I've never cooked a picanha before, and I'm getting a prime one from Wild Fork a little later this week. it should be somewhere around 3 lbs. I plan on seasoning with simple SPG to let the meat take center stage.
My question is, should I cut it into steaks or grill it whole?
Smokin-It 3D
Weber Kettle with an SNS
Masterbuilt kettle that I call the $30 wonder grill
Bullet by Bull Grills gasser
Anova WiFi sous vide machine
Thermoworks Thermapen and Chef Alarm
I think it’s more of a personal preference on how you like your beef done. If you prefer a rib roast cook, go whole, but if you want a bit more surface area, I’d say steak it out into 3-4 steaks so you get more surface area to sear.
My preference after doing both ways is to steak it out. But both ways are good!
I'm in the sous vide que camp, if you have that option. 8 hours at your desired internal temp, then sear. Ensures that every bit of the meat is done exactly the same. The tippiest tips will get just a wee bit overcooked during the sear, but that's about it. Looking forward to seeing whatever you do!
Well in that case, I'd trim the fat cap down, slow cook the whole thing to 115 internal, then cut into steaks and cook to each person's desired doneness.
If one of your aforementioned toys is a rotisserie, then that is the absolute best way. About two fingers wide steaks skewered into “C’s” spun over coals allowing the fat to melt and bathe the steaks as it turns. Traditionally nothing but chunky salt for seasoning.
I don’t have a rotisserie so I’ve cooked it whole then cut into steaks and seared over high heat trying to render the fat over the meat. This is a good ways too.
I wouldn’t serve it whole then sliced. I want that Maillard reaction over as much of it as possible.
I prefer a whole roast because essentially I'm lazy and don't like cutting and placing on a spit. Just throw the thing on like a big steak and rock and roll. Either way pretty much produces the same result.
I have a Wild Fork Picanha in the freezer and with these great looking pictures, I can't wait to cook it either hung, the grill or the rotisserie. It will be my first attempt. Maybe I should buy 2 more and do all three ways. I have MMS ---- More Meat Syndrome.
My wife and I are friends with a couple that moved here from Brazil. Last summer they had us over for a cookout and did picanha steaks on the grill. They were cut to about 1 and 1/2 in thick as I recall. His method was to heavily - and I mean heavily - salt them with coarse barbecue salt right before going on to a Hot Grill and cooking them directly over the Heat. They were cooked to about medium rare to medium and when they came off the grill he just did a light tap to get the excess salt off of the meat. They were fantastic!
This is how I did mine the other day, only seasoned with sea salt. Thin slice the seared surface off to serve and put the skewer back onto the grill again to get another sear. Served with red chimichurri and charro beans. This is basically how Brazilian steak houses do it.
You won’t go wrong either way. I prefer steaks only because you get more delicious crust. If you cut, keep in mind the last cut goes against the grain. If I remember correctly that should happen on your plate.
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