Picanha and sweet and sour peppers
Picanha (aka rump cap) is a typical Brazilian churrascodish, though the peppers are something of an add-on. Choose rump cap with a good cover of fat on it - the fat bastes the meat as it cooks. Begin this recipe a day ahead to prepare the peppers.
Marthinus Strydom
Authentic Chimichurri
The Story
Picanha is actually a Portuguese term for culotte. The culotte steak comes from the area between the loin and the round in the hindquarters of a cow. However, not all the meat in this area is good for the Picanha. Instead, it has to be part of the top sirloin. Typically, this component is characterized by a thin, fat layer on one side of the meat that has proven necessary for Picanha recipes.
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Ingredients
Method
- For sweet and sour peppers, preheat oven to 180C. Roast almonds in oven until just golden (5-7 minutes), then set aside. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat, add capsicum and onion and stir occasionally until caramelised (25-30 minutes), then add remaining ingredients and stir occasionally until a glaze forms (2-4 minutes), Season to taste. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate overnight for flavours to meld.
- Mix the ingredients for the dry rub and sprinkle a heavy layer on the meat side of the picanha.
- Flip the picanha and carve lines 1 cm apart in the fat cap. Do the same diagonally, so you get a cross pattern.
- Put a good amount of salt on the fat cap and rub it in the lines you just carved.
- Start your grill with two zones and a temperature off 140ºC/284°F and a chunk of some smoke wood.
- Place the picanha with the fat cap up on the indirect side. Stick a thermometer in the thickest part and close the lid.
- Smoke the picanha until it hits a core temperature of 52ºC/126°F. Then you take it off and let it rest for 10 minutes on a cooling rack in an oven tray.
- Serve steaks hot with chimichurri and sweet and sour peppers.
