Smoked and reverse-seared Picanha
Reverse seared Picanha
I love a good rump steak. Rump is so underrated. Picanha is a tender cut from the rump that's popular in Brazilian churrascaria. Here it's called rump cap. It's a lean, muscular part of the cow and carries rich, beefy flavours.
Ingredients
Rump Cap. I bought a 1.5kg hunk of rump cap from Turner & George.
Dry Rub
2 tbs each of the following:
granulated garlic
onion powder
cracked black pepper
chilli powder
cayenne pepper
ground cumin
ground coriander
Kosher salt
Instructions
1. Set your grill up for indirect heat, with the coals set to one side. Heat to 99C and add plenty of sweet chestnut wood chunks.
2. Mix the dry rub and massage into the meat on all sides. Be generous.
Dry rub liberally applied to the Picanha
3. Place the meat on the grill and close the lid. Maintain the temperature around 99C for an hour or until the internal temperature of the rump cap reaches 43C. In the last 15 minutes, get a full chimney starter going so the coals are white hot.
Smoked Picanha
4. When the rump cap is at 43C set it aside on a plate. Cover with foil for now.
5. Add the chimney contents to the grill, heating until it's nice and hot.
6. Now for the reverse sear. Place the meat on the hot grill and turn a few times to sear on all sides. I seared mine on a Himalayan Salt block for extra giggles. Keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat. I took mine to 50C, just shy of medium rare.
7. Transfer the meat to a board and rest for 10-15 minutes in a foil tent. Then slice and enjoy.
Sliced Picanha beef up close and personal
Alternatively, you can cut the rump cap into steaks and sear them individually for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
The rump cap takes smoke particularly well. Look at that smoke ring. Not bad for an hour.
Picanha smoke ring