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.
| 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 | Cœur de rumsteck | |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Tapa de cuadril | |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Picanha | |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Picanhaprimary | The undisputed star of Brazilian churrasco, always cooked with the fat cap on |
Both are triangular cuts from the sirloin area, but picanha comes from the rump cap and is always cooked with its fat cap, while tri-tip is from the bottom sirloin and typically trimmed.
Picanha sits above the sirloin and shares similar flavor profile, but is kept with its fat cap and treated as a distinct roasting cut in Brazilian tradition.