It’s no secret I love picanha. I’ve made it on a rotisserie, with a Parmesan crust, Brazilian style, skewered, grilled, stuffed with cheese and much more! Most people grill this cut over direct fire or on skewers, but I decided to go with the different method of smoked picanha thanks to the advice of one of my good Argentinian friends.
He told me that his favorite way to cook it is by smoking picanha. The smoking process allows the fat cap to marinate into the meat while cooking. You get such intense smoky flavor that is perfect for the holidays or Saturday night dinner!
Why You’ll Love Smoked Picanha
Picanha is one of my favorite cuts of meat to cook over fire. This particular cut has serious flavor and is unlike any other piece of meat on the cow. The large fat cap on the outside of the meat really helps it to stand out from the rest of the pack. With these qualities, it’s no surprise that picanha is a really popular cut of beef in Brazil and other parts of Latin America.
I’m always stoked to serve this amazing cut of meat to friends who haven’t tried it before — they’re blown away by how tender, juicy and beefy it is. Even though there’s a thick fat cap, the picanha steak itself holds very little fat inside the meat. Smoking is a great way to bring out the best in picanha!
If you want different ways to cook picanha, check out my roundup of my favorite picanha recipes!
Smoked Picanha Ingredients
The only things we need for this smoked picanha recipe are a whole picanha steak or top sirloin cap, kosher salt, sea salt or another coarse salt, and olive oil. When you’re working with a picanha steak that is this high quality, you don’t need much else for a delicious dinner.
Slice Picanha the Right Way
When it’s time for the final cut of your smoked picanha, slicing your picanha against the grain and with the fat side up after resting is key. That’s how you make sure every bite is tender and easy to chew. Grab a sharp knife and start slicing thin, holding the steak steady on your cutting board. If you’re not sure about the grain, check how the muscle fibers run. Slice perpendicular to them for the best texture.
Also, you can definitely eat the fat cap. It’s a very soft, buttery fat layer. If you don’t like to eat the fat, you’re welcome to cut it off. However, I wouldn’t cut the thick cap of fat off until after you’ve cooked it. That way you’ll get some of the rendered fat on the steak while it’s cooking for added flavor.
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How to Make Smoked Picanha
First thing, let’s build a medium-high heat charcoal fire for indirect grilling in a smoker or covered charcoal grill. While the grill is heating, score the picanha’s fat cap and lather with olive oil. Season with 2 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt all over.
Once you’re ready to cook, add your picanha steak to cook indirectly on the smoker, fat cap side down. Smoke at a low temperature (250 degrees Fahrenheit) for just under 2 hours. After about 45 minutes, flip the picanha so the fat side is up. Cook until the thickest part of the meat reaches your desired internal temperature (e.g. for medium rare, the temperature of the meat will be around 120 degrees F).
To finish, pull the picanha steak off the smoker and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Slice against the grain and add more salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve With Smoked Picanha
Smoked picanha and chimichurri sauce are a perfect match. You can make some smoked chimichurri to go with your smoked picanha, then use leftovers in one of my favorite chimichurri recipes.
For sides, if you go to a Brazilian steak house, they’ll serve picanha with corn cream, rice, deep fried cassava, beans or fried eggplant. You can re-create the experience at home by adding one or more of these side dishes to your smoked picanha meal! You could also serve smoked picanha with rice and beans and a simple green vegetable side, like collard greens or sauteed chard.
Leftovers and Reheating
Wrap your picanha in plastic wrap or toss it in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to three days. When you’re ready to reheat, slice it thin and sear it up in a cast iron pan. Go with a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. You’ll get that juicy tenderness back without overcooking the steak.
For More picanha
FAQs
I highly recommend finding a local butcher shop that does full animal breakdown since they’ll be able to get this cut that is familiar with the popular cuts from Brazilian steakhouses. Any good butcher should understand what you mean if you want to get sirloin cap steak with the thick fat cap still on!
You can also shop online. PorterRoad.com is a specialty butcher that has fantastic picanha for sale. They also can ship to any location inside the 48 continuous states! If you want to try out a picanha recipe for yourself, you only have to make sure that it is in stock as it sells out quickly.
Your best substitute for picanha would be tri tip, since they’re both cut from the sirloin. Tri tip is a little less expensive, leaner, and has a more subtle flavor and firmer texture than picanha.
I’m going to sound like a broken record: I love a good chimichurri to dress up picanha. The flavors of this South American cowboy sauce match the steak perfectly. You’ll be glad you took the extra time to make some!
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Smoked Picanha
Ingredients
- 1 Beef Picanha or Sirloin Cap
- 2 tbsp of Sea salt
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Build a medium-high heat fire for indirect grilling in a smoker of covered grill.
- Score fat cap of picanha and lather with olive oil. Season with sea salt all over.
- Add steak to indirect heat in the smoker, fat cap side down, and smoke at a low temperature (250F) for just under 2 hours. After about 45 minutes, flip picanha so fat side is up. Cook until you reach your desired internal temperature (i.e. Medium Rare will be around 120F).
- Pull steak off smoker, let rest for 15-20 minutes, slice, add more salt if desired and serve. Top with chimichurri for more flavor!
Amazing recipes brother. I will try every single one of them