Picanha, the most popular piece of beef in Brazil, is still relatively unknown and scarce in the Netherlands. This great piece of beef can be prepared in a variety of ways and tastes great.
What is Picanha?
Picanha is very popular in South America and especially in Brazil. In the Netherlands we call this the tailpiece, and it is available from the better butcher and various wholesalers. It is in fact the buttock of the bovine and weighs up to one and a half kilograms, the shape is a bit triangular and completely covered with a layer of fat of about half to one centimeter, depending on the species and country of origin. A nice side effect is that it is still relatively cheap to obtain in the Netherlands, this because it is still relatively unknown and because of the fat layer, which is considered unattractive by many Dutch people, but this fat keeps the meat juicy and tender and contains very concentrated flavors.
Popular types
- Aberdeen Angus Picanha, strong in taste and often a thick hard fat layer that becomes super soft after preparation and keeps the meat very tender.
- Wagyu Picanha, slightly milder in taste, but still very tasty, the fat layer is a centimeter and a bit softer. Sometimes harder after preparation.
- USA Grain-Fed Picanha, similar to the Aberdeen Angus.
- Scottish Picanha, the cheapest available in the Netherlands, has a thinner layer of fat about half a centimeter and the mildest taste, but still tastier than a supermarket steak.
Preparations
- It is possible to cut it into slices of about 1 centimeter. Place the meat with the fat layer upwards and cut along the wire 1 centimeter slices, or slightly thicker, put the slices side by side on a plate, sprinkle them on both sides with coarse sea salt and leave them under cover foil for half an hour, fry them medium in a pan like a steak, you can also grill these slices perfectly on the barbecue, even if you (accidentally) fry them a little further than medium, they still remain juicy.
- The Picanha is also easy to prepare at the piece, preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Place the Picanha with the fat layer up and cut the fat layer diagonally in two directions almost on the meat. Sprinkle plenty of coarse sea salt on the fat layer and let the meat come to room temperature for half an hour, covered. Shake off the excess salt and bake in the oven to a core temperature of 53 degrees and then let it cook out of the oven under aluminum foil to 58 degrees, then slices of one and a half cm from cutting.
- The Picanha on the piece in the same way as described above, can also be prepared on a barbecue, 30 centimeters above the coals on a grid with the fat layer up, when the Picanha swells it should be turned over, this swell is due to the juices that rise in the meat. The turned flesh will shrink again. Now we have to wait for the meat to thicken again. Then let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes under aluminum foil with the fat edge up and cut nice thick slices.
- The traditional way from Brazil is on a wide wedge with a kind of rotisserie spit, thick slices of the Picanha of about 3 cm are then cut and the pieces are bent around so that the fat edge represents a C, then the wedge goes under at the C through the fat, then through the meat and then at the top of the C the skewer comes out again through the fat, so 3 pieces come to sit on the skewer, then it is sprinkled with coarse sea salt and roasted over hot coal. By turning the juices remain in it, if the outside is crispy, a thin slice is cut every time with a sharp knife until the red meat is visible again. Then the Picanha is again sprinkled with coarse sea salt and the procedure starts again. if you don’t have a rotisserie spit, you can manually turn the wedge over the barbecue.
Side dishes
In Brazil, Picanha is eaten with:
- Rice.
- Tomato, paprika and parsley salsa, olive oil and some Tabasco.
- Farofa, this is a lightly fried cassava flour, often with bacon strips in it.
- Brown or black beans.