Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

Sirloin

Picanha / sirloin cap

Picanha is the rump cap, the triangular muscle that sits on top of the sirloin. It is topped with a thick layer of fat that bastes the meat while it cooks, and it is the star of Brazilian churrasco.

Called coulotte in French and sirloin cap in North America, it was once overlooked outside Brazil, but is now easy to find at butchers. A good piece weighs about 1 to 1.5 kg (2 to 3 lb) and carries a fat cap around 1 cm (⅜ in) thick. Do not trim it off.

The meat is tender and beefy, with a flavour somewhere between sirloin and ribeye.

Techniques

Traditionally the cap is cut into thick steaks along the grain, folded into a C shape on a skewer and cooked over embers, seasoned with only coarse salt. Scoring the fat in a crosshatch helps it render and crisp.

At home, cook the steaks on a grill fat-side down first, over moderate heat, until the fat is golden. Or roast the whole cap, or use the reverse sear: cook gently to 50°C (120°F), then sear all over.

Once cooked, rest the meat and slice it against the grain into thin strips. Because the cap is cut into thick steaks along the grain, the slices carved off the skewer (or board) end up across the grain. Aim for medium-rare to medium.

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