Picanha Roast: Tender & Juicy (with Video)

This authentic picanha roast recipe (sirloin cap) is cooked in the oven using just 3 simple ingredients. The result is a tender and juicy cut of beef with a crispy and golden brown cap of fat that melts in the mouth. Serve with these yuca fries! It’ll save you a trip (and money) to the best Brazilian steakhouses. Watch our quick VIDEO!

A tender and juicy picanha roast with vegetables en papillote, made with a flavorful top sirloin cap, fresh vegetables, and simple seasonings. The parchment packet keeps everything moist while the fat cap bastes the meat naturally, creating an impressive Brazilian-inspired meal with minimal effort.

Jump to:

• Quick Look: Picanha Roast
• What is picanha?
• What to Look for When Buying Picanha
•  Ingredients
• How to make picanha roast (Sirloin Cap)
• Expert Tips for Perfect Picanha Roast
• FAQ About Picanha Roast
• 2 ways to cook picanha steaks
• Traditional Brazilian grilled picanha steak
• More Beef Recipes
•  What to serve with picanha roast (Sirloin Cap)
• Picanha Roast (Sirloin Cap)

Let’s talk picanha! 🙂 You may be asking yourself: “But what is it?”

I promise you will love it, especially when you find out that it is the most popular cut of meat in Brazilian cuisine. And yes, you can buy it in America, saving big bucks to your trips to Brazilian steakhouses.

Also known as top sirloin cap or rump cap, picanha is one of those tender cuts of beef that can be either roasted or grilled easily. In other words, it’s the queen of cuts in Brazil, including in Rio, and the most commonly served in Brazilian churrascarias all over the world. I say the queen because picanha is feminine (a she) in Portuguese. 😉

And today is your day: This Brazilian is teaching you how to make the best picanha roast of your life…  the same way we cook in Brazil!

Ready?

What is picanha?

Picanha (pronounced "pee-KAHN-ya") is a popular Brazilian cut of beef taken from the top of the rump which is close to the tail. It has a triangular shape surrounded by a thick layer of fat called ‘fat cap’. Because the muscle is not overused, this cut is tender and contains an amazing flavor when cooked.

You might know picanha in English by other names such as top sirloin cap, rump cap, rump cover, sirloin cap, or culotte steak. But the term ‘picanha’ comes from the word "picana", which was a pole used by ranchers in the southern parts of Portugal and Spain for herding cattle.

Brazilian steakhouses usually grill it on long skewers over open flames but you can cut the steak into portions for smaller skewers. Alternatively, you can cut picanha into thick slices, season with only coarse salt, and then grill with the fat layer facing up until most of it melts away, and the remaining fat becomes crispy. But traditionally coarse salt is the only ingredient used to cook picanha.

Brazilian home cooks also enjoy making roasted picanha in the oven using coarse salt and olive oil. Any additional ingredients such as spices and herbs are not often part of the recipe although you can add to yours. You can also make smoked picanha roast! 

Of course, you can use other cooking methods to cook picanha such as sous vide, stovetop, the slow cooker or pressure cooker although they are not traditional methods for this cut in Brazil. 

What to Look for When Buying Picanha

When buying picanha, there are 5 things to look for:

1. Size – smaller cuts weighing around 1 kg to 1.5 kg (2.2 to 3.3 lbs) are the best. Why? Larger cuts might contain parts of tough cuts that run below the rump.
2. Fat content – the cut comes surrounded by a good cap of fat (about 1.5cm or 6 inches) that should be firm and have a white/cream color. The fat makes the meat more flavorful and will keep it moist while cooking.
3. Excess liquid – if there is too much liquid in the package that is a sign the picanha roast is old, has been kept at the incorrect temperature, or it was previously frozen.
4. Color – as in every cut of beef, it must be bright red.
5. Smell – not putrid odor.

If compared to ribeye, it is less expensive. If not offered at the meat aisle of your supermarket, ask for a top sirloin cap or rump cap to the butcher. 

By the way, a good butcher will never confuse tri-tip or sirloin steaks with picanha.

You don’t need to buy the Japanese Wagyu picanha to eat tender and flavorful meat. But if you do, enjoy every piece be it will be more costly than a regular picanha.

 Ingredients

• Picanha roast – look for the whole picanha also know as picanha roast, not picanha steaks. The cut must weight about 1 to 1.5 kg (2.2 to 3.3 lbs).
• Coarse salt – It will season the meat and penetrate its fibers and fat while cooking. It will most melt under the heat.
• Oilve oil – it will give the picanha a beautiful suntan and help the coarse salt to adhere to the surface of the meat.

You can add spices and herbs but it won’t be one of those authentic Brazilian recipes anymore.

How to make picanha roast (Sirloin Cap)

1. To cook this picanha roast in the oven, let the meat rest at room temp for one hour so it will cook more evenly. Lightly trim off any visible skin or membrane from the bottom or sides.
2. Preheat the oven to 390° F (220° C).
3. Then, place the cut, fat side down, onto a rack of a roasting pan. SEE PIC. 1 Pat dry well with paper towel, brush with olive oil, and season generously with coarse salt. SEE PICS. 2, 3, & 4 Flip the meat and repeat the process. 
4. Pour just enough water in the bottom of the roasting pan to cover the bottom. SEE PIC. 5 It will prevent burning while the fat is dripping during the roasting process.
5. With the fat of the beef picanha facing side up, roast the picanha for about 60-70 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center (thickest part of the meat) reaches an internal temp of 130°-140° F (54°- 60° C). SEE PIC. 6
6. Let the picanha roast rest for 15-20 minutes. Tap the top with the flat part of a knife blade to remove excess salt. SEE PIC. 7 Last, slice it against the grain and serve with lime wedges or your favorite sauce such as chimichurri sauce. SEE PIC. 8

NOTE: After roasting the picanha roast, you can still brown and crisp up the fat cap even more by broiling it for 5-8 minutes. Make sure to position the top of the picanha about 8-10 inches away from the oven broiler. If you intend to remove the fat right before eating, don't bother to broil it.

Expert Tips for Perfect Picanha Roast

Score the fat cap only if you prefer a leaner result. I did not score mine because most Brazilians enjoy a thick, soft fat cap that becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender when roasted. Scoring allows more fat to render into the meat, increasing flavor but leaving a thinner fat layer.

Skipping the sear is perfectly acceptable. I did not sear my picanha before roasting because the olive oil brushed on the surface helps develop a beautiful golden exterior while keeping the process simple.

Want a crispier fat cap? Sear first. Lightly score the fat cap, rub it with coarse salt (skip the oil), and sear fat-side down in a hot cast-iron skillet for a few minutes. Flip and sear the underside for about 1 minute before roasting.

Always slice cooked picanha against the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers and results in the most tender bite.

If grilling, cut the raw picanha with the grain. This may sound unusual, but it is the traditional method. Once the steaks are folded into a C shape and skewered, they grill evenly and are sliced against the grain only after cooking.

Use a meat thermometer for the best results. For medium-rare picanha, cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°F–140°F (54°C–60°C).

Keep the seasoning simple. Traditional Brazilian picanha relies mainly on coarse salt because the cut already has exceptional flavor and tenderness. The goal is to highlight the beef, not mask it with excessive seasonings.

Position steaks carefully on the grill. Start them around the outer edge of the grill away from direct high heat so they cook evenly before moving them to the center for a final sear.

FAQ About Picanha Roast

2 ways to cook picanha steaks

You can either cook the steaks on the stovetop or grill them.

Stovetop: Season the steaks with coarse salt and sear fat-side down in a hot cast-iron skillet until the fat renders and crisps. Flip and sear both sides, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Grill: Place the steaks on the outer edge of a preheated grill and cook at 250°F (120°C) for about 6 minutes. Flip, move closer to the center, and sear both sides. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°F–140°F (54°C–60°C) for medium-rare.

Traditional Brazilian grilled picanha steak

The traditional Brazilian churrasco or barbecue prepares picanha by slicing the whole picanha into about 4 thick steaks, placing it onto long metal skewers in a C shape, seasoning with coarse salt, and grilling over open flames in a  rotisserie or on a charcoal grill or churrasqueira.

The picanha steak is then served and carved according to order. Some people prefer rare or medium-rare pieces (the center) while others medium-well to well-done (the tips).

The reason why picanha is seasoned only with coarse salt, instead of a bunch of spices and herbs, is because Brazilians enjoy to taste the beef itself with no masquerade flavors. The picanha cut has already a great beef flavor and is tender. It is one of those things that ‘simple is really better’.

However, many Brazilian steakhouses in the United States season their picanha with garlic, spices, and/or herbs to please their American clients.

For those from Rio Grande do Sul, the Mecca of Brazilian barbecue, over seasoning picanha can be classified as a great offense – just like cutting cooked pasta is for Italians.

More Beef Recipes

 What to serve with picanha roast (Sirloin Cap)

Some favorite Brazilian sides to serve with are:

• Farofa
• Brazilian cheese bread
• Pan fried collard greens
• Creamy polenta
• White rice
• Black beans

Did You Love This Picanha Roast? If you make this recipe and love it, stop back, give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment.

 

 

Post first published on March 23, 2012.