Everything About Picanha Steak Plus 10 Top Cooking Methods
Picanha steak is one of Brazil’s best-kept culinary secrets, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why people go wild for this cut.
With its thick fat cap and tender, juicy meat, picanha delivers flavor that’s hard to beat.
A backyard grilling enthusiast or a kitchen-experimenting chef can turn this triangular treasure into a steak that truly levels up your game.
1. Traditional Brazilian Grilling (Churrasco)
Picture this: you’re at a Brazilian steakhouse, and servers parade around with swords of sizzling meat.
That’s churrasco magic right there!
Slice your picanha into thick steaks, keep that glorious fat cap on, and coat everything generously with coarse sea salt.
Skewer those beauties into a C-shape with the fat facing out.
Grill over medium-high heat, flipping often until you hit your perfect doneness.
The fat renders slowly, basting the meat naturally and creating that irresistible crust everyone craves.
2. Pan-Searing
No grill?
No problem—your trusty cast-iron skillet is about to become your best friend.
Slice the picanha into individual steaks and season simply with salt and pepper.
Heat that skillet until it’s screaming hot, then start by searing the fat side first.
This renders out all that delicious fat while creating a base for the rest of the steak.
Flip and sear the other sides until a beautiful crust develops.
You’ll get restaurant-quality results without ever leaving your kitchen!
3. Reverse Searing
Ever heard the saying “slow and steady wins the race”?
That’s reverse searing in a nutshell.
Season your whole picanha roast with salt and pepper, then pop it in a low-temperature oven.
Cook it gently until it’s about 10 degrees below your target temperature.
Then comes the fun part: blast it in a screaming hot pan or on the grill to develop that gorgeous, crackling crust.
This method gives you edge-to-edge perfection with maximum control over doneness.
4. Sous Vide
Welcome to the future of steak cooking, where precision meets perfection!
Season your picanha, vacuum-seal it like you’re sending it to space, and submerge it in a temperature-controlled water bath for several hours.
The result?
Meat cooked to the exact degree you want, every single time.
After the bath, give it a quick sear in a blazing hot pan to add that essential crust.
It’s basically impossible to mess this up, which is why chefs love it.
5. Rotisserie (Spit-Roasting)
There’s something primal and deeply satisfying about watching meat spin over fire.
Skewer your whole picanha onto a rotisserie spit and let it rotate slowly over an open flame or in a rotisserie oven.
As it turns, the fat cap renders and continuously bastes the meat, keeping everything moist and flavorful.
This method is a showstopper at parties and delivers a roast that’s juicy, tender, and absolutely packed with flavor from that self-basting action.
6. Salt Crust Baking
Here’s a cooking method that looks like a science experiment but tastes like heaven.
Coat your picanha in a thick layer of coarse salt mixed with egg whites and flour, creating an armor-like shell.
Bake the whole thing in a preheated oven until the internal temperature is just right.
The salt crust seals in all the moisture and flavor while gently seasoning the meat.
When you crack it open, steam billows out dramatically, revealing incredibly tender, juicy steak inside.
7. Smoking
Want to add some serious depth to your picanha?
Fire up the smoker!
Season the whole roast with your favorite rub—whether that’s simple salt and pepper or something more adventurous.
Set up your smoker or grill for indirect heat and let that meat slowly absorb all those wonderful smoky flavors.
The low-and-slow approach keeps everything tender while building layers of complexity you just can’t get any other way.
Your neighbors will definitely be jealous when they smell this cooking!
8. Pan-Roasting
Think of pan-roasting as the best of both worlds—you get that perfect sear plus gentle oven finishing.
Slice your picanha into thick steaks and season them well.
Start by searing them hard in a smoking-hot skillet to develop that crust and lock in flavor.
Then transfer the whole pan straight into a preheated oven to finish cooking to your desired doneness.
This technique gives you amazing control and consistently great results with minimal fuss or cleanup required.
9. Grilling on Skewers (Espetinhos)
Espetinhos are basically Brazilian street food on a stick, and they’re absolutely addictive.
Cut your picanha into strips, fold them into that signature C-shape with the fat cap proudly facing out, and thread them onto skewers.
Grill over medium-high heat, turning frequently so every side gets that gorgeous char.
The skewered format makes these perfect for parties—everyone can grab their own stick and dig in.
Plus, they cook quickly and look super impressive on the plate!
10. Making Picanha Burgers
Who says picanha has to stay in steak form?
Grind up this premium cut to create the most luxurious burgers you’ve ever tasted.
The high fat content from that cap makes for incredibly juicy, flavorful patties that’ll ruin you for regular ground beef forever.
Grill or pan-sear them to your preferred doneness and stack them high with your favorite toppings.
Fair warning: once your friends taste these burgers, they’ll be begging you to make them again and again!
