the rotisserie function, refer to your user manual for lighting instructions. If you’ve lost your user manual, simply google search the brand name and model number of your grill and you should be able to easily find a digital version of the user manual.
- Place the rod of seasoned picanha on the grill and turn the motor on to start the rotisserie.
- Place a drip pan below the steaks for the fat to drip into. You can use the drippings to baste roasted potatoes, or veggies, or simply discard it after the steaks finish cooking on the rotisserie.
- Allow the picanha to cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium. The internal temp will continue to rise about 5 degrees after you remove the steak from the rotisserie and let it rest. When checking the internal temperature of the steaks, always be sure to turn the motor on the rotisserie off. Otherwise, it’s very difficult to use a meat thermometer when the meat is moving!
Rest and slice the picanha
- When removing the picanha from the rotisserie, turn off the rotisserie motor, then use heat-safe gloves to grab both ends of the rotisserie rod and carry it inside. Let the steaks rest on a cutting board, still skewered on the rotisserie rod.
- After the steaks have rested for 10 minutes, use tongs, or heat-safe gloves, to gently slide the steaks off of the rotisserie rod.
- Place each steak with the fat side up on the cutting board, and use the sharpest knife that you have to thinly slice each steak lengthwise from the fat down. This will give you a thin layer of fat on the top of each piece of sliced steak.
How to serve it
I like to serve the steak thinly sliced, just like my favorite Brazilian steakhouse. But feel free to slice the steak as thin or thick as you like. Just make sure that you’re slicing lengthwise from the fat down so that you get that buttery layer of fat on top of each piece of steak.
Serve this picanha steak recipe by itself, or with chimichurri sauce or herb butter sauce. Follow the link above for the chimichurri recipe, or follow the recipe below for the herb butter sauce.
How to make herb butter sauce
- Add 1 cup fresh parsley, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to a food processor.
- Pulse the ingredients in the food processor until they’re finely chopped.
- Note: if you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the parsley and garlic with a sharp knife. Add them to a bowl with the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Add 1/2 cup butter to a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
- Once the butter melts, add the finely chopped herbs and spices.
- Simmer the herbs in the butter on the stove over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately serve over warm slices of picanha.
What to serve with it
In addition to a delicious sauce, this picanha is the perfect steak to pair with any of these flavorful side dishes.
How to cook picanha steaks on the grill
No rotisserie? No problem! Grilling picanha is another great way to cook the steak.
Slice the sirloin cap into 1 1/2 inch steaks. Coat the steaks in olive oil, then in steak seasoning, or salt and pepper. Heat a grill to medium heat.
When the grill is hot, add the steaks and cook for approximately 7-8 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium. To cook the steak rare, remove it at an internal temp of 125°F, and for a medium-well steak, remove it from the grill at 140°F internally.
Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before serving.
How to roast a whole picanha
If you don’t have a rotisserie or grill, you can still cook picanha in the oven. Keep the 2-3 pound picanha whole, instead of slicing it into individual steaks. Rub it with olive oil, then season all over with steak seasoning, or salt and pepper.
Place the picanha on a wire rack, with the fat side facing up, on top of a rimmed baking sheet. For a 2 pound picanha, cook at 350°F for approximately 55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium.
Add 10 minutes to the cooking time if the picanha is closer to 3 pounds in size. Remove the picanha from the oven when it reaches your desired internal temperature. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to store and reheat
Leftover picanha will stay good for up to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat the steak, slice it thin, then dip it in boiling beef broth in a saucepan on the stove. You only need to dip the slices of steak in for about 10-15 seconds. This will heat them up, while keeping them nice and juicy!
Frequently asked questions
- Do you eat the fat on the steak? Yes! The fat will render down as it cooks. Thinly slicing the steaks before serving them will give each piece of steak the perfect amount of fat for a buttery mouthfeel that will literally melt in your mouth. Of course, if you prefer, you can cut the fat off of the steak. I always recommend cutting it off after it’s cooked, instead of before cooking the steak. This way, the fat will still melt down over the steak as it cooks. This will add flavor and keep the meat juicy and tender.
- How much meat do you need per person? When cooking picanha on the rotisserie, grill or in the oven, you’ll want to plan for 1/2 pound of beef per person.
- What is the difference between picanha steaks and picanha roast? The roast refers to the whole picanha, which usually weighs 2-3 pounds. Picanha steaks are simply the whole roast, sliced into 1 1/2 inch steaks for cooking on the rotisserie, or grilling.
- Is picanha a good cut of beef? Yes, the picanha, or sirloin cap, is a great beef cut. It’s from the top of the rump, which makes it nice and tender. It has a good amount of marbling, which means it’s also juicy and flavorful.
Where to buy picanha
While picanha is more popular in countries like Brazil, the cut is becoming easier to find in the United States, as it grows in popularity. It is often labeled as sirloin cap or top sirloin cap at American grocery stores. It might also be labeled as rump cap, or coulotte steak.
While not widely available at traditional grocery stores in America, I have found it at Costco. It was labeled as top sirloin cap, and at Costco business center, it was labeled as coulotte steak. You can also ask a local butcher in your area, or purchase picanha online from Wild Fork Foods.
More steak recipes
Don’t miss this epic post where I share How To Grill Steak, perfectly every time! Then use those tips to make all of these amazing steak recipes!
Rotisserie Picanha Steak
Ingredients
- 3 pounds picanha, sirloin cap
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons steak seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
Instructions
- The recipe below is for picanha steaks cooked on a rotisserie. For instructions for the grill or oven, refer to the notes section below.
- Slice the picanha into 1 1/2 inch thick steaks.
- To make it easier to skewer through the fat cap on the picanha, first, skewer the steaks with a sharp metal skewer. This will give you a smaller hole to start with before skewering the steak on the rotisserie rod.
- Once you have a hole in each steak from the metal skewer, slide the steaks in a C shape onto a rotisserie rod.
- Coat the picanha steaks on all sides with olive oil, then cover with steak seasoning.
- Heat the rotisserie function on a grill to medium-heat, around 350°F.
- Place the rod of seasoned picanha on the grill and turn the motor on to start the rotisserie. Place a drip pan below the steaks for the fat to drip into
- Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare or 135°F for medium. The internal temp will continue to rise about 5 degrees after you remove the steak from the rotisserie and let it rest.
- When removing the picanha from the rotisserie, turn off the rotisserie motor, then use heat-safe gloves to grab both ends of the rotisserie rod and carry it to a large cutting board to let the steaks rest, while still skewered on the rotisserie rod.
- After the steaks have rested for 10 minutes, use tongs, or heat-safe gloves, to gently slide the steaks off of the rotisserie rod.
- Place each steak with the fat side up on the cutting board, and use the sharpest knife that you have to thinly slice each steak lengthwise from the fat down. This will give you a thin layer of fat on the top of each piece of sliced steak.
- Optionally serve with chimichurri sauce or herb butter sauce. Follow the link above for the chimichurri recipe, or follow the recipe in the notes below for the herb butter sauce.
Notes
- How to cook picanha on the grill:
- Slice the sirloin cap into 1 1/2 inch steaks.
- Coat the steaks in olive oil, then in steak seasoning.
- Heat a grill to medium heat.
- When the grill is hot, add the steaks and cook for approximately 7-8 minutes.
- Flip and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium.
- Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- How to roast a whole picanha in the oven:
- Keep the 2-3 pound picanha whole, instead of slicing it into individual steaks.
- Rub it with olive oil, then season all over with steak seasoning.
- Place the picanha on a wire rack, with the fat side facing up, on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
- For a 2 pound picanha, cook at 350°F for approximately 55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium. Add 10 minutes to the cooking time if the picanha is closer to 3 pounds in size.
- Remove the picanha from the oven when it reaches your desired internal temperature. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- How to make herb butter sauce:
- Add 1 cup fresh parsley, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to a food processor.
- Pulse the ingredients in the food processor until they’re finely chopped.
- Note: if you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the parsley and garlic with a sharp knife. Add them to a bowl with the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Add 1/2 cup butter to a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
- Once the butter melts, add the finely chopped herbs and spices.
- Simmer the herbs in the butter on the stove over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately serve over warm slices of picanha.
- Leftover picanha will stay good for up to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To reheat the steak, slice it thin, then dip it in boiling beef broth in a saucepan on the stove. You only need to dip the slices of steak in for about 10-15 seconds. This will heat them up, while keeping them nice and juicy!
- When cooking picanha on the rotisserie, grill or in the oven, you’ll want to plan for 1/2 pound of beef per person.
Nutrition Facts
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