Picanha Roast

Picanha Steak with Pink Peppercorn Brown Butter ad Chive Sauce — Photo:
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Active Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

2 hrs

Yield:

8 servings

Picanha, a tender and flavorful cut of beef, is roasted to medium-rare and then sauced in a peppercorn-infused brown butter. After resting, the steak is very juicy on its own, but with the warm, pink peppercorn–infused sweet-and-sour brown butter sauce, it’s downright swoon-worthy.

(This recipe would also work beautifully with a thick rib eye, if you can’t find picanha.)

What is picanha?

Picanha (also called coulotte) is a very tender, extremely flavorful, and usually inexpensive cut of beef popular in Brazil. A full picanha should weigh between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds; have a fat cap of hard, clear fat at least 1/2-inch thick; and the interior should have visible marbling. The ones we tested this recipe with weighed 2 3/4 and 3 pounds.

How to cut picanha?

You can find picanha in some markets now, but if you can’t find one, buy a whole top sirloin primal. The picanha steak sits on the top of it. The seams are visible. You pretty much just pull it off the top, with just a little slicing needed here and there to free it.

What to serve with roast picanha?

The sauce in this recipe is lovely with picanha. The pink peppercorns are coarse, adding texture, and the sweet vermouth helps to emulsify the sauce and adds a sweetness to complement the red wine vinegar reduction. Bay leaves and rosemary add a deep earthiness. Picanha steak would also be great with a chimichurri sauce.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Picanha is also called coulotte or top sirloin cap. Ask your butcher for it, or find it online at Wild Fork Foods. Make sure your picanha has a thick fat cap of 1/2 to 3/4 inches; the fat helps to moisten the meat (and is easy and delicious to eat).

Chinese chiles, also called Tianjin or chiles Japones, are small, spicy chiles. They can be found in Asian and Latin markets or online at Kalustyans.

Suggested pairing

A powerful, spicy South American red, such as 2020 BenMarco Expresivo Red Blend, from Argentina, is a good match for the bold, beefy flavors of the picanha roast.

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Ingredients

1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) picanha (coulotte) roast
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
5 dried red Chinese chiles
1 fresh bay leaf, cut in half crosswise
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary plus 1 rosemary sprig
1 1/2 tablespoons red vermouth
1 tablespoons fine sea salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions

Trim off any silver skin that might be clinging to the underside of the picanha roast. Trim off any mottled or soft fat, leaving at least a 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick fat cap. Lightly score the fat, creating a 1/2-inch-wide crosshatch pattern. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use, about 30 minutes.
Stir together vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 5 teaspoons and thickened into a light syrup, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Toast pink peppercorns in a small skillet over low, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Transfer peppercorns to a mortar, and crush using a pestle. Set aside. Return skillet to heat over medium-high, and add butter, dried chiles, and bay leaf. Cook, swirling skillet, until butter foams and begins to turn brown, about 4 minutes. Stir to incorporate solids at bottom of skillet, and remove from heat. Add minced rosemary, rosemary sprig, and crushed pink peppercorns. Let steep 10 minutes; remove and discard bay leaf, chiles, and rosemary sprig. Stir in vermouth, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, Worcestershire, and 4 teaspoons reserved vinegar reduction. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle picanha with black pepper and remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt. Place roast, fat cap down, in hot skillet. Cook over medium-high until fat develops a dark golden brown crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip roast, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers between 118°F and 125°F for medium-rare, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board; let rest, uncovered, 20 minutes. (The temperature will rise to 125°F to 130°F as it rests.)
Rewarm pink peppercorn butter in a skillet over medium-low until liquefied and warm, about 1 minute. Cut picanha against the grain into thin slices, and arrange on a platter. Garnish with flaky sea salt, and spoon peppercorn butter over and around meat. Serve remaining sauce alongside.