How to Cook Picanha
Want to explore a whole new world of delicious meat? Picanha is your passport! The star of Brazilian Steakhouses and prized by steak lovers, Picanha is premium meat (classified as a roast and often cut into steaks) that is sometimes hard to find. In the United States, Picanha is more commonly known as a “Rump Cap,” “Sirloin Cap,” “Top Sirloin Cap,” and “Culotte”. With all the flavor of sirloin steaks wrapped into Picanha, this incredible cut also boasts luxurious marbling and a fat cap that assures an even richer, beefier flavor. Get ready for a truly next-level dining experience!
As for the best way to cook Picanha, it is the perfect cut for the grill. Grilled Picanha can be prepared in several ways; as steaks, on skewers, or even as delectable bites that are the ideal finger food. No grill? No worries. You can still prepare a terrific Brazilian Picanha with a skillet, in your oven, or even with a specialty cooking method like sous vide. Everything you need to know is in the instructions below. We've also included a chart that will tell you how long to cook Picanha depending on the cooking method you choose. Be sure to use a meat thermometer for best results. Choose your favorite Picanha recipe and treat guests to a dining experience they'll remember forever.
How to Grill Picanha
Delicious Picanha steaks cooked on the grill are an outstanding choice for any meal, and you can prepare them traditionally, on skewers, or as steak bites. Before selecting an option, be sure your meat is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours. Once thawed, remove your Picanha from the refrigerator approximately 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature, and season as desired. For traditional Picanha, season with a generous amount of coarse salt and possibly some olive oil, ground pepper, and fresh lime juice.
A delicious Picanha roast cooked on the grill is an outstanding choice for any meal, and you can prepare it traditionally, on skewers, or as steak bites. First, it’s important to understand that there are two grill options for cooking grilled Picanha – Gas Grill or Charcoal Grill.
Whether gas or charcoal, it’s very important to properly prepare your grill. You’ll want one section to be very hot to create a good sear, and another section to be low-heat to let your Picanha cook through. Picanha has a large fat cap, which is what makes it moist and tender! But it will also create flare-ups and lots of smoke as it cooks off.
How to Grill Picanha on a Charcoal Grill
Push hot coals to one side of your grill. You’ll use this section for searing and to help soften the fat cap. Also reserve space for low, passive, heat cooking. You’ll use this section to better cook the meat through and allow the fat cap to soak into and soften the meat.
How to Grill Picanha on a Gas Grill
Preheat a portion of your grill on high. You’ll use this section for searing and to help soften the fat cap. Preheat the remainder of your grill to medium-low. You’ll use this section to better cook the meat through and allow the fat cap to soak into and soften the meat. If you don’t have space for separate sections, you can change your grill temperature as you switch between searing and cooking through.
Cut slices off the Picanha as it cooks, like you would at a Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse.
Lay the Picanha on a cutting board with the fat cap down, against the board. Take a close look and notice which way the fibers of the meat are running; this is known as the "grain". Cutting with the grain, slice the Picanha into several individual steaks, each 1-inch to 1½ inch thick. Cutting with the grain may seem counter-intuitive, but after your steaks are cooked, you will slice each steak against the grain, cutting the long muscle fibers into tiny segments and ensuring each bite is tender.
- Prepare your grill. To successfully grill Picanha, you’ll want one section to be very hot to create a good sear and soften the fat cap, and another section to be low heat to let your Picanha cook through.
- Gas Grill: push hot coals to one side of your grill and reserve another space for low heat cooking.
- Charcoal Grill: preheat one portion of your grill on high and another portion on medium-low. If you don’t have space, start with a high temperature, and then adjust it as you move to slower, passive cooking.
- Fold each steak into a "C" shape, with the fat cap running along the spine of the "C." Run a skewer through the top and bottom of the "C." You should be able to fit 2 or 3 steaks on a skewer.
- Place the skewered steaks over the hottest part of the grill and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes.
- Once both sides of the steaks are seared, you can use a sharp knife to simply shave thin slices of steak off the sides of each "C" onto a platter and serve immediately. Re-season each freshly cut side if desired and return the skewer to the grill. Sear and shave more slices. Repeat over and over until only the center remains.
Lay the Picanha on a cutting board with the fat cap down, against the board. Take a close look and notice which way the fibers of the meat are running; this is known as the "grain". Cutting with the grain, slice the Picanha into several individual steaks, each 1-inch to 1½ inch thick. Cutting with the grain may seem counter-intuitive, but after your steaks are cooked, you will slice each steak against the grain, cutting the long muscle fibers into tiny segments and ensuring each bite is tender.
- Prepare your grill. To successfully grill Picanha, you’ll want one section to be very hot to create a good sear and soften the fat cap, and another section to be low heat to let your Picanha cook through.
- Gas Grill: push hot coals to one side of your grill and reserve another space for low heat cooking.
- Charcoal Grill: preheat one portion of your grill on high and another portion on medium-low. If you don’t have space, start with a high temperature, and then adjust it as you move to slower, passive cooking.
- Fold each steak into a "C" shape, with the fat cap running along the spine of the "C." Run a skewer through the top and bottom of the "C." You should be able to fit 2 or 3 steaks on a skewer.
- Place the skewered steaks over the hottest part of the grill, and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes. Then move your steaks to the low-heat side of your grill and continue to grill to the desired doneness using the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- For the perfect medium-rare Picanha, grill for 9–12 minutes for a 1-inch steak and 12–14 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F. To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature and ensure it is cooked to the perfect level of doneness, from rare to medium-well.
- Rest your Picanha for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting Picanha is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your meat. Allowing your Picanha to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- After resting, slice each steak against the grain, cutting the long muscle fibers into tiny segments and ensuring each bite is tender.
Grilled Picanha steak bites are another excellent choice for your next meal! Follow these directions for flavor filled grilled Picanha steak bites:
- Prepare your grill. To successfully grill Picanha, you’ll want one section to be very hot to create a good sear and soften the fat cap, and another section to be low heat to let your Picanha cook through.
- Gas Grill: push hot coals to one side of your grill and reserve another space for low heat cooking.
- Charcoal Grill: preheat one portion of your grill on high and another portion on medium-low. If you don’t have space, start with a high temperature, and then adjust it as you move to slower, passive cooking.
- Do not trim the Picanha. The fat cap will help keep the meat moist and tender.
- Place the Picanha fat side down over the hottest past of the grill and sear for 5–7 minutes. Turn and sear an additional 3–4 minutes. Be prepared for flare-ups as the fat softens and soaks into the meat and the grill.
- Remove the Picanha and slice into 3 or 4 sections with a sharp knife. Return the sections to the grill, cooking each side to the desired doneness based on the Cooking Times Chart below. Use a meat thermometer to check the degree of doneness.
- As each section finishes, remove from the grill, cut into small bite-sized steak pieces, and serve
If you prefer to grill your whole Picanha roast at once and then slice into steaks after cooking, this is the method for you.
- Prepare your grill. To successfully grill Picanha, you’ll want one section to be very hot to create a good sear and soften the fat cap, and another section to be low heat to let your Picanha cook through.
- Gas Grill: push hot coals to one side of your grill and reserve another space for low heat cooking.
- Charcoal Grill: preheat one portion of your grill on high and another portion on medium-low. If you don’t have space, start with a high temperature, and then adjust it as you move to slower, passive cooking.
- Do not trim the Picanha. The fat cap will help keep the meat moist and tender.
- Place the Picanha fat side down over the hottest part of the grill (about 250°F) and sear for 5–7 minutes. Turn and sear an additional 3–4 minutes. Be prepared for flare-ups as the fat softens and soaks into the meat and the grill.
- Remove the Picanha and slice into 3 or 4 sections with a sharp knife. Return the sections to the grill, cooking each side to the desired doneness based on the Cooking Times Chart below. Because the thickness on either end of a Picanha roast varies, you will want to add the smaller sections back onto the grill for more uniform doneness throughout.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the individual sections.
- As each section finishes, remove from the grill and cut into individual steaks.
How to Cook Picanha on the Stove and in the Oven
As this type of steak offers a delicious taste, cooking Picanha on the stove and in the oven is an excellent joint method to try for your next dinner. Select your favorite Picanha recipe and get started! Be sure your meat is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours. Once thawed, remove your meat from the refrigerator approximately 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Season your Picanha as desired. For traditional Picanha, season with a generous amount of coarse salt and possibly some olive oil, ground pepper, and fresh lime juice.
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Follow these steps for best results when cooking Picanha on the stove and in the oven:
- Do not trim the Picanha. The fat cap will help keep it moist and tender.
- Using a sharp knife, score the fat cap of your Picanha into a diamond pattern; cut about halfway into the fat.
- Heat a heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium heat until hot, for about 5 minutes.
- Add just a tablespoon of oil to the hot skillet then carefully add the Picanha, fat side down. The fat will begin to render out, and its surface will get crispy. As the melted fat accumulates, very carefully spoon it out of the skillet and into a heat-proof bowl and reserve; this will reduce splattering.
- Continue to render the fat until you've reached nearly the bottom of the score lines and the surface is golden brown and crispy. Spoon some of the reserved fat over the Picanha, then turn so the fat cap is right-side up.
- Move the skillet into the preheated oven. Allow the roast to cook in the oven to the desired degree of doneness, based on the times listed in our Cooking Times Chart, below.
- Rest your Picanha for 10 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 10°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting Picanha is also important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your meat. Allowing the Picanha to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your meat.
- To serve, carve the Picanha into thin slices, cutting against the grain to ensure each bite is tender.
Similar to using an oven-proof skillet, preparing Picanha in a cast iron skillet is a great way to create an amazing finish and that deep brown crust we all know and love on our favorite cut of beef. Follow the same set of directions as you would if cooking Picanha on the stove and in the oven with an oven-proof skillet.
Specialty Picanha Cooking
Enjoy a specialty method for cooking your Picanha. While grilling and cooking your meat on the stove and in the oven are excellent methods, there are a couple of new methods that are extremely popular, such as using a smoker or a sous vide machine.
With each method, your Picanha should be completely thawed in the refrigerator for at least 24–48 hours. Once thawed, remove your meat from the refrigerator approximately 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Season your Picanha as desired. For traditional Picanha, season with a generous amount of coarse salt and possibly some olive oil, ground pepper, and fresh lime juice. You can also choose your favorite Picanha marinade.
Smoking Picanha is sought after by many who want to enhance the outstanding flavor. Smoking time varies greatly depending on the cut of meat, thickness of the cut, quality of smoker, smoke and smoke retention, wind, etc. It is best to use a meat thermometer and base doneness off internal temperature.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
To begin, fire up your smoker and preheat it to 250°F.
- Place your well-seasoned or marinated Picanha onto the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach about 5°F below the desired internal doneness temperature – about 2–3 hours (see our Measuring Doneness Chart below).
- After removing from the smoker, you can check for smoking doneness by temperature, which will be about 5°F below final doneness. This is because your meat will warm an additional 5°F when resting. Temperatures are as follows:
- Rare: 120°F
- Medium-Rare: 130°F
- Medium: 140°F
- Medium-Well: 15°°F
- Wrap your Picanha tightly in foil or butcher paper and place them into a cooler to rest for 20–30 minutes. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting Picanha after smoking is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your meat. Allowing your Picanha to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the final degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer.
- Lastly, slice against the grain and serve!
Preparing your Picanha with the sous vide method takes all the guesswork out of the process. Instead of worrying about precisely preparing your favorite Picanha sous vide, the sous machine does it for you, perfectly cooking to your desired doneness. Sous vide uses a low-heat, long-time cooking process which allows for evenly cooked meat from end to end and guarantees every bite is as tender and juicy as the first.
Note: Meat cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
Here are the steps to follow when using the sous vide method:
Prepare It
- Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container up with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate temperature for desired doneness. The sous vide device should be set as follows:
- Rare: 122°F
- Medium-Rare: 129°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Repackage your roast into a sous vide heat-stable bag. We recommend seasoning your Picanha using traditional seasoning or marinating your meat for an enhanced flavor, prior to cooking in the sous vide.
Cook It
- Make sure the water bath has fully reached the desired temperature for cooking before adding in the meat.
- Place the packaged Picanha in the water bath and allow it to cook for the recommended amount of time, based on your desired degree of doneness. For a 3–4 lb. cut, your Picanha sous vide time will be 3–6 hours.
- Once your meat is finished cooking, remove it from the sous vide and take it out of the packaging.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Place your Picanha on the skillet and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sear until the meat reaches the final desired internal temperature, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart below.
- The sear will give your Picanha the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilling.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking Picanha, the low-heat and long-time cooking technique used in sous vide does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
Cooking Times for Picanha
To achieve perfect doneness to your desired taste, we recommend you use a meat thermometer and the Measuring Doneness Chart, below.
Measuring Doneness for Picanha
Remove when your steaks are 5°F less than the temperatures listed.
The centers will continue to warm as they rest.
Picanha Recipes
Looking for a specific recipe, marinade, seasoning or rub for Picanha? Check out our most popular Picanha Recipes below or click Beef Recipes to view our recipe library.