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Picanha (rump cap)
Picanha is known in English as Rump cap.
Picanha is rump cap in English, also sold as coulotte or top sirloin cap. It is the triangular cut with a thick fat cap.
Also called
Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — Picanha3.jpg
Picanha is a triangular cut from the top of the rump, kept with its thick fat cap intact. It is the most celebrated cut in Brazilian churrasco culture and is growing in popularity worldwide. The fat cap bastes the meat as it cooks, producing extraordinary flavor. It is typically skewered in a C-shape and slow-roasted over charcoal, then sliced tableside.
How to identify real picanha
- Shape
- A compact triangular rump-cap muscle from the top sirloin; wholesale cuts extending much farther down the sirloin are not all picanha.
- Fat cap
- The broad external fat cap is part of the Brazilian preparation and should cover one face of the cut.
- Not tri-tip
- Tri-tip comes from the bottom sirloin and has a different grain, shape, and fat distribution.
Names by country
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Rump cap | Relatively obscure in the US but growing in popularity |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Rump cap | |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Picaña | |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Picaña | Growing in popularity in Argentine asados influenced by Brazilian churrasco |
| 🇫🇷France | Aiguillette de rumsteck | French trade name for the rump cap; Transgourmet sells it as "aiguillette de rumsteck ou picanha". |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Tapilla | Spain's traditional name for the rump cap; tapa de cuadril is the Argentine term. |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Picanha | |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Picanhaprimary | The undisputed star of Brazilian churrasco, always cooked with the fat cap on |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Codone | Also punta di sottofesa (Accademia Macelleria Italiana). |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Picanha | Brazilian loanword now standard in German BBQ and steakhouse contexts for the grilled/skewered preparation, distinct from the Viennese boiled 'Tafelspitz' tradition. |
What to ask for
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$$$ · picanha, steaks, skewers, and general charcoal grilling
Render the fat cap instead of flaring the coals
High-heat grilling, simple indirect cooks, steak, picanha, and burgers.
Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
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