CarneAtlas

Cupim

Beef · Chuck
RoastBraiseSmoke

Cupim is commonly used as-is in English; the closest equivalent depends on the butchery tradition.

Raw Cupim — Beef Chuck cut

AI-generated editorial reference image

The neck-shoulder hump muscle of zebu cattle (Bos indicus), uniquely Brazilian — European/American cattle (Bos taurus) don't have this prominent hump. A signature Brazilian churrasco cut: dense, fat-marbled connective tissue that requires long, slow cooking (8 to 12 hours over low heat) to break down, after which it slices into ribbons of meltingly tender meat. Often wrapped in foil and slow-roasted over wood coals at large churrascarias, sometimes salt-baked. Has no real equivalent in any other tradition because the muscle simply doesn't exist on cattle outside zebu-breed regions.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇵🇹PortugalCupimLoanword used in Portuguese churrascarias; not a Portuguese-breed cut.
🇧🇷BrazilCupimprimaryThe zebu hump; *Bos indicus* cattle only — doesn't exist on European/American breeds.
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Shopping outside the tradition Cupim comes from?

Similar cuts

→ See all Cupim substitutes by country
TenderloinRoundBottom SirloinRibPlateChuckShort LoinBrisketFlankSirloinShankShank

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Classic recipe

Brazilian Slow-Smoked Cupim8 hr

The hump of the Zebu cattle is collagen-rich and richly marbled — closer to brisket than chuck. Smoked low and slow unti…

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Hold cupim through the hours its hump fat needs

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  • Butcher paper and beef tallow for the wrap
  • Rubs and a mop for bark
  • BBQ gloves for handling a full rack

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