A BBQ is still often seen for quick grilling of burgers, sausages and other relatively small pieces of meat and fish. However, a BBQ with a lid is suitable for much more than that. You can also prepare larger pieces of meat on it at low temperatures. A nice picanha, also known as rump cap, for example.

Picanha from the BBQ is delicious with chimichurri! The preparation of this picanha recipe takes just a little preparation time and is also very easy. The only challenge in preparing this BBQ picanha recipe might be controlling the temperature of your BBQ and keeping an eye on the core temperature.

What is Picanha?

The Picanha is also known as rump cap. It is a triangular piece of beef meat. The picanha comes from the back of the cow, approximately where the tail is.

The characteristic feature of a picanha is its triangular shape. In addition, a picanha runs from a thick part to a thinner part and this piece of meat almost always has a nice layer of fat on the top. You also want your picanha to have this layer of fat. So don't let the butcher cut this away.

A nice piece of picanha weighs between 1200 and 1500 grams. Smaller is also possible, but then you won't get the whole tailpiece. Bigger often is, depending on the breed, often not what you want. Do you have a picanha larger than about 1.5 kilos? Then possibly more meat (that is not picanha) was cut with it by the butcher. That sounds nice, but the meat that is cut is stiffer than the picanha and therefore less tasty to eat.

The picanha has its origins in Brazil, where it has been hugely popular for many years. It is perhaps the most widely eaten cut of meat in Brazil and preferably paired with a good Chimichurri. Nowadays Picanha with chimichurri is popular worldwide. On the one hand, this makes this piece of beef available at more butchers and stores, but unfortunately, due to its popularity, the meat is also becoming a bit more pricey.

How do I BBQ a Picanha? The reverse sear method

The way I BBQ picanha is what they call reverse sear. Reverse sear means that you first cook your meat indirectly at a lower temperature, basically like you can do inside the oven.

When the picanha has reached a certain core temperature you prepare the BBQ for grilling at a higher temperature and give the picanha a hot sear.

Finally, after the meat is removed from the BBQ, you let it rest for about 10 minutes so that the juices in the piece of meat can redistribute and the meat does not deflate when you slice it.

Preparing the picanha

Now for the picanha recipe! Before you start preparing the picanha, remove the meat from the refrigerator and vacuum while lighting the BBQ. This is important to preserve the structure of the meat when it goes on the BBQ.

In the meantime, prepare the BBQ. First go for indirect heat and a temperature between 100 and 130 degrees Celsius (212 to 266 Fahrenheit).

Remove any membranes and small loose pieces on the meat side of the meat and pat the meat dry with some paper towels. Next, cut a diamond pattern into the fat side of the picanha. When doing this, make sure you only cut into the fat side and do not cut through the meat. Use a sharp knife for this, it makes it a lot easier.

About 10 minutes before putting the picanha on the BBQ, sprinkle both the meat side and the fat side with sea salt and black pepper. The fat side in particular could use a good layer of salt.

Cooking picanha on the BBQ

Put the picanha with the fat side up on the BBQ and close the lid. Check whether the BBQ is still at temperature. Want to give the picanha a bit of a smoky flavor? Then you can also add some smoke wood to the burning coals before putting the lid on the BBQ.

Now wait until the picanha has reached a core temperature of about 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). You measure this by using a core thermometer. Do you have a core thermometer with a probe on a wire? Then you can continuously monitor the core temperature of your meat. Don't have one? Then you will have to measure the core temperature every now and then so that you don't overcook the meat.

How long it takes for the picanha to reach the desired core temperature depends on the size of the meat and the temperature of the BBQ. For a picanha of about 1,200 grams, it took about an hour at a constant temperature of about 130 degrees Celsius (266 Fahrenheit).

Preparing the Chimichurri:

Now that the picanha is on the BBQ, it is time to start preparing the Chimichurri. Chimichurri is a well-known Argentinian sauce based on olive oil and spices. The sauce goes great with beef, like the picanha in this recipe, and is also easy to make. In this recipe, we use the Chimichurri as a sauce with the meat, but you can also use it as a marinade. There are countless Chimichurri recipes on the Internet. I looked at the ingredients and preparation of a lot of recipes to create my own version. However, the nice thing about this sauce is that you can experiment with the spices in the sauce. This way you can easily make your own delicious Chimichurri.

Finely chop the bunch of parsley, the red pepper and the garlic cloves and mix them in a bowl with the oregano and thyme. Now add to this mixture the 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and stir well. Now add olive oil little by little until a fairly smooth sauce is formed. This will be about 100 milliliters in this recipe. When you have a smooth sauce it is time to finely chop the onion and stir it into the sauce. Season the sauce further with salt and pepper and you're done!

Finishing the picanha

Has the piece of picanha reached the core temperature of 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit)? Then temporarily remove the picanha from the BBQ and prepare an area large enough for the meat for direct grilling at a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius (392 Fahrenheit). Now place the picanha back on the BBQ, this time directly over the hot coals. Do this again first with the fat side up, but turn the meat over occasionally. Be aware that you can get flames when the picanha is lying with the fat side down. So make sure you have tongs at hand so you can move and turn the meat occasionally. Let the meat continue to cook there until it reaches a core temperature of about 52 degrees Celsius (126 Fahrenheit). This won't take long, so be sure to keep a close eye on the core temperature!

Now remove the picanha from the BBQ and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve the meat on a large serving platter, along with the chimichurri. I personally like to spread some of the chimichurri already over the center of the meat, but if you're not sure if everyone likes chimichurri, it's better to serve it separately. Enjoy your meal!

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 15

Resting Time: 10

Total Time: 1 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Argentinian

Keyword: chimichurri, picanha, picanha chimichurri, picanha roast, picanha steak, picanha with chimichurri, rump cap

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 549kcal

Ingrediënten:

Picanha (about 300 grams p.p.)
Coarse Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For the chimichurri:

1 bunch Fresh Leaf Parsley
1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 tablespoon Dried Thyme
1 Small Red Onion
1 Red Pepper
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
4 cloves Garlic
Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Overige Benodigdheden:

BBQ with Lid
Core Thermometer

Instructions

Take the picanha out of the refrigerator and in the meantime prepare the BBQ. First go for indirect heat and a temperature between 100 and 130 degrees Celsius (212 to 266 Fahrenheit).
Remove any membranes and small loose pieces on the flesh side of the meat and pat the meat dry with some paper towels. Next, cut a diamond pattern into the fat side of the picanha. When doing this, make sure that you only cut into the fat layer and not through the meat. Use a sharp knife for this, it makes it a lot easier.
About 10 minutes before putting the picanha on the BBQ, sprinkle both the meat and fat sides with sea salt and black pepper.
Is the BBQ up to temperature? Then place the picanha on the BBQ with the fat side up. Insert the probe of your core thermometer into the meat and close the lid. Would you like to give the picanha a bit of a smoky flavor? Then you can also first add a little smoke wood.
Now wait until the picanha reaches a core temperature of about 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). How long it takes for the picanha to reach the desired core temperature depends on the size of the meat and the temperature of the BBQ. For a 1200-gram picanha, it took about an hour at a constant temperature of 130 degrees Celsius (266 Fahrenheit).
Now that the picanha is on the BBQ, it is time to start preparing the Chimichurri. To do this, finely chop the bunch of parsley, the red pepper and the garlic cloves and mix them in a bowl with the oregano and thyme. Now add to this mixture the 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and stir well. Add olive oil little by little until a moderately smooth sauce is formed. In this recipe that will be about 100 ml. When you have a smooth sauce it is time to finely chop the red onion and stir it into the sauce. Season the sauce further with salt and pepper and you're done!
Has the picanha reached a core temperature of 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit)? Then temporarily remove it from the BBQ and prepare the BBQ for direct heat and a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius (392 Fahrenheit).
Is the BBQ ready? Then put the picanha back on the BBQ. Do this again first with the fat side up, but turn the meat over occasionally. Be aware that you can get flames when the picanha lies with the fat side down. So make sure you have tongs on hand so you can move and turn the meat from time to time. Let the meat continue to cook there until it reaches a core temperature of about 52 degrees Celsius (126 Fahrenheit). This won't take long, so be sure to keep a close eye on the core temperature!
Now remove the picanha from the BBQ and let the meat rest for 10 minutes to 15 minutes before slicing. Serve the meat on a large serving platter, along with the chimichurri. I personally like to spread some of the chimichurri already over the center of the meat, but if you're not sure if everyone likes chimichurri, it's better to serve it separately. Enjoy your meal!

Nutrition

Picanha with Chimichurri