Juicy Reverse-Seared Picanha

Slice into the smoky, crispy crust of a Reverse-Seared Picanha to reveal the rich marbling, and juicy beef within. Each bite is robust and tender, cooked perfectly due to the calculated process of smoking and searing. Read along and you’ll see how easy it is to master this.

This recipe is updated from the original on September 11, 2020.

Picanha has claimed its place as the next big thing in American barbecue. The crispy crust on the outside holds in the juicy, moist, perfectly cooked meat on the inside. Sliced thin or thick, it doesn’t matter, the reverse-seared picanha rules the cutting board.

What is Picanha?

This tender cut of beef is from the rump of the cow. The meat itself is well-marbled, encased with a thick cap of fat. You may see this referred to as a “sirloin cap” from the butcher. Make sure the fat cap has not been removed if ordering from the butcher, that’s absolutely key!

Made popular in Brazil, picanha is typically grilled over open fire and served with a variety of side dishes and sauces. It can be cooked whole, sliced into steaks, or even skewered and sliced.

Picanha is not easy to find in the US. Most butchers do not carry it, grocery stores have even less of a chance. I prefer to order mine online due to availability and quality.

Why Reverse Searing?

Grilling a 3-pound steak is no easy task, especially if the goal is to achieve perfectly medium-rare doneness.

Larger cuts benefit from the process of reverse searing, a timed method that involves slowly cooking the steak to a certain temperature before searing. Doing so provides full control over the finished temperature, making it almost foolproof to hit.

Preparing the Picanha

Score the fat cap. The biggest key to using the reverse sear method for cooking Picanha is to score the fat cap before seasoning. Doing so will allow the seasonings to penetrate deeper into the top.

Allowing the picanha to rest in the fridge uncovered for a few hours helps to dry out the fat cap as well, creating a crispier crust during the searing process.

Seasoning Choices

The authentic seasoning for grilled picanha is usually just coarse salt. Sometimes the addition of fresh garlic, or a sofrito is rubbed into the steak right before grilling.

Maybe it’s the BBQ bug, but I happen to love the addition of black pepper and spices with a steak. We’ve got a simple rub recipe to bump up that flavor profile without overwhelming the beef flavor:

• 1 part coarse Kosher salt
• 1 part coarse black pepper (16-mesh preferred)
• 1/4 part granulated garlic
• 1/4 part ancho chile

Granulated garlic aids with the finished texture, rather than using a fine powder. The ancho chile adds a nice dark, rich sweetness and also provides a darker color to the final bark. Paired with the sharp black pepper, this simple combo tastes incredible.

Reverse Searing Process

Seasoning the meat is the first part. Smoking and roasting the meat is next, and very simple. Heat up your smoker to a lower temp (250°F suggested) and cook it until you’ve reached your target temperature.

Remember, steak continues to cook after it’s seared. These target temperatures factor in the carryover cooking time and resting, which will further increase the internal temperature.

Doneness	Target Temp in the Smoker	Final Temp during sear
Rare	105°F	115-120°F
Med-Rare	115°F	125-130°F
Medium	125°F	135-140°F
Med-Well	135°F	145-150°F

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Smoke the Picanha

Set your smoker or charcoal grill for indirect cooking, aiming for around 250°F. After years of testing, I’ve found that 225°F tends to produce steaks that are not as juicy. Plus it takes much longer, and we want steak NOW!

Smoke the picanha with the fat cap UP. Allow the picanha to smoke for at least an hour, or until it’s getting close to the target temperature. Times will greatly vary based on the size.

Charcoal Grill Advice: Rotate the picanha during the smoking process to make sure it’s cooking evenly. This isn’t an issue with most offset or pellet grills, but definitely is with charcoal.

Don’t flip it! Keep that fat cap facing up, it needs to stay in tact as much as possible during the smoking process. The fat is gentle, and can easily tear during this phase if handled with tongs.

Searing the Picanha

Using the chart above, remove the picanha when it reaches it’s target temperature from the smoking phase. Get ready to sear!

Prepare the grill for direct searing using a medium heat. Too high and the fat can flare up and burn the outside. We’re looking to build a crust by searing and flipping, so a moderate flame is perfect.

Open flames are highly recommended! Skillets or flat tops will not create an even sear, potentially causing localized seared spots while leaving the rest of the crust untouched.

Sear the picanha and just keep flipping. Allow each side to sear for about 2 minutes, flip, and repeat. Watch the internal temperature using your thermometer probe, and monitor closely.

Important grilling Tips

• Use tongs, but try to be gentle with the fat cap. You don’t want to tear it by aggressively gripping the steak.
• Watch out for flare-ups. The fat cap will absolutely cause flames, so be careful. You don’t want to burn one side of the steak.
• Resting will finish the steak. Don’t cook it exactly to your finished temperature, pull it off a few degrees early. The picanha will continue to warm up as it starts to rest.
• Did I mention, rest the steak? Allow the picanha to rest for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature. You’ll have a much juicier picanha, trust me.

Slice the reverse-seared picanha against the grain after resting. At this point you can finish it with some flakey salt, hot sauce… or something even better. Traditionally this is served with a Classic Chimichurri.

Best Condiments for Picanha

Reverse-seared picanha has a deep, smoky flavor with rich bites of beef. Topping it with something bright and acidic will help to round out the flavors and enhance the beef even more. Here are some of my top recommendations:

• Hatch Chile Chimichurri
• Pickled Mustard Seeds
• Santa Maria Salsa

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