After making some Peter Luger Style steak recipes, I got a comment saying I should try the same cooking method with Picanha. That proved to be a brilliant idea, so that is why I’m sharing this Steakhouse Picanha recipe with you today!
It’s packed with incredible flavor and all you need is to snag a beautiful picanha and follow the same cooking process. This time I finished this cut of meat with a Cowboy Butter at the end for a zesty, savory flair.
Why You’ll Love Steakhouse Picanha
This recipe combines that classic Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse flavor I love so much with a viral cowboy butter recipe. Everyone knows I’m obsessed with this delicious cut of beef, but sometimes it can be difficult to find in the States. Some common names for it in the United States are the rump cap (as it comes from the rump of the cow), culotte steak, top sirloin cap steak, or rump cover, so look for those terms at your local butcher. It has a gorgeous fat cap that will seep natural juices into the meat, making for one delicious steak.
For more information on this cut, check out my article: What is Picanha?
To cook these steaks in the Brazilian fashion, check out my Skewered Picanha with Bone Marrow Chimichurri or Churrasco Picanha recipes!
This specific recipe is a great way to cook one of the best cuts of meat you will ever taste! Once you’ve tried it, you’re sure to find yourself cooking picanha steak more often. Let’s get into the details!
Steakhouse Picanha Ingredients
Any home cook can pull off this delicious and simple recipe. Believe it or not, all you need for this Picanha steak recipe is 1 Whole Picanha cut of beef and coarse kosher salt! With only 30 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cook time, you’ll be ready to feed 4.
The best way to garnish this juicy cut of beef is with homemade Cowboy Butter. This butter combines melted butter, chopped parsley, chives, garlic, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt.
How to Make Steakhouse Picanha
The Prep Work
To create this delicious Picanha recipe, begin by generously seasoning your Brazilian picanha with coarse sea salt. Then place it in the fridge to dry brine overnight. If you do not have that much time, season and place in the fridge for 40 minutes.
Next, in a bowl mix together all the ingredients for the Cowboy Butter and set aside until ready to use.
Preheat your pizza oven to 850F for direct cooking. You can easily do this in a broiler or salamander grill as well.
Cook One
Pull your whole picanha out and bring it to room temperature (about 15 minutes). Then add it to a roasting pan and place in the pizza oven to cook for 2-3 minutes making sure to rotate the picanha halfway through.
Then, flip the steak over and cook for another 2 minutes until it is sizzling and has developed a nice crust.
Cook Two
Next, pull out the picanha and a sharp knife so that you can slice the tender cut of beef into individual steaks. For this step in the cooking process we actually want to cut with the grain. We’ll be slicing the Steakhouse Picanha again before serving, and this is where we’ll cut against the grain.
Season the raw sides of the steaks with salt and place back on the roasting pan with one of the raw sides facing up. Put in the pizza oven to cook for 2 minutes per side making sure to flip & rotate half way through. Once they each have a nice crust, pull them out of the oven.
Now I would recommend letting them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. We’re about to make our final cuts into the steak, although they still have one more stent in the pizza oven. We don’t want to lose any of the delicious juices in this stage, so I’ve found it’s helpful to let the steak rest a bit before making this final cut.
Cook Three
After the rest, slice up your Steakhouse Picanha (against the grain this time) into finger size cuts. Place them in a cast iron skillet, high heat ceramic serving dish or a fajita skillet. Push the sliced steak close together so that no part of the inside of the steak is showing (no red).
Next, drizzle the Cowboy Butter mixture over the top of the steak making sure to get it all over. Place your steaks back into the pizza oven at high heat and then cook to your desired temperature.
This is not a perfect science, but I have noticed the following times below after putting the steak seem to yield good results (see below).
Temperature Times for Best Results
- Rare = 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes
- Medium Rare = 1.5-2 minutes
- Medium = 2-2.5 minutes
- Medium Well = 2.5-3 minutes
- Well Done = 3+ minutes
For more information on picanha, check out my How to Cook Picanha and What is Picanha? articles! I’ve also curated a list of my Best Picanha Recipes here!
More Picanha Recipes
Serving Up Steakhouse Picanha
Once they finish cooking, pull out and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and more of that Cowboy Butter.
Enjoy!
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Steakhouse Picanha
Ingredients
Steak:
- 1 Whole Picanha
- ¼ cup Coarse Kosher Salt
Cowboy Butter:
- 1 cup Melted Butter Unsalted
- 2 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 2 tbsp Chopped Chives
- 1.5 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher Salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by generously seasoning your picanha with coarse sea salt and placing in the fridge to dry brine overnight. If you do not have that much time, season and place in the fridge for up to 40 minutes.
- Next, in a bowl mix together all the ingredients for the Cowboy Butter and set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat your pizza oven to 850F for direct cooking. You can easily do this in a broiler or salamander grill as well.
- Pull your steaks out and bring to room temperature (about 15 minutes). Add them to a roasting pan and place in the pizza oven to cook for 2-3 minutes making sure to rotate the picanha halfway through. Then, flip the steak over and cook for another 2 minutes until they are sizzling and have developed a nice crust.
- Next, pull the picanha out and slice them into steaks with the grain. Season the raw sides of the steaks with salt and place back on the roasting pan. Put in the pizza oven to cook for 2 minutes per side making sure to flip & rotate half way through. Once they has a nice crust, pull out of the oven
- Finally, slice up your steaks into finger size cuts. Place them on a cast iron skillet, high heat ceramic serving dish or a fajita skillet. Push the sliced steak close together so that no part of the inside of the steak is showing (no red). Drizzle the Steakhouse Butter mixture over the top of the steak making sure to get it all over. Place your steaks back into the pizza oven at high heat and cook to your desired temperature. This is not a perfect science, but I have noticed the following times below after putting the steak seem to yield good results (see below).
- Once done, pull out and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!
Love this recipe. That first cast iron pan you use before cutting the meat and transferring it, have a link to it?
Thx
Steve