These picanha flake steak skewers are a perfect summer meal. Put them on your outdoor grilling bucket list immediately! I’ve said before how much I love the skewer method that @reemazobel uses for recipes like this. His approach, where he cuts the steak super thin with a very sharp knife, then stacks the thin slices on top of each other, THEN cuts the meat into cubes the skewers, creates something similar to shawarma. It definitely takes a cut like picanha (one of my favorites, as y’all know) to the next level.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
- Picanha Flake Steak Skewers Ingredients
- Easy Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Medley
- Cowboy Campfire Is Here
- How to Make Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
- What to Serve with Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
- Leftovers and Reheating
- For More Beef Skewers
- FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Picanha Flake Steak Skewers Recipe
Why You’ll Love Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
What I love about this method for picanha flake steak skewers is you don’t cook the meat all the way like other skewered steak recipes. You can cook it medium rare and it’s so freakin’ delicious. Tender, juicy, flavorful — everything that’s great about picanha, but in skewer form.
This picanha steak recipe also uses my Cowboy Campfire Seasoning. The rub has smoked salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning to bring real campfire flavor to our skewers. The butter baste that we apply throughout the grilling process amps up the seasoning as well. And what’s a shawarma-inspired dish without warmed pita bread, toom sauce and a tomato-cucumber salad? Like I said, summer meal perfection.
Looking for more shawarma recipes? Check out Beef Shawarma, Crispy Chicken Shawarma, and Roasted Chicken Trompo.
Picanha Flake Steak Skewers Ingredients
- Skewers: Grab some thinly sliced picanha and Cowboy Campfire Seasoning.
- Butter Baste: For our picanha flake steak skewers butter baste, we’ll use unsalted butter, minced garlic, rosemary sprigs and time sprigs.
- Assembly: Warmed pita bread, toum sauce and tomato, cucumber and onion mix round out this freakin’ delicious meal.
Easy Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Medley
I’ve got a quick tomato-cucumber salad in my flake steak skewers recipe, but I wanted to add some of the bite from onions with this picanha steak version. To make your own quick tomato, cucumber and onion medley, dice 2-3 small cucumbers, 1 tomato and half a red onion. You could also slice the red onion super thin if you prefer that texture. Then, mix those vegetables with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, a handful of chopped parsley or fresh oregano, and kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Stir, serve and enjoy with your picanha flake steak skewers.
Feeling ambitious? You can make your own toum sauce too! I’ve got it all laid out in this crispy chicken shawarma recipe.
How to Make Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
First, slice 3 pounds of picanha thinly, then pound the meat until about ⅛” thick. Then, stack your thin picanha slices on top of each other. Slice into 2×2” cubes and skewer onto small skewers. Season the outside with 1 cup of Cowboy Campfire and set aside.
Next, preheat your fire to medium heat (about 325 degrees Fahrenheit). Then, add the skewers to the grill to cook slowly to render the fat.
While the picanha flake steak skewers are cooking, melt 2 sticks of unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons minced garlic and baste the steaks with a handful of rosemary sprigs and a handful of thyme sprigs, making an herb brush.
Cook your picanha flake steak skewers for about 8-10 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F. When they’re done, pull the skewers off the grill and let the meat rest.
Serve on warmed pita bread with toum and a tomato medley. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
You’ve got a full meal here with the classic pairing of meat, pita, toum and a tomato-cucumber salad. But, if you want to try something a little different, you can serve this shawarma-style picanha recipe with grilled bell peppers and fries. Or, go with something TOTALLY different and serve the picanha steak with chimichurri sauce. Picanha and chimichurri are a match made in heaven!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover picanha flake steak skewers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, when you’re ready to eat, reheat on a grill at medium heat or a 350-degree oven until warm (about 10-15 minutes).
For More Beef Skewers
FAQs
Typically known as the rump cap here in the United States, picanha is a popular cut of beef in Brazil and other Latin American countries. You can tell it’s a picanha roast by how the meat is folded, with the thick fat cap coming over the meat and sealing in that beefy, freakin’ delicious rich flavor.
Sure. Flank steak or skirt steak could work for these picanha flake steak skewers, you can slice both thinly and they cook quickly. Just keep in mind that neither cut has the same rich fat cap that makes picanha so special for this recipe.
I’m a metal skewers guy. First off, you can reuse them. Also, having a flat surface makes the food more stable so it doesn’t rotate or slide while you’re grilling. But some cooks say the metal heats up faster than a wooden skewer and cooks the inside of the meat too quickly. I haven’t found this! But if you want to go with wooden skewers or bamboo skewers, make sure you get products with a smooth finish so they’re less likely to splinter. Soaking them in water helps with splintering and charring issues too.
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Picanha Flake Steak Skewers
Ingredients
Skewers:
- 3 lbs Picanha sliced thinly
- 1 cup Cowboy Campfire Rub
Butter Baste:
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter melted
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- Handful Rosemary Sprigs
- Handful Thyme Sprigs
Serving:
- Warmed Pita Bread
- Toom Sauce
- Tomato Cucumber and Onion Mix
Instructions
- Slice your picanha thin then pound the meat until about ⅛” thick.
- Stack your thinly sliced ribeyes on top of each other. Slice into 2×2” cubes and skewer onto small skewers. Season the outside with my Cowboy Campfire Rub.
- Preheat your fire to medium heat (about 325F).
- Add the skewers to the grill to cook slowly to render the fat.
- Melt butter with the garlic and baste the steaks with the rosemary and thyme making an herb brush.
- Cook for about 8-10 minutes per side or until 120F internal, then once done pull off and let rest.
- Serve on warmed pita bread with toom and a tomato medley. Enjoy!
