Sirloin Picanha Recipe
Sirloin Picanha or “sirloin cap roast” is a delicious cut of beef found on the top of the sirloin. It’s typically served in Brazilian steakhouses where it’s cooked on a rodizio grill and served right off the skewer. Picanha should have a ¼” of fat cap over the meat. This fat renders as it cooks and keeps the meat flavorful and juicy.
For this recipe I’m using 2 picanha roast from Matador Prime Steak. Cut the roast across the grain and season with a good dose of Kosher Salt. (In Brazilian steakhouses that’s all they use) I also add a layer of my Killer Hogs Steak Rub for extra flavor and texture.
Instead of using a rotisserie, I set up a Pit Barrel Jr. drum smoker with hanging rods to support metal skewers. Double each piece of picanha into a half moon shape with the fat cap on the outside. Carefully thread each piece onto the metal skewers (2 pieces per skewer).
Hang the skewers on the rods of the pit barrel jr and cook until the internal temperature reaches 122-125 degrees (about 25 minutes).
Once the fat starts rendering it can easily flair up, so don’t walk away and keep the lid closed as much as possible to avoid this. If you’re cooking on a regular grill grate just keep the steaks turned on a regular basis for even cooking.
Rest the picanha for 5-10 minutes before serving and carve each steak into thin portions right off the skewer. I serve it with fresh chimichurri sauce on the side.
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Sirloin Picanha Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Sirloin Picanha Roast 2 ½ – 3lbs each (also called Sirloin Cap Roast)
- 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Killer Hogs Steak Rub
- Chimichurri Sauce for serving*
Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 cup Italian Flat Leaf Parsley finely chopped
- 1 cup Cilantro finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Combine ingredients and store in a covered container until ready to serve.
Instructions
- Prepare Drum smoker for indirect cooking at 300⁰ using hanging rods to support skewers. *typically this recipe is prepared on a rotisserie grill but you can use just about any type grill running medium high heat.
- Trim the fat cap on each picanha roast to ¼” thickness. Remove any sinew or excess fat from the meat side. Locate the direction of the grain and cut each roast into 2” strips across the grain.
- Season each strip with Kosher Salt and Killer Hogs Steak Rub.
- Fold the pieces in half with the fat exposed on the outer side and thread onto metal skewers.
- Place hanging rods into the top of each skewer and hang in the drum smoker.
- After 20 minutes check the internal temperature. Remove the picanha when internal temperature reaches 122-125⁰ internal.
- Rest the steaks for 10 minutes, slice across the grain, and serve with chimichurri sauce*
Have a Question About This Recipe?
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Hi Malcom! This is a great video. I have been looking for this kind of pandemonium! I would love a recommendation on the skewers. Any suggestions?
Just awesome, Malcom! Heard you and Chelle talking about this on the podcast and loved what you said about the care and time you took with the Chimichurri — leaving out the stems and other stuff that might make it bitter. I get the same taste with store-bought Pesto. Thanks for all your hard work!
oh yeah – nothing like a good Chimichurri sauce!
Hello, this looks wonderful! I was wondering where the link is to the Chimichurri sauce? Thank you!
Also, how would you recommend doing this set-up on a BGE?
I would still skewer it and cook it on the grate – turning it every few minutes to keep it cooking evenly.
Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup Italian Flat Leaf Parsley finely chopped
1 cup Cilantro finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
½ cup Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Combine ingredients and store in a covered container until ready to serve.
Sorry, I was looking for a link to the Chimichurri sauce, from reading the Thermoworks blog. I see now that it is in the Picanha recipe. Sorry for the question and you don’t need to post it. 🙂 I do want to know if you have/can do it on a BGE by hanging, as in the PB. I don’t have a PB, but have an XL BGE. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for your help. I got the hooks and skewers from Pit Barrell, like you have and want to hang them in my BGE. Do you have suggestions on how far above the coals and what temp for the BGE? Thank you!
Easy Step to follow, keep up, thanks
Hey Malcom – I’m seeing a lot of conflicting info on how handle the fat cap on this bad boy. A lot of folks saying there is a layer of silver skin underneath that won’t render properly and will make the end product tough.
I was thinking of trimming the cap, doing a low and slow smoke and then finishing it off with the half moon skewered sear…thoughts?
DD
The fat cap is the best part! And if you have a quality cut and you don’t overcook it – it won’t be tough. But I wouldn’t remove the fat cap… that’s where all the flavor is!
Are these 10″ or 15″ skewers?
Thank you
★★★★★
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
★★★★★