Reverse Seared Picanha

Bring the Brazilian steakhouse to your own backyard and learn how to master the art of this reverse seared smoked picanha recipe.

Course Grilling

Cuisine American, Brazillian

Keyword how to grill picanha, reverse seared picanha, smoked picanha

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Dry Brining Time 1

Servings People

Calories 300kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Equipment

Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

3-5 lb Picanha
1.5 tbsp. Kosher Salt (1 tsp. per pound of meat)
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Roasted Red Pepper Chimichurri for garnish

Instructions

Prepping Your Picanha:

Start by removing the picanha from the packaging and patting it dry with paper towels.
Trim any silver skin off the bottom of the roast. Trim of any fat that over hangs off the top, but leave the fat cap intact.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern. Do this by cutting lines through the fat layer until you hit the top of the meat (see photos or video above).
Oil the picanha from top to bottom and season the entire piece with kosher sea salt. You can add additional dry rubs if you prefer here as well.
Place the meat on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, uncovered into the fridge to dry brine for at least 2 hours, but best done the night before or a day in advance for optimal beef flavor.

Reverse Searing:

Preheat your grill or smoker to 225 F. - 250 F. and set it for two zone cooking.
Place the picanha onto the indirect side of the grill, insert a thermometer into the thickest part and let it smoke until the internal temperature hits around 110- 115 F.
Remove the picanha from the smoker and let it rest for 10-15 minutes and bring the direct side of the grill up to at least 500 F. or higher for searing.
Place the picanha fat cap side down over the direct heat first to start. Cook 1-2 minutes and flip and repeat the searing process across the bottom of the picanha. Sear and flip as needed until the picanha hits the desired temperature. If pulling for medium rare remove the picanha when it hits around 125-130 F.
Let it rest a full 10 minutes before slicing 1 inch thick cuts against the grain. Season with a little more salt and some cracked pepper once cut and some fresh chimichurri if desired.

Notes

Have picanha steaks instead? As long as they're over 1.5 inches thick you can follow the same process (though the cook time will be drastically reduced).

Nutrition