Brazilian BBQ Picanha (The PORN version)

This is a sequel of the last blog post Brazilian BBQ Picanha, where I showed a method to grill this awesome piece of meat. But here in this post, I use a whole picanha that I cut myself. That way I can know this is really a piece of picanha of good quality. So not much more to say than enjoy the photos and grill on!

A 1,2 kg picanha, a good size and of prime quality.

Taken out of the vacuum pack to "breathe" a couple of days

After four days in a box in the fridge.

Fat cap.

This is a right side picanha. Can be seen on the thickness of the fat cap.

This is the way to cut it for grilling on a skewer. NOT as steaks.

These would be tough as steaks, but perfect for this method.

2-3 cm / 1 inch thickness.

Cut with the fibers/grain.

Get it hot....

As much salt as possible. It will seal in the juices.

Done and excess salt beaten off.

Resting and sweating.

As the meat was cut with the grain before grilling, it is now cut against the grain when done.

And we get some super juicy mini steaks to snack on.

Last one out....

And snack on....

That's probably why they call it food porn....

I had picanha 4 of the last 6 days...... The only ones that were sad, were my three dogs because no leftovers! 

If you wanna grill whole steaks of this picanha, you have to cut the opposite way, across the grains before grilling the steaks.

Brazilian BBQ Picanha

Brazilian BBQ is normally more simple and kind of back to basics, compared to other styles BBQ. But that doesn't make it less yummy. The Brazilian BBQ pit is an open brick type. Yes it might have some limitations, but can still produce some really fine eating. Thats why Brazilians stick to their pit.

So today, I grilled some pieces of picanha (rump cap or culotte). It is considered to be the best cut in Brazil. But that also leads to a lot of cheating from greedy butchers and supermarkets. A picanha is supposed to weigh max 1.0 - 1.2 kg. If it is considerably bigger than that, it is most likely that it includes another, cheaper cut, called coxão duro in Brazil (silverside/outside flat?).

The meat I use here, I bought in a supermarket and was already cut into steaks. But looking at the fat cap and size, it might be that it is from the top end of the picanha cut or coxão duro. Anyway, the idea here is to show the method to grill it. Pay attention to the way the meat is cut. The steaks are cut with the grain. That would have made it tough to eat as a steak. But that is not the way they will be served here.

The thing about this way to grill, is the salt. The amount and the size of the salt. Must me coarse salt. Grain size bigger than kosher salt, more like sea salt. Cover the meat as good as possible. The more the better. Because the salt will seal in the juices in the meat during cooking. And it will not be too salty. Not sure the best way to get the salt to stick. These steaks were pretty dry on the outside but the salt still stuck more ore less ok. Maybe better to wet them a bit first?

Anyway. When you think it is done to your liking, shake off the salt. At that moment, you will see the juices start to flow. So the salt do have a mission. Well ok, just rest the meat a few minutes, cut and enjoy. Cheers!

Typical Brazilian BBQ pit.

Get a good fire going.

Picanha (or coxão duro?) cut in the supermarket

Put on as much salt as you can.

Place over high heat.

The ideal, is that the salt sticks and seals the meat.

Some salt fallen off

Seems done to me

Here is the salt shaken off, as it looked to be done.

Rest a bit

Even after a few minutes rest, it's juices are all over the place.

Now cut against the grains, making it even more tender. Looks good!

Smokey Joe, salmon, ribeye and beer brats

Went on a three day trip to a nearby hotel here in Brazil and that meant three days of BBQ with the Weber Smokey Joe, an awesome travel buddy. So much better than the sad disposable grill so many people use. For the price of a Smokey Joe you can buy approximately 20 disposable grills. But you can use the Smokey Joe for years. And it can make real BBQ. The disposable cannot.

Anyway, on the menu these days were salmon (again), ribeye steaks and beer brats (again). The sausages I use for beer brats might actually not be bratwurst but a raw, course pork sausage. The flavour the sausages get from the beer and smoke, is really good.

Nice spot for a BBQ

Real easy to fire up with alcohol gel on a piece of alu foil under the charcoal grate

Put charcoal on top and then you have a nice fire going after some time.

Cherry smoked salmon

The salmon has been salted and left approx 30 minutes in the fridge.

Brown sugar and one piece with some mustard as well.

Smoke from a few small chunks of cherry wood.

Done after 15 minutes on direct heat.

Ribeye steak

A nice ribeye searing on direct heat. Note, charcoal just in half of the grill.

Seared on direct heat then moved to indirect heat a few minutes with the lid on.

Let the steak rest a few minutes before cutting into it.

Juicy....

Cherry smoked beer brats

Cherry wood, sauerkraut, grill seasoning and caraway seeds.

Set up on indirect heat for smoking. Cherry wood on the coals. Air inlet by the coals open.

Smoking. Left air intake open, right shut. Damper in lid open and placed above the food.

After 25 minutes under the lid

Over to direct heat to get some nice color.

Onion sweated down in some butter. And lime.

Sauerkraut.

Caraway seeds.

Grill seasoning

Beer.

Ready for a nice bath under the lid on indirect heat.

Throttled down all dampers a bit to reduce the heat. It should not boil.

After one hour, the sausages have absorbed some really nice flavours!

Sausages, sauerkraut with onions, toasted bread and mustard. Awesome!