The hump of the Zebu cattle is collagen-rich and richly marbled — closer to brisket than chuck. Smoked low and slow until tender, sliced and served with farofa and chimichurri at a churrasco.
Serves 8 to 10Prep 30 minCook 8 hr
What to ask for
This recipe calls for Cupim. Can't get it where you are?
Ingredients & method
Ingredients
1 whole cupim, 3 to 4 kg, fat cap intact
3 tablespoons coarse rock salt
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Hardwood chunks (oak, hickory, or eucalyptus)
Farofa and chimichurri, to serve
Method
1Pat the cupim completely dry. Score the fat cap in a 2 cm crosshatch pattern, cutting just into but not through the fat.
2Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub all over the cupim, working into the scored fat. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
3Set up a smoker for indirect cooking at 110 °C (225 °F). Add hardwood for clean blue smoke.
4Place the cupim fat-side up. Smoke undisturbed for the first 4 hours.
5After 4 hours, spritz with apple juice or beer every hour. Continue until the internal temperature in the thickest part reads 96 °C (205 °F) and a probe slides in like room-temperature butter — typically 7 to 9 hours total.
6Remove from the smoker, wrap in butcher paper or foil, and rest in a warm cooler for 1 hour minimum.
7Slice across the grain into 1 cm slices. Pile onto a wooden board with a mound of farofa and a bowl of chimichurri.
Cook this well
$99.99 · Ships free in the US · Grill Masters Club
Affiliate link — CarneAtlas may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Price checked 31 Aug 2026.
Chef's tip Cupim has more fat than brisket but very different muscle structure — don't fight it by removing fat before cooking. The cap is what bastes the meat for the entire cook.
Cook this later?Save the recipe, then keep notes on what worked and what you'd change next time.
