Picked up one of these and plan to cook it this weekend. Can I treat this like a tri tip? It's still in it's package and it looks like it's got a pretty thick layer of fat on it. I believe I've read here that people don't trim it and cook it fat side down. So what's the best method for cooking one of these (I don't SV at this point)?
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Dry brine (salt only). Cut into very thick (2-3 inches) steaks. Bend each into a sort of "C" shape with the fat side out and skewer through the ends of the "C." Cook on a rotisserie. That's the Brazilian way. Awesome. -
Never done one of these but want to! Paying attention to your cook.
Troutman had a good post about Picanha and Tri Tips...... maybe look for that.Comment
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I cut it up into strips and grilled them on skewers. I did one Sous Vide and one Reverse sear. Both came our great.Attached FilesComment
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I agree with Dewesq55 and Old Glory that picanha should be sliced into steaks, skewered, and grilled with the fat cap left on. Picanha is not like tri tip and I don't think doing it like tri tip does it justice (personal opinion). Here's a post I did several years ago on fixing picanha steaks on PBC's hanging skewers.
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I cook them just like a tri-tip. Dry brine overnight, I leave it whole and sear it over my charcoal chimney starter then add whatever rub you like....we like SPG for beef. Throw those coals over to one side and cook indirect until the internal temp reaches what you want....I like 125-130F. Pull it off, add a healthy amount of parmigiana chesse and you have an awesome dinner!!!
I actually rather like it left whole and not cut into steaks....but I'm also a little weird at times....HA!!Comment
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I think I'm liking the reverse sear skewer approach. That way I can do more than one type of seasoning. Besides, from pictures it looks like an oddly shaped cut to cook evenly.Comment
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I don't like to put any seasoning on picanha other than a liberal application of salt. Picanha is, after all, just a type of steak. The Portuguese (Brazilian) word "picanha" translates to "steak" in English.Last edited by johnec00; August 7, 2020, 03:34 PM.
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I've done them both ways and enjoy each method equally. Get some flaked sea salt for serving.
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I like to cut them, and have the fat caps, facing the fire. For me, the fat renders better when done slowly, but, that is observational at best.
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I have two in the freezer right now. In the past I have cooked them whole and cut them and skewered them. It has been a while but I preferred them cut and skewered. You get more surface area to get seared and I think the fat cap cooks a bit better.Comment
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I cook ’em whole, love it, But that’s my personal preference. I’ve done plenty, and get rave reviews. Perhaps it’s time to try skewered
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The Portuguese (Brazilian) word "picanha" translates as "steak" in English. Until relatively recently in th US, a beef cut called picanha was basically unknown. In the US, the cut was known as culotte, top sirloin cap, or rump cap, the difference being that a good amount of the fat cap was removed by the butcher when he/she broke down the top sirloin primal. We used to get picanha by asking the butcher to remove it from the primal but leave the fat cap on. I would assume that, if one wanted to cook it whole, the version with out all the fat cap would be preferable.
Full fat cap:
Top Sirloin Cap from local grocery (hard to see, but most of the fat cap has been trimmed):
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So I decided to cook it whole with the reverse sear method. It was super tasty. It would be basically a coin flip between it and a tri tip as to which I prefer flavor wise. However, I didn't care for the fat cap. I should have scored it, but I wanted the first time to be as straight forward as possible for a good baseline for future cooks. In the end I would choose a tri tip over a picanha strictly because of the thick fat cap. Thanks everyone for the input!
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