Picanha Roast
April 26, 2024 • 0 comments
The picanha: the insanely underappreciated cut of beef that everyone should get familiarized with. Also known as the rump cap or coulotte; this small roast comes from the top of the sirloin section. Triangular in shape with a hearty cap of fat that bastes the rich, beefy meat as it roasts; this cut prepares much like a premium steak.
It is an absolute favorite of all of ours here on the farm. It can be sliced into small steaks or scored and roasted whole; the latter being our typical go-to method. If you do choose to cut steaks, you will want to fight the ‘against the grain’ intuitive thought; slicing into steaks with the grain is recommended by butchers because once on the plate, you will be slicing against the grain for the most tender bite.
The picanha is the star of the barbeque in Brazil where is it traditionally seasoned with only salt. You can feel free to season as you wish, but the richness of the beef remains the star of the show with the simplicity of a coarse salt rub.
Our picanhas range from 1-3 pounds each; typically closer to 2 pounds. If you are hoping for a certain size, please request in your order notes and we will do our best to accommodate.
Directions
- One Picanha Roast
- Avocado oil or other high-temp cooking fat
- Coarse Kosher salt
Instructions:
- Thaw roast in the fridge overnight.
- Trim fat cap lightly, if you wish. Our goal when trimming is creating a more uniform thickness while ensuring there is 1/8”-1/4” remaining.
- Score fat cap every 1/2" in both directions, being careful to avoid cutting through to the muscle.
- Lightly oil the entire surface of the roast and coat liberally with coarse kosher salt, concentrating more salt on the fat cap than on the exposed meat bottom. Place on an elevated rack on a baking sheet and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. (Keeping it elevated on the rack is crucial to avoid overly salty meat)
- Remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours before cooking to bring to room temp. Preheat oven to 475-degrees.
- Place roast (still on rack) into the oven for 2 minutes before dropping the temp to 400-degrees. Cook for approximately 20 minutes per pound, or until the thickest part in the center reads 130-degrees with a meat thermometer. (See notes below cautioning using wireless thermometers)
- Remove roast to a cutting board to fully rest before slicing against the grain. Enjoy!
Notes:
- I did not specify the amount of salt needed as it varies greatly along with the size of the roast. Use a minimum of 1 Tbsp. salt (1 lb. roast), up to 2 Tbsps. I like to drape the roast over a small bowl after scoring to better work the salt down into the crevices. **Do NOT refrigerate without the rack!
- This method of salting overnight is called dry brining. It really is worth the extra step to bring out the extra-beefy flavors. However, if you are short on time, you can just salt for as long as possible before cooking.
- Note: using a wireless thermometer can cause a misread of temperature. This roast begins as a mostly flat cut and puffs up into the shape of a football while cooking. The thermometer position likely will not remain center.
- Depending on your preferences, 130-degress may sound like it’s a bit too rare for you. Please keep in mind a couple of things; the roast temp typically rises by about 10-degrees while resting and because of the shape of the cooked meat, the edges are all more well done than the center.
- Be cautious when/if placing roast back in the oven to continue cooking. So many times I have done this, trying to achieve an extra 5-degrees or so and a few minutes later, it had increased by up to 15 degrees. (Heartbreaking in the moment but still delicious every time!)
- As mentioned above, we prefer using only salt to highlight this delicious cut. If you would like to add more, we recommend black pepper and garlic powder.
