Recipe · BBQ Religion
Picanha (Rump Cap) on the Kettle
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To cook picanha (rump cap) on a Weber kettle the way Adriano does: score the fat, cover it with a thick coat of Picanha rock salt rub, cook it indirect for 30 to 40 minutes with the vents half closed, crisp the fat over the coals, then cut it into two inch steaks, season them again and sear them for 2 to 3 minutes a side. Allow about an hour and ten minutes.
Picanha is the cut at the centre of a Brazilian churrasco. In Australia it is sold as rump cap: the same muscle, and the fat cap on top is what makes it work over charcoal.
How do you choose a good rump cap?
Look for a nice, even fat layer and good marbling through the meat. Ask your butcher for a whole rump cap with the fat left on.
Is that too much salt?
No. The coat goes on thick on purpose and gets knocked off before serving. As Adriano puts it, the idea is to have the salt going through the fat and the fat going through the meat. Plain rock salt works too.
Why score the fat?
A criss-cross cut through the fat helps the rump cap cook a little quicker.
What temperature do you cook picanha to?
In his second picanha video Adriano runs the kettle at about 180°C for the first 40 minutes and takes the steaks off the direct heat at 55°C internal. For well done, cut the steaks thinner before they go back on.
How do Brazilians serve picanha?
Sliced thin against the grain, on its own or with cassava flour, which is typical in Brazil and adds a layer of texture. Adriano also serves it with chimichurri.
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What you need
- 1 whole rump cap with an even fat layer and good marbling
- Picanha, a thick coat on the fat and more for the steaks
- plain rock salt
- Lump charcoal
- Cassava flour, to serve (optional)
- chimichurri made with Gringo
Method
- Turn the rump cap over and remove the silver skin from underneath.
- Turn it back and score the fat in a criss-cross. It helps the cap cook a little quicker.
- Pour a thick coat of Picanha all over the fat. It will look like too much salt: it gets knocked off before serving.
- Light the kettle with lump charcoal and set it up for indirect cooking, about 180°C, with the vents half closed.
- Cook the picanha fat side up, away from the coals, for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Flip it and move it around over the coals until the fat turns golden. Watch it closely: the fat catches fire very easily.
- Rest it for 10 minutes, then cut it into steaks about two inches (5 cm) thick. Cut them thinner if you like it well done.
- Season both sides of each steak with Picanha again and sear them over direct heat for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until they reach 55°C inside.
- Knock off the salt, rest the steaks for 10 minutes and slice them thinly against the grain.
- Serve on its own, with cassava flour, or with chimichurri.
Read the video transcript
Today we're going to talk about rump cap. My name is Adriano from BRZ Food, I'm Brazilian, and I'm going to teach you how to cook a perfect rump cap, otherwise known as picanha.
A good cut should have a nice, even fat layer and good marbling. Start by going to your local butcher shop and asking for a nice piece of rump cap.
Now we turn it over and remove the silver skin from underneath the cut. To finish off, we turn it back and score the fat. This will help it cook a little bit quicker.
Next, you need a really nice rub. Today we're cooking with BRZ Picanha. If you cannot find it at your local butcher shop, try to find a new one. It's just a mix of rock salt, fine herbs and spices. You can also use plain rock salt.
Pour a good coat all over the fat. Don't worry if you think it's too much salt: we're going to bash it off before we serve. The idea here is to have the salt going through the fat and the fat going through the meat.
The next step: light up your Weber kettle with Heat Beads lump charcoal. Now we place our picanha indirect from the heat. Set your vent half closed and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
After 35 minutes, we flip the picanha and cook the fat. Please be careful here: the fat can catch on fire very easily. The best way is to move the picanha around the direct heat until you see a nice golden colour.
Now we take it off the barbecue and rest it for 10 minutes, just before we cut the steaks. I like to cut two inch steaks, but you can cut a little bit thinner if you like it well done.
Now we apply the Picanha rub again on both sides of the steaks and return them to the grill over direct heat. Let's cook for 2 to 3 minutes each side.
Remember when we put on the salt? Now is the time to bash it all off. The picanha has been resting for 10 minutes, and now we cut thin slices against the grain.
You can serve just the picanha, or you can add cassava flour. That's quite typical in Brazil: it gives you an extra layer of texture and grabs all the flavours.
Why this works
Salt, herbs and dehydrated vegetables form this coarse seasoning. There is no added sugar in the ingredient list.
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