How to prepare a professional Brazilian steakhouse picanha?

Picanha is, without a doubt, one of the favorite meats of most barbecue lovers (and also the most requested in steakhouses), because it is a noble cut of beef.

Precisely because it is a noble cut, it is also more expensive. To give you a better idea, a steer has an average of 2.4kg of picanha. It's not that large of a quantity. This explains the higher price compared to other cuts.

Picanha is much loved for its distinctive flavor. But you need to know how to prepare it. Otherwise, you run the risk of ruining an entire piece. That's exactly why we're here; we've prepared some great tips to help you grill delicious meat. Keep reading to find out more!

How to prepare professional steakhouse picanha?

The first step is to decide how you will put the picanha on the grill: will it be the whole piece, in steaks on a skewer or on the grill?

If you prefer to cut it, the recommended thickness for the steaks is two fingers, if your hand is large, or three fingers, if it's smaller. Then, separate the entire piece of meat on a specific cutting board and, with your professional barbecue knife, start slicing it delicately so as not to get the thickness of the steaks wrong.

It is important to emphasize that you should not remove the fat cap before grilling it, as it is the fat that provides that unique flavor of picanha. If you don't want to eat the fat for health reasons, only remove it when the meat is ready.

How to season picanha just right?

For seasoning, traditionally, just use coarse or medium salt, because picanha, by itself, has a special flavor. A little salt is enough. However, be careful with the amount. Too much seasoning can, in addition to salting, make the meat dry and tough.

For the entire piece, a palm's worth of coarse or medium salt on each side is enough. An extra tip: for the meat to absorb the salt better, make small cuts with the barbecue knife, in a grid pattern. This allows the seasoning to penetrate the meat.

This is how to season when the piece is whole. Now, if the picanha is cut into steaks, you need to reduce the amount of salt.

If you prefer to deviate a little from the traditional and give the meat extra flavor, you can make a mix of seasonings, using garlic, butter or olive oil and salt. Just chop or mince the garlic, mix with salt and butter or olive oil and spread over the steaks. Then just put it to roast.

And speaking of grilling, it's important to remember that picanha is a fast cooking meat. Therefore, the grill master must keep an eye on it to turn it and remove it from the fire at the right time. Any moment of inattention can dry out the meat. And don't forget that picanha has to be succulent. Avoid leaving it too well done. The ideal doneness is rare to medium-rare, depending on the preference of who will be eating it.

Once all that is done, it's time for the best part: tasting! With your grill home knife, just slice it and serve it to friends and family and surprise everyone with the quality of your barbecue.

The best utensils to prepare and serve your barbecue are at Cutelaria Cimo! To check out all models of knives, forks and tongs, visit our website. And if you want to read other posts like this, visit our blog. We have many tips for you to become the best barbecue master!