Picanha smoking questions

[KimberlyO]

I will be smoking a Picanha next weekend and was hoping to get some advice. I have searched and read the previous posts on Picanha cooks, but still have some questions. If the fat cap is too thick, should it be trimmed? Is it similar to a brisket; 1/4 inch or so? Cook fat side up? Some seem to sear, some do not? Do you score the fat cap? What is your favorite rub for Picanha?

I think those are my questions. for now...

Thank you for your time. I appreciate your help.

Kim

 

[MJB05615]

I took a Picanha, about 2.5 lbs. Cut it into 3 individual steaks and put onto a kebob skewer. Grilled on my gasser at high flame, and kept turning as needed til IT was 130. I season with S&P and a little garlic. Came out great tasted similar to Brazilian Steakhouses. I only did it 1 time but will definitely do again. I may have looked up a Brazilian rub recipe, it was about 5 months ago.

 

[edmonds]

I will be smoking a Picanha next weekend and was hoping to get some advice. I have searched and read the previous posts on Picanha cooks, but still have some questions. If the fat cap is too thick, should it be trimmed? Is it similar to a brisket; 1/4 inch or so? Cook fat side up? Some seem to sear, some do not? Do you score the fat cap? What is your favorite rub for Picanha?

The cap won't be more than 1/2" so no need to trim. But you should score the fat and rub your kosher salt into it. No real need for other spices except maybe pepper. Since you cook to IT of about 130, it doesn't absorb a lot of smoke so I prefer to grill using a "twice cook" method. First sear both sides (especially the fat cap to char the fat), then cook medium-low heat with fat cap down, then rest and slice with the grain into steaks, add more salt and finish cooking individual steaks over medium-high, finally slice across the grain and eat. Not sure where I got this method but it works for me.

 

[Marknmd]

I've done picanha quite a few times. It's a fascinating cut of beef in many ways. I've never smoked it - it's never really occurred to me to smoke it. I've slow cooked it and then seared it, though, similar to the way I do tri tip. I've also cooked in on a skewer as described by Mike above.

There's a trick to slicing the meat for the skewer. You have to slice it and bend it like a "C" and then skewer it on there in a way so that when you carve it, you carve against the grain. See youtube.

I suggest you leave the fat on as they do in Brazil. If you do smoke it, I think I would still sear it at the end. Maybe smoke it to 115 and then sear it to 135. Something like that. It's important that the final slice is against the grain before it goes in your mouth. Or serve it on a cutting board in a way so that the diner naturally slices it against the grain. When you eat it, eat it with the fat. Yes, the fat goes in your mouth. I know it sounds weird but it's actually very edible and delicious coupled with the amazing beefy taste of the meat.

Make a chimichurri sauce. It's worth it.

Let us know how it comes out!

Good luck.

 

[Nefarious]

I'm not an expert by any means, I have smoked a couple of picanha's, I might even have a thread.
I have a RecTeq smoker so I can pellet smoke at 180*. I have not scored the fat cap, I cook with fat on top. I have reversed seared one on a grill and it was great, I even seared in a CI on the stove with butter and it was also great.

The meat is spectacular, doesn't even need a lot of smoke, just don't over cook it.

 

[smokebuzz]

I've always smoked to 115, then put it on a
screaming hot grill until 135, tent to rest about 15 minutes. I trim the cap to about a 1/4". salt and pepper is all i use. I'm going to get some long rod skewers to put on the fire pit.

 

[KimberlyO]

I took a Picanha, about 2.5 lbs. Cut it into 3 individual steaks and put onto a kebob skewer. Grilled on my gasser at high flame, and kept turning as needed til IT was 130. I season with S&P and a little garlic. Came out great tasted similar to Brazilian Steakhouses. I only did it 1 time but will definitely do again. I may have looked up a Brazilian rub recipe, it was about 5 mo

I had not heard of cutting into individual steaks prior to cooking. Thanks for the idea!

The cap won't be more than 1/2" so no need to trim. But you should score the fat and rub your kosher salt into it. No real need for other spices except maybe pepper. Since you cook to IT of about 130, it doesn't absorb a lot of smoke so I prefer to grill using a "twice cook" method. First sear both sides (especially the fat cap to char the fat), then cook medium-low heat with fat cap down, then rest and slice with the grain into steaks, add more salt and finish cooking individual steaks over medium-high, finally slice across the grain and eat. Not sure where I got this method but it works for me.

Interesting that you are cooking over live fire like MJB05615 . Somewhat similar cooks. I had not given live fire cooking much thought until now.

I've done picanha quite a few times. It's a fascinating cut of beef in many ways. I've never smoked it - it's never really occurred to me to smoke it. I've slow cooked it and then seared it, though, similar to the way I do tri tip. I've also cooked in on a skewer as described by Mike above.

There's a trick to slicing the meat for the skewer. You have to slice it and bend it like a "C" and then skewer it on there in a way so that when you carve it, you carve against the grain. See youtube.

I suggest you leave the fat on as they do in Brazil. If you do smoke it, I think I would still sear it at the end. Maybe smoke it to 115 and then sear it to 135. Something like that. It's important that the final slice is against the grain before it goes in your mouth. Or serve it on a cutting board in a way so that the diner naturally slices it against the grain. When you eat it, eat it with the fat. Yes, the fat goes in your mouth. I know it sounds weird but it's actually very edible and delicious coupled with the amazing beefy taste of the meat.

Make a chimichurri sauce. It's worth it.

Let us know how it comes out!

Good luck.

I've done picanha quite a few times. It's a fascinating cut of beef in many ways. I've never smoked it - it's never really occurred to me to smoke it. I've slow cooked it and then seared it, though, similar to the way I do tri tip. I've also cooked in on a skewer as described by Mike above.

There's a trick to slicing the meat for the skewer. You have to slice it and bend it like a "C" and then skewer it on there in a way so that when you carve it, you carve against the grain. See youtube.

I suggest you leave the fat on as they do in Brazil. If you do smoke it, I think I would still sear it at the end. Maybe smoke it to 115 and then sear it to 135. Something like that. It's important that the final slice is against the grain before it goes in your mouth. Or serve it on a cutting board in a way so that the diner naturally slices it against the grain. When you eat it, eat it with the fat. Yes, the fat goes in your mouth. I know it sounds weird but it's actually very edible and delicious coupled with the amazing beefy taste of the meat.

Make a chimichurri sauce. It's worth it.

Let us know how it comes out!

Good luck.

It sounds like you have tried both methods (low and slow and grilled and both have worked. Skewered definitely is intriguing. your tips on cutting across the grain with various methods is very helpful; thank you.

I'm not an expert by any means, I have smoked a couple of picanha's, I might even have a thread.
I have a RecTeq smoker so I can pellet smoke at 180*. I have not scored the fat cap, I cook with fat on top. I have reversed seared one on a grill and it was great, I even seared in a CI on the stove with butter and it was also great.

The meat is spectacular, doesn't even need a lot of smoke, just don't over cook it.

I am not sure I can maintain my egg quite as low as 180* without it losing its fire. How long did you need to maintain at 180* and at what weights? Do you remember?

I've always smoked to 115, then put it on a
screaming hot grill until 135, tent to rest about 15 minutes. I trim the cap to about a 1/4". salt and pepper is all i use. I'm going to get some long rod skewers to put on the fire pit.

So, I'm assuming you slice it up for skewering after you smoke it. Very interesting.

 

[Marknmd]

Actually I didn't word my post very well. I meant to say I have cut it into thick steaks, then cooked them low and slow on a kettle. Then seared. Sorry.

There are also three large veins that don't get mentioned much. They will help guide you when you trim the whole picanha. They are kind of hard to find though. If you press down with your finger near the vein, blood will seep to the surface. Most meat packers in the USA will trim picanha incorrectly so they can maximize yield, so it's up to you to trim it correctly. The whole picanha trimmed correctly should look kind of like a "U" shape out of the package with a slight point at the bottom. Almost like a triangle. But a lot of the packers will slice it with a slanted side at the top which is confusing. The top trim is where the third vein is located. So use that to make your top trim so that it looks like a "U."

Here's a very informative vid on picanha trimming and includes the vein discussion.



And here is a good discussion regarding trimming before the cook. You trim WITH the grain if cooking like a steak, but trim AGAINST the grain if cooking on a skewer. This is so, either way, the final cut will be AGAINST the grain before it goes into one's mouth.

If served as a steak, the diner will naturally cut it against the grain.

If cooking on a skewer and serving like at the Brazilian steak house, the skewer will be held vertically onto the board, and the slices will be vertical down along the side of the "C" piece in the same direction as it was initially sliced before being skewered, resulting in the slice falling onto the board being against the grain.

 

[KimberlyO]

Actually I didn't word my post very well. I meant to say I have cut it into thick steaks, then cooked them low and slow on a kettle. Then seared. Sorry.

There are also three large veins that don't get mentioned much. They will help guide you when you trim the whole picanha. They are kind of hard to find though. If you press down with your finger near the vein, blood will seep to the surface. Most meat packers in the USA will trim picanha incorrectly so they can maximize yield, so it's up to you to trim it correctly. The whole picanha trimmed correctly should look kind of like a "U" shape out of the package with a slight point at the bottom. Almost like a triangle. But a lot of the packers will slice it with a slanted side at the top which is confusing. The top trim is where the third vein is located. So use that to make your top trim so that it looks like a "U."

Here's a very informative vid on picanha trimming and includes the vein discussion.



And here is a good discussion regarding trimming before the cook. You trim WITH the grain if cooking like a steak, but trim AGAINST the grain if cooking on a skewer. This is so, either way, the final cut will be AGAINST the grain before it goes into one's mouth.

If served as a steak, the diner will naturally cut it against the grain.

If cooking on a skewer and serving like at the Brazilian steak house, the skewer will be held vertically onto the board, and the slices will be vertical down along the side of the "C" piece in the same direction as it was initially sliced before being skewered, resulting in the slice falling onto the board being against the grain.

THANK YOU! That was clearer! And thank you for the trimming and final slicing information; that was very helpful. I will heed your advice!

I also watched the video on cooking the picanha in steaks; very helpful and very transferable to the egg. Thanks again. Pictures/videos are always easier to understand!

 

[SmokinAl]

My one & only picanha came out great!
Here is a thread I did on it.

Pichana roast on the Rectec

Been a bunch of pichana threads lately, so here is my shot at it. Started out with a nice roast. Didn’t need much trimming on the fat side, but had a big piece of silver skin on the meat side. That is about all the trimming needed. I marinated it overnight under vacuum. Then I mixed up a...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Al

 

[KimberlyO]

My one & only picanha came out great!
Here is a thread I did on it.

Pichana roast on the Rectec

Been a bunch of pichana threads lately, so here is my shot at it. Started out with a nice roast. Didn’t need much trimming on the fat side, but had a big piece of silver skin on the meat side. That is about all the trimming needed. I marinated it overnight under vacuum. Then I mixed up a...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Al

Thank you, Al! That is a beautiful roast! And cooked like we like it; medium-rare/rare! And your thread is very detailed; very helpful! Thank you again.

 

[Nefarious]

Somehow got wrong thread.

 

[tx smoker]

I've done a lot of Picanha roasts, several of which have been posted here. I like to trim the fat cap down to about the 1/4" you mentioned then smoke slow and very low...like sub 200 degrees to an IT of about 128. It will render some of the fat into the meat but still leave a little bit and you'll get the perfect edge to edge pink that I just love in a smoked beef roast.

Robert

 

[KimberlyO]

I've done a lot of Picanha roasts, several of which have been posted here. I like to trim the fat cap down to about the 1/4" you mentioned then smoke slow and very low...like sub 200 degrees to an IT of about 128. It will render some of the fat into the meat but still leave a little bit and you'll get the perfect edge to edge pink that I just love in a smoked beef roast.

Robert

Thank you, Robert. I will look up your past posts as well.

 

[KimberlyO]

I've done a lot of Picanha roasts, several of which have been posted here. I like to trim the fat cap down to about the 1/4" you mentioned then smoke slow and very low...like sub 200 degrees to an IT of about 128. It will render some of the fat into the meat but still leave a little bit and you'll get the perfect edge to edge pink that I just love in a smoked beef roast.

Robert

Hi Robert,

I read one of your threads on smoking a Picanha roast; https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/slow-smoked-playoff-picanha-q-view.319673/ and have some very rookie questions:

How far in advance did you brine the meat?
After dry brining, did you remove any of the salt? As you can tell, I have never brined. hah.
Did you put the rub on the fat cap in advance or just before smoking the meat?
I am assuming you only rubbed the fat cap...

Thanks for your help!

 

[tx smoker]

Kim, I got your PM as you know and it's all good young lady No harm, no foul, however I very much appreciate your respectful approach in the message. I'm going to answer here versus in the PM for the benefit of others who may see this and glean a little something from your questions.

How far in advance did you brine the meat?

For this one it was just a couple of hours. You can brine days in advance if you choose. Our dearly departed Chef Jimmy was kknown to dry brine roasts for 5 days.

After dry brining, did you remove any of the salt?

No. It was left on for flavor. Just be careful. If your rub has a high salt content it can get overly salty quick, which is fine if you're a salt junkie but most folks here complain about many of the commercial rubs having a high salt content.

Did you put the rub on the fat cap in advance or just before smoking the meat?

Just a bit before putting it on the smoker. I worked on that while the smoker was coming up to temp. If the fat cap is trimmed down to 1/4" or so, as it melts and renders into the meat, the spices render with it.

I am assuming you only rubbed the fat cap...

That is correct. These are not thick roasts so the flavors will absorb throughout the meat.

Best of luck and can't wait to see it. Apologies again for the delayed response but as you know, I'm out at a big ol' BBQ party right now

Robert

 

[KimberlyO]

Kim, I got your PM as you know and it's all good young lady No harm, no foul, however I very much appreciate your respectful approach in the message. I'm going to answer here versus in the PM for the benefit of others who may see this and glean a little something from your questions.

For this one it was just a couple of hours. You can brine days in advance if you choose. Our dearly departed Chef Jimmy was kknown to dry brine roasts for 5 days.

No. It was left on for flavor. Just be careful. If your rub has a high salt content it can get overly salty quick, which is fine if you're a salt junkie but most folks here complain about many of the commercial rubs having a high salt content.

Just a bit before putting it on the smoker. I worked on that while the smoker was coming up to temp. If the fat cap is trimmed down to 1/4" or so, as it melts and renders into the meat, the spices render with it.

That is correct. These are not thick roasts so the flavors will absorb throughout the meat.

Best of luck and can't wait to see it. Apologies again for the delayed response but as you know, I'm out at a big ol' BBQ party right now

Robert

Thank you SO much Robert. I'm going to follow your method for cooking the Picanha. Your answers help a lot. Hope you had a great time at the gathering and are getting home safely and without incident.

There were so many different ways to cook this based on everyone's input, I decided to get another Picanha in my next order from Wild Fork and cut into steaks and do a direct grill next time. I really like this forum!