Picanha is a cut of beef made popular in Brazil. It's also known as a sirloin cap or culotte 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!
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.