How To Ask For A Picanha Steak At The Butcher

Although the Brazilian picanha steak has recently gained some popularity in the U.S., it usually isn't readily available. The tender, flavorful cut of steak, whose name is Portuguese and pronounced "pee-kahn-yah," is a favorite meat at Brazilian steakhouses and holds a place of importance in Brazil's social and culinary culture as the heart of Brazilian barbecue (which is called churrasco). But, in the U.S., you'll have trouble finding the cut at a grocery store and might even have difficulty getting it from a butcher. "In the U.S.," Chef Victor Vasconcellos of Berimbau Brazilian Kitchen told Food Republic in an exclusive interview, "Butchers might refer to [picanha] as the 'sirloin cap' or 'rump cover.'" U.S. butchers also generally divide that part of the cow differently. The picanha is a triangular cut from the rump area that sits on a layer of fat, and American butchers usually break that area into the round and the loin.

If you want a picanha steak, you might have to do some explaining. "If the butcher isn't familiar with the name, you can mention that it is the muscle located above the top sirloin primal and below the round," says Vasconcellos. "Ask for a triangular-shaped cut from the top part of the sirloin with a thick, untrimmed fat cap on one side. It should weigh between 2 ½ and 3 ½ pounds."

The most important part of that conversation is the fat cap — without it, the picanha just won't taste or feel right. "Emphasize that the fat cap is essential and should not be removed," says Vasconcellos in his exclusive interview with Food Republic. "It's key to the flavor and texture of the picanha." The muscle itself isn't overworked, so it's a particularly tender cut of steak, and the thick fatty layer delivers a delicious, buttery flavor. A picanha is beefy and rich. Although it's cut from the same general area as a sirloin and has some similarities, this steak's specific location at the top lends it more tenderness and flavor than a standard sirloin.

As such, a picanha holds up well to most any cooking method. In Brazil, it's typically seasoned with salt and barbecued on skewers in the churrasco style, but it's a flexible cut that will deliver flavor no matter the method. You can roast it in the oven, pan-fry it quickly, or toss it on the grill. Once it's cooked, you can decide whether you want to enjoy the fat layer — many eat the picanha as a whole, but you can remove that cap if it isn't to your taste. Just make sure you avoid one mistake while cooking this steak: Keep the fat cap on during cooking so that you don't sacrifice its flavor.