Brazilian recipe

Churrasco de Picanha

Name: Churrasco de Picanha
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Brazilian cuisine
Ingredients: 900 g picanha or beef top-sirloin cap, with fat cap; 12 g coarse salt; 60 g unsalted butter; 180 g yellow onion, finely sliced; 2 large eggs; 180 g toasted cassava flour; 150 g ripe tomatoes, diced; 80 g red onion, diced; 30 ml red wine vinegar; 15 g parsley, chopped; 600 g cooked white rice, to serve

Fat-capped picanha grilled over high heat, rested and sliced across the grain, with buttery egg farofa and a fresh tomato relish.

Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4

Sliced picanha with browned fat cap, egg farofa, tomato relish and rice — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by SepatoSource page · Original file · CC BY 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

900 g
picanha or beef top-sirloin cap, with fat cap
12 g
coarse salt
60 g
unsalted butter
180 g
yellow onion, finely sliced
2
large eggs
180 g
toasted cassava flour
150 g
ripe tomatoes, diced
80 g
red onion, diced
30 ml
red wine vinegar
15 g
parsley, chopped
600 g
cooked white rice, to serve

Method

01
Prepare the grill and beef
Heat a charcoal or gas grill until the cooking grate is very hot. Pat the picanha dry, score the fat cap lightly, and season all sides with the coarse salt.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Render the fat cap
Place the picanha fat-side down for 4–5 minutes until the fat renders and the surface is deeply browned. Move it if flare-ups threaten to burn the fat.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Grill the meat
Turn the picanha and grill the lean sides for 4 minutes per side, turning as needed, until the centre reaches 63°C for medium-rare or 71°C for medium.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Rest the beef
Transfer the beef to a board, tent loosely and rest for 10 minutes so the juices settle before slicing.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Make the egg farofa
Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the eggs and scramble for 2 minutes, then fold in the cassava flour and toast for 3 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Make the fresh relish
Mix the tomatoes, red onion, vinegar and parsley. Let the relish stand for 5 minutes while the beef finishes resting.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Slice and serve
Slice the picanha across the grain into thin pieces. Serve with egg farofa, tomato relish and white rice, keeping the crisp fat edge visible.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Dry the surface of the beef and salt it just before grilling so the fat cap can render and the exterior can brown.
Rest grilled meat before slicing, then cut across the grain so each piece stays juicy and easy to chew.

Common mistakes

Moving the steak constantly prevents the fat cap from rendering and interrupts browning.
Slicing immediately releases the hot juices onto the board instead of keeping them in the meat.

Substitutions

A thick top-sirloin cap or another well-marbled grilling cut can stand in for picanha; keep the fat layer if possible.
A hot cast-iron grill pan works indoors, but provide ventilation because rendered fat can smoke.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Picanha is a prized cut in Brazilian churrasco, especially associated with the south and the communal rhythm of grilling. The fat cap is part of the cut’s identity and should not be removed before cooking.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Picanha brazil.JPG — Photograph by Sepato; CC BY 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Brazilian recipes

Churrasco de Picanha

Ingredients

Method

Prepare the grill and beef

Render the fat cap

Grill the meat

Rest the beef

Make the egg farofa

Make the fresh relish

Slice and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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