This Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette has been my new obsession. Inspired by family friends that lived in Brazil, it is a fun twist on picanha with a nice sauce on the side!
Let’s Talk Inspo
The inspiration for this cook came while we were in the middle of doing the photoshoot for our cookbook. I was waking up every morning at 5am to cook insane amounts of meat for a whole week straight! We love eating meat, but at some point you need to call for backup to help with the leftovers.
My wife put out a simple call-to-action about picking up some of our meat on social media. The response was crazy! We had over 50 close friends begging to swing by at the end of the day to pick up some food. At the end of the day, we had a ton of friends lined up in the driveway, taking home delicious hot meals for their families to enjoy.
Talk about bringing fire, food & people together!
One of my mother’s friends, Cindy, married into a family that does missionary work in Brazil. Her husband, Chris, is obsessed with Brazilian Styled Grilling, especially Picanha. She swung by on one of the last days of cooking to pick up some meat and got going about Chris’s favorite sauce that he eats with his steak.
I was thoroughly intrigued– as many have figured out, I take the sauce just as seriously as I take the meat. She described Salsa Vinaigrette with so much excitement that I had to try it the next time I made Picanha. Thus, the Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinagreta recipe was born!
Why You’ll Love Skewered Picanha With Salsa Vinaigrette
I love cooking picanha (order this cut of meat online here). It is a favorite at any Brazilian steakhouse because it is the perfect blend of hearty meat and delicious large fat cap rolled into one. They serve it on long metal skewers, which is pretty cool! But there are many ways to cook it, including on the rotisserie, grilled, and even smoked.
For this recipe, we are making Skewered Picanha on a hot grill. It is a simpler variation on our rotisserie picanha recipe, but you are doing the turning yourself.
In the end, this is the type of recipe that I love making! Inspired by the people around me, this Picanha Steak recipe is both delicious and easy to make, even if it’s your first time trying it. Cook it for a large gathering, and you will have plenty to share.
How to Make Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette
Need some inspiration on the grill? Try this Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette for a hearty yet tangy bite. Super delicious cooked over fire!
Ingredients for Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette
Picanha:
- 2 Whole Picanha sliced into filets
- 3 tbsp of Garlic Salt or Coarse Sea Salt
- 1.5 tbsp of Canola Oil
Salsa Vinaigrette:
- 1 Green Bell Pepper charred and diced
- 1 White Onion charred and diced
- 2 Roma Tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp of Parsley chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp of Scallions chopped
- 2 tbsp of White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp of Olive Oil
Skewered Picanha Slicing Instructions
Begin by slicing your Picanha into steaks on a cutting board with a sharp knife, going from edge to edge instead of top to tail, ensuring there is a thick fat cap on each steak. Once sliced, carefully form each of the individual steaks into a “C” shape with the fat side on the outside and skewer them onto the skewers.
The steak should hold that “C” shape the whole time as it helps to render the fat more and keep a good temperature consistency on the meat.
Once they are on the skewers, lather in oil and generously season with Garlic Salt or Coarse Sea Salt. Add more than you might think, as the fat will render and you will lose some salt in the process of cooking.
Let’s Get Cookin’
Preheat your gas grill or charcoal grill for indirect cooking around 350 degrees F using the three-zone cooking method.
Add your skewers between the two coal beds and begin cooking. Cook for about 15 minutes with your meat thermometer in hand until they are 120F internal for medium rare. Rotate them every 2-3 minutes to prevent flare up and so they cook evenly.
Make sure to cook off some of the fat layer if you desire too! That savory, buttery fat from the skewered picanha will only make this steak even more mouthwatering.
If you do get flare ups, douse the fire with water or add a foil bin with ¼ inch of water at the bottom of the skewers to catch the oil drippings. Once the steaks are done, pull them off and let them rest for 8 minutes.
While the picanha is resting, add your green bell pepper and onion into the fire to char for 2 minutes. Once they are charred, pull them out and let them cool to room temperature. Dice them up and place them in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients for the Salsa Vinaigrette.
Slice your Picanha either on the skewer or off. Top with the Salsa Vinaigrette and enjoy!
FAQ’s
About the Salsa Vinaigrette
Like I said before, this recipe is inspired by the friends Cindy and Chris! This is a slight twist on classic Salsa Vinaigrette with addition of charred veggies and scallions.
It is very similar in flavor to Chimichurri and Pico de Gallo! It is a smoky, hearty salsa with so much flavor from the charred bell pepper and onion. Mix that together with the fresh parsley, garlic and white wine vinegar to give a delicious vinegary bite that cuts through the fatness of the Skewered Picanha meat!
How to Prevent Flare-Ups
The biggest key to this Skewered Picanha recipe is setting up the fire. I like to cook it a little slower on indirect heat using the three-zone method. The three-zone method is where you will have a warm cooking zone in between two fires.
This way of cooking helps to prevent flare-ups! This is especially important with Picanha, as it has tons of fat and is known to cause flare-ups. If you get flare-ups, douse them with water in order to stop the meat from burning. Pull the Picanha off the fire if necessary so that you keep it from burning up.
Another way to keep flare-ups at bay is to lay a foil bin underneath the steaks with a layer of water. This will catch all the fat drippings in the way and cool them before the fire can get to them.
What is Picanha?
If you do not know what the Picanha cut is, then I have a great article about that! It is one of the best cuts of meat if you’re looking for incredible flavor, mostly due to the thick layer of fat on the outside. Although it is the most popular cut of beef in Brazil, it is little known in the United States.
This juicy cut of beef is often called the rump cap at any local grocery store. It’s the best way to bring exotic flavor to a family dinner!
In Brazilian steakhouses, beef picanha is usually cooked on long skewers and cut up into thin slices at the table for anyone who wants a piece. If you want, you can bring that tradition to your home to make it a more authentic cultural experience!
For more delicious recipes, check out my second cookbook Flavor X Fire or my first cookbook Food X Fire!
Needing more spice in your life? My spice line can help with that. Check them out here.
Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Picanha Ingredients:
- 2 Whole Picanha sliced into filets
- 3 tbsp of Garlic Salt
- 1.5 tbsp of Canola Oil
Salsa Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1 Green Bell Pepper charred and diced
- 1 White Onion charred and diced
- 2 Roma Tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp of Parsley chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp of Scallions chopped
- 2 tbsp of White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp of Olive Oil
Instructions
- Begin by slicing your picanha into steaks going from edge to edge instead of top to tail. Once sliced, carefully form them into a “C” shape and skewer them onto the skewers. Once they are on the skewers, lather in oil and generously season with the Garlic Salt. Add more salt thank you might think as the fat will render and you will lose some salt in the process of cooking.
- Preheat your fire/charcoal for indirect cooking around 350F using the three zone method.
- Add your skewers between the two coal beds and begin cooking. Cook for about 15 minutes until they are 120F internal for medium rare. Rotate them every 2-3 minutes to prevent flare up and so they cook evenly. Make sure to cook off some of the fat layer if you desire too! If you do get flare ups, dose the fire with water or add a foil bin with ¼ inch of water at the bottom to catch the oil drippings. Once the steaks are done, pull them off and let them rest for 8 minutes.
- Add your green bell pepper and onion into the fire to char for 2 minutes. Once they are charred, pull them out and let them cool. Dice them up and place them in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients for the Salsa Vinaigrette.
- Slice your picanha either on the skewer or off. Top with the Salsa Vinaigrette and enjoy!
