Brocoloco
Jump to recipe
Charcoal Grilled Picanha with a Dry Brine
A good cut, advance salting and a thermometer for juicy charcoal-grilled picanha.
⭐ Medium
Seasons: All Seasons
Cooking methods: Grilling / BBQ

The Story Behind the Recipe

I was never particularly excited about beef. Once I tried good-quality meat, the right cut and proper preparation, I realised how different the result could be. Picanha is my favourite beef cut for steak. Its fat, advance salting and careful cooking give me exactly what I want: a good crust outside and juicy meat inside. It takes a little knowledge and attention, but it is a cut worth learning to cook.

The Technique

  • Cut the steaks along the grain, then slice the cooked meat across the grain.
  • Salt ideally the night before.
  • Measure the internal temperature and rest the meat before carving.
Ingredients

  • Picanha: with a good fat cap, as much as required

  • Coarse salt: for even seasoning

Steps

Method

  1. Remove the membranes from the meat side. Identify the grain and cut steaks along it, approximately two fingers thick.

  2. Trim excessive fat at the edges if necessary, reserving the trimmings for beef tallow.

  3. Salt evenly on both sides. Set on a rack over a tray in the refrigerator, ideally overnight. If short of time, allow at least 2 hours, until the liquid drawn out by the salt has been reabsorbed and the surface has dried.

  4. Prepare the charcoal with a cooler area where you can move the steaks when necessary.

  5. Grill, measuring the temperature in the centre. Fat can cause flare-ups; move the steaks to brown them without burning.

  6. Remove slightly before the desired final temperature. For medium rare, an example pull temperature is approximately 52°C / 125°F, monitoring the rise towards 54-57°C / 130-135°F during resting. Carryover varies with thickness and cooking intensity.

  7. Rest for a few minutes, then slice across the grain. Cutting immediately increases the loss of juices.

Final internal doneness temperatures

  1. Rare approximately 49-54°C / 120-130°F.

  2. medium rare 54-57°C / 130-135°F.

  3. medium 57-63°C / 135-145°F.

  4. medium well 63-68°C / 145-155°F.

  5. well done approximately 68°C / 155°F and above.

Tips and Secrets

  1. Measure the temperature at the centre of the steak for a more reliable doneness check than colour alone.

  2. Take the meat off the heat just before your target final temperature and rest it before slicing because retained heat continues cooking it.

  3. Use the table above for whole cuts of beef. Steak doneness ranges should not be applied directly to ground meat.

  4. The video’s “Congratulations, 77°C+/170°F+” is a joke about a heavily overcooked steak. Follow the table’s corresponding temperatures for the doneness you prefer.

Community

Rate the recipe and share your experience.

0.0 (0)

Your rating

Sign in to rate this recipe.

Write a comment

Sign in to leave a comment.

Comments

0

Start the conversation! Be the first to share a thought about this recipe.