Have you tried beef picanha cut? If not, you need to add this one to your list!
If you are after something a little bit different this dish is perfect for entertaining or a special dinner. And, I guarantee that you will love it.
This is a super quick roast of really tasty and tender meat, that needs very little preparation.
My advice? Get a piece of this beef and get a knife and fork ready for heaven on a plate!
Bon appétit!
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This is one of the most popular cuts in Brazil and, although you won't find this in the local supermarket, most butchers or online butchers will be able to provide it.
This cut is the top part of the rump, also known as rump cap, sirloin cap, or culotte in French.
It's typically a small piece of about a kilogramme in weight, because the idea is to only use the part that is underused as a muscle. This means that it is meltingly tender and really juicy, thanks to the thick layer of fat on the top.
Picanha meat is in a crescent shape and can be roasted whole and cut into steaks or slices after cooking. It's often cut into thin steaks and cooked on skewers too.
If you love to entertain this recipe for rump cap or sirloin cap is great as a hot roast dinner with potatoes and vegetables, or more casually served warm with the chimichurri sauce and a selection of salads. Either way, you won't be slaving in a hot kitchen because when cooking picanha the cooking time is much shorter than for traditional roasts.
I do prefer my beef to be medium rare, but I know that some people prefer their meat more cooked through. I've included instructions to cook the beef to your liking.
I love the fact that different countries have different ways of butchering meat. Of course, I have a pretty good knowledge of UK cuts, but all of that went out of the window when I moved to France.
I soon realised that many cuts were different and included bavette and onglet, which really had to be tried to be appreciated, even if the equivalent to brisket was nowhere to be seen. Now I get quite excited when I find a new cut that I've never heard of!
❤️ Why you will love this dish
- Very little preparation.
- Cooks in an hour.
- Meltingly tender picanha meat.
- Great for entertaining.
- Perfect for casual dining or a full roast.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Beef - beef picanha joint. Typically it will weigh around 1kg or 2 lbs. If it weighs a lot more than this it won't be as tender as some of the working muscle will be attached..
- Seasoning - I prefer to keep this really simple with just salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Onion - this acts as a trivet to raise the meat away from the roasting dish and is delicious served with the beef or used to make a gravy if you are having a traditional roast.
- For the chimichurri sauce - you will need fresh flat leaf parsley, garlic, fresh oregano, extra virgin olive oil and chilli flakes
The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.
🍽 Equipment
- deep roasting dish
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- frying pan or skillet
🔪 Instructions
💭 Top Tip
- Remove the joint from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you want to cook it so that the oven can get to work straightaway.
Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F / 200 FAN / Gas 7.
Remove any excess moisture by patting the joint all over with kitchen paper.
Score the fat on the joint in a criss cross pattern. This will encourage the fat to render down further in the oven.
Place the meat, fat side down in a large frying pan or skillet and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until all the fat has a golden colour.
Turn the meat over and sear the bottom and sides for a few minutes.
⏲️ Cooking Time
Peel and slice a large onion into rings about 1cm in width.
Lay the slices on a heavy based roasting tin and place the joint of meat on top. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook at 220 C / 425 F / 200 FAN / Gas 7, for 20 minutes then reduce to 190 C / 375 F / 170 FAN / Gas 5 for 15 minutes per pound or 500g.
For this weight this equates to about 30 minutes. Check at 25 minutes that it is around 55 C/130 F internal temperature for medium rare.
If you prefer the meat to be rare aim for 50 C/120 F, 60 C/140 F for medium and 65 C/150 F for well done.
While the meat is cooking make the chimichurri sauce.
It's really simple. Chop the parsley, including the stalks and crush or mince the garlic. Strip the leaves from the oregano stems and chop.
Combine all of the ingredients together to make the chimichurri sauce.
When the meat is cooked to your liking place it on a carving tray and cover loosely with foil.
Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving into thick slices.
🥗 Side Dishes
Serve the rump cap or sirloin cap with some of these side dishes.
- Confit Potatoes
- French Potatoes Rissolé
- Cavolo Nero Kale
- Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
- Easy Roast Potatoes
- Honey Roasted Swede
- Roast Savoy Cabbage
- Green Beans with Almonds
- Chateau Potatoes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Potatoes Aligot - Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes Pavé
📖 Variations
As a change from the chimichurri sauce, try one of these sauces that are great with beef.
- Onion Sauce
- Dijon Mustard Sauce
- Béarnaise Mayonnaise
- Sauce Forestière
- Mushroom, Shallot and Brandy Sauce
🍣 Storage
- Refrigerator - cool, cover and use within 3 days.
- Freezer - pack in airtight bags or containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat - heat in a frying pan with a little oil or wrap in foil and place in the oven at 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- There is very little preparation for cooking picanha but you could sear the meat in advance and then place in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
- Remember to take the meat out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
Serve the beef picanha cut with the chimichurri sauce on the side and a pile of roasted onions.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More roast dishes to try
📋 Recipe
Beef Picanha Cut , Rump Cap or Sirloin Cap
Equipment
- deep roasting dish
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- Frying pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 1 kg picanha of beef
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the chimichurri sauce
- 50 g parsley fresh, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon oregano fresh, chopped
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/475F/200FAN/Gas9.
- Remove any excess moisture by patting the joint all over with kitchen paper then score the fat on the joint in a criss cross pattern.
- Place the meat, fat side down in a large frying pan or skillet and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until all the fat has a golden colour.
- Turn the meat over and sear the bottom and sides for a few minutes.
- Peel and slice a large onion into rings about 1cm in width and lay the slices on a heavy based roasting tin with the meat on top. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook at 220C/475F/200FAN/Gas9 for 20 minutes then reduce to 190C/375F/170FAN/Gas5 for 15 minutes per pound or 500g. For this weight, this equates to about 30 minutes. Check at 25 minutes that it is around 55C internal temperature for medium rare.
- Chop the parsley, including the stalks. and crush or mince the garlic. Strip the leaves from the oregano stems and chop.
- Combine all of the ingredients together to make the chimichurri sauce.
- Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before carving into thick slices.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
More beef, lamb and venison dishes
🍲 Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
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Michelle
The roast was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was so amazing I wanted to eat the rest of it by itself
Tayler
I made this beef for dinner last night and it was incredible. Definitely making it again soon.
kushigalu
I love chimichurri sauce. Amazing combination of flavors here. Thanks for sharing.
Beth
You really can't beat a good beef roast. I've never had roast like this before, and I'm eager to try it. It looks delicious.
Dannii
That beef looks perfectly cooked and the sauce looks amazing too.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
We don't have that cut of meat available to us but it certainly does sound like an excellent piece of meat to try if I ever find it at a speciality steak house. Your chimichurri sauce is definitely a great accompaniment.
Danielle Wolter
I absolutely love the picanha! It has such a wonderful flavor. And goes great with chimichurri - great recipe!
Farah Abumaizar
Omg I love red meat and I love chimichurri and never knew it was this easy to prepare! Will absolutely try this thanks so much!
Aimee Mars
Okay, I've never had picanha beef cut! I'm going to take your advice though and try it out because you've made it look delicious and chimichurri is one of my favorite ways to enjoy red meat.
Claudia Lamascolo
That sauce was spectacular and perfect for the beef great recipe
Rosemary
This looks divine. I'm a huge fan of chimichurri sauce and the pairing with picanha beef is perfect. Knowing the right kinds of cuts not always easy so your explanation was really helpful. Can't wait to try this soon!