Picanha Over Live Fire
Picanha is the top sirloin cap, and it only needs fire and rock salt. Bend it into a C on skewers, render the fat over hot coals, and shave off the cooked outer layer. Plan on 30 to 40 minutes of active work for a crowd.
- Method
- Open fire over charcoal
- Total time
- 45 min
- Target internal temp
- 130F medium-rare at the slice
- Gear
- Skewers, hot coals, Folding Chef's Knife
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 whole picanha (top sirloin cap, coulotte), 2.5 to 3 lb, fat cap on
- 1/2 cup coarse rock salt
The Cook
- 01
Trim nothing off the fat cap. Score it lightly in a crosshatch, just through the fat, never into the meat.
- 02
Cut the cap into 2-inch wide steaks with the grain. This is where the Chef's Knife earns its keep, a clean cut keeps the fibers intact.
- 03
Bend each piece into a C, fat side out, and run a skewer through both ends.
- 04
Coat every face in coarse rock salt. Press it on, do not knock it off.
- 05
Set the skewers fat side down over hot coals. Render hard until the fat bubbles and browns. Failure point: flare-ups will torch the fat, so pull back when the grease drips.
- 06
Turn and sear the meat faces just to color.
- 07
Pull the skewer, lay it on the board, and shave off the cooked outer layer in thin slices. Return the rest to the fire and repeat until it is all sliced.
- 08
Knock the loose salt off each slice before serving.
Doneness
The shaved outer layer reads about 130F and bites tender with a salty crust. The inner core stays rare and red until its turn over the coals.
Pro Tip
Do not salt with fine table salt. It dissolves and over-salts fast. Coarse rock salt sits on the surface and falls off clean when you slice.
Questions
Cooked By Our Readers
Real cooks, real fire.
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