Grilled Picanha: Crispy Fat Cap, Wood-Fired

To grill picanha, cut a whole top sirloin cap into thick steaks with the grain, score the fat cap, season with nothing but coarse salt, and render the fat side first over strong heat before searing the meat side. Pull it at 125–130°F for medium-rare, rest it, then slice thin against the grain. This recipe serves 4 to 6 people from one 2.5–3.5 lb picanha, with about 15 minutes of prep and 20–25 minutes on the fire.

Picanha is the cut Brazilian steakhouses are famous for. It is a triangle of beef from the top of the rump with a thick cap of fat on one side. That fat is the whole point. Cooked right, it turns crisp and salty on the outside and bastes the lean meat underneath. It also drips, which is why picanha can turn a regular grill into a flare-up machine. Below is a simple, reliable way to grill it, plus how the cut works on an open-fire Arteflame grill.

What Picanha Is (and What to Ask Your Butcher For)

Picanha is the top sirloin cap. In the US you may also see it sold as coulotte or rump cap. In the US meat-buyer specification it is item NAMP 184D, the biceps femoris muscle taken off the top sirloin along its natural seams, with its fat cap left on (source: Wikipedia, Picanha; IMPS/NAMP item list).

Butchers who sell it, such as The Meatery, say a whole picanha usually weighs 2.5 to 3.5 lb and should carry a fat cap of at least 1/2 inch. A piece much heavier than 4 lb likely includes part of a tougher neighboring muscle. If the store only has "sirloin cap steaks" with the fat removed, that is not the same experience. Ask for the cap left on.

Ingredients

Traditional picanha is about the beef, the salt and the fire. Keep it simple.

For the Picanha

• 1 whole picanha (top sirloin cap), 2.5–3.5 lb, fat cap intact
• 2–3 tbsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt (rock salt is traditional)
• Freshly ground black pepper, optional

For Serving

• Chimichurri or Brazilian vinaigrette (molho à campanha)
• Lime wedges
• Flaky salt

Equipment

• A sharp boning or chef's knife
• 2 long flat metal skewers (optional, for the churrasco-style C shape)
• An instant-read thermometer

Instructions

Step 1: Light the Fire

1. Build a hardwood fire with some charcoal in the center of your grill. On an Arteflame, the fire sits in the middle and heats the center grate and the steel cooktop around it.
2. Give it about 20 minutes. You want a strong bed of coals with some live flame, not a fresh, smoky stack of logs.
3. Wipe a thin film of oil on the cooktop.

Step 2: Cut and Score

1. Pat the picanha dry. Trim any thin flaps of meat and any silver skin on the meat side. Leave the fat cap.
2. Look at the grain. Cut the roast with the grain into 3 or 4 steaks, each 1.5–2 inches thick.
3. Score the fat in a shallow crosshatch, about 1/4 inch deep. Do not cut into the meat. Scoring helps the fat render and keeps the steaks from curling.

Step 3: Salt

1. Salt every side generously, including the fat. Press it into the cuts.
2. For churrasco style, fold each steak into a "C" with the fat on the outside and thread 2–3 steaks onto two parallel skewers.
3. Let the meat sit 15–30 minutes while the fire settles.

Step 4: Render the Fat Cap

1. Place the steaks fat side down on the hot inner part of the steel cooktop, right next to the center grate.
2. Cook 8–10 minutes until the fat is deep golden and crisp. The fat that melts off runs toward the center and burns off in the fire instead of pooling.
3. If the fat flares or smokes hard, slide the steaks a little further out on the cooktop.

Step 5: Sear the Meat

1. Move the steaks onto the center grate and sear each cut side for 2–4 minutes to build a dark crust.
2. Check the thickest part. Pull at 125–130°F for medium-rare. The temperature will rise a few degrees as the meat rests.
3. If the outside is done but the center is behind, finish the steaks on the cooler outer edge of the cooktop.

Step 6: Rest and Slice

1. Rest the steaks 5–10 minutes on a board.
2. Slice thin against the grain, each slice with a strip of crisp fat.
3. For skewers, carve thin slices straight off the skewer, then put it back over the fire to crust the next layer, the way a Brazilian steakhouse does.

Food safety note: The USDA safe minimum for beef steaks and roasts is 145°F, measured before you take the meat off the heat, followed by a 3-minute rest (USDA chart). Medium-rare is cooked below that. Many people choose it for whole, intact cuts, but that is a personal choice. Cook to at least 145°F for anyone who is pregnant, older, very young, or has a weakened immune system.

Tips for Perfect Grilled Picanha

• Fat first, always. The fat cap needs the longest time. If you sear the meat first, the meat is done before the fat is.
• Don't trim the cap thin. Half an inch or more protects the meat and gives you flavor. Trim only if it is well over an inch.
• Watch the drip. On a regular grill with grates over the fire, picanha fat drips straight onto the coals and flares. Keep a cooler zone ready so you can move the steaks.
• Salt is enough. Coarse salt draws out a little moisture and forms a crust. Strong rubs hide the beef flavor.
• Slice thin. Picanha is lean under the cap. Thin slices against the grain eat much more tender than thick ones.

Variations

• Whole roast: Cook the picanha in one piece, fat side down on the cooktop, then turn it over the grate and finish on the outer edge until it reaches your target temperature.
• Garlic butter finish: Melt butter with crushed garlic on the cooktop and spoon it over the sliced steak.
• Rotisserie: For a slow, self-basting version, see our Wagyu picanha rotisserie recipe.
• Churrasco plate: Serve with rice, black beans, farofa and grilled pineapple dusted with cinnamon.

Why Picanha Is a Good Test When Choosing a Grill

Picanha shows the weak spots of a grill very quickly. It needs two things at the same time: steady, medium heat to render a thick layer of fat, and very high heat to crust the meat. It also drops a lot of fat. Here is how that plays out on an Arteflame, so you can judge if it fits how you cook.

• Two heat zones in one fire. The center grate gets past 1,000°F for the sear. The steel cooktop around it runs roughly 450–550°F at the inner edge and 250–350°F at the outer edge. You render the cap, sear the meat and hold finished steaks without moving anything around on the coals.
• Fat goes to the fire, not the floor. The cooktop is slightly dished, so rendered fat runs toward the center and burns off. That keeps the patio clean and limits the grease build-up that causes big flare-ups.
• Real wood flavor. Arteflame grills burn hardwood and charcoal, which is how picanha is cooked in Brazil. If you want that smoky churrasco taste, a live-fire grill gets you closer than gas.
• Sides on the same fire. Onions, peppers, pineapple and garlic bread cook on the outer cooktop while the meat is on the grate.
• Things to know. A wood fire takes about 20 minutes to get ready and needs feeding on longer cooks. There is no lid, so this is open-fire grilling rather than smoking. Like any wood or charcoal fire, it must be used under open sky, never under a roof, gazebo, pergola or low branches.

Which Arteflame Fits Your Picanha Nights?

All Arteflame grills have a corten steel body made to stay outside all year, a carbon-steel cooktop you season with oil or the Seasoning Puck, and a fire bowl that doubles as a fire pit after dinner.

• Arteflame ONE20 (20 inch, 300+ sq in): one picanha cut into steaks for 2–4 people on a small patio or balcony-sized terrace.
• Arteflame ONE30 (30 inch, 700+ sq in): a whole picanha plus all the sides for a family meal. The most popular size for regular weeknight and weekend cooking.
• Arteflame 40 inch grills (1,250+ sq in): two or three picanhas and skewers for a backyard churrasco party.

Tall bases can stand on a deck with tiles or a grill mat underneath. Low bases are not recommended on wood or composite decks. Compare all models in our grill collection.

Best Pairings

• Fresh chimichurri or a tomato-onion vinaigrette to cut the richness
• Grilled pineapple with cinnamon
• White rice, black beans and farofa
• Charred peppers and onions from the outer cooktop
• A Malbec or a cold lager

Frequently Asked Questions

Should picanha be cut with or against the grain?

Both, at different times. Cut the raw roast into steaks with the grain. After cooking, slice those steaks thinly against the grain. That way every bite you eat is cut across the muscle fibers and stays tender.

What temperature should picanha be grilled to?

Most cooks pull picanha at 125–130°F for medium-rare and let it rest. The USDA safe minimum for beef steaks and roasts is 145°F with a 3-minute rest, so cook to 145°F if you follow that guidance or are serving vulnerable guests.

Do you leave the fat cap on picanha?

Yes. The fat cap is what makes picanha picanha. Score it, salt it and render it first until it is crisp. Trim it only if it is much thicker than an inch.

Is picanha the same as top sirloin?

Not exactly. Picanha is the cap muscle that sits on top of the top sirloin, also called the top sirloin cap, coulotte or rump cap. A regular top sirloin steak is a different, leaner muscle without the thick fat cap.

How do I stop flare-ups when grilling picanha?

Render the fat on a solid surface or over a cooler zone instead of directly over the hottest coals, and move the meat when flames jump. On an Arteflame, rendering on the steel cooktop lets the fat run to the center fire instead of dripping onto coals under the meat.

Bring the Churrascaria Home

Grilled picanha is one of the easiest ways to serve steakhouse-quality beef at home. Buy a whole cap with the fat on, keep the seasoning to salt, render the fat first and slice thin. The rest is fire management.

Keep reading: Best steak for grilling, steak doneness temperatures, Florida-style churrasco steak, or browse all Arteflame recipes.