The Best Way To Cut, Season, And Cook Picanha Steak, According To Tyler Florence

If you are always on the hunt for your next favorite cut of steak, picanha needs to be on your radar. Once less common in the U.S., picanha has taken off due to its popularity at Brazilian steakhouses, where it's brought out on skewers and sliced to order. It's a longtime Brazilian favorite, but American cooks who want to try it out may not know quite how to handle the steak.

Thankfully, we managed to catch up with one of our favorite experts, Food Network star and restaurateur Tyler Florence, who's working as the culinary creative director of the 5850 Festival, a multi-cultural music, food, and skiing festival running March 20-27 in Ketchum, Idaho. Florence is debuting "Après Q," a unique open-fire BBQ experience inspired by an indulgent après-ski atmosphere, where he's mixing fire-grilled creations with curated wine selections, craft cocktails, and après-inspired bites. Picanha steak is on the menu, so we decided to ask him his opinion on the best way to cook it.

Florence's first bit of advice was on the cut. Picanha has a signature fat cap covering the top, and he told us, "I think it's one of those things that the fat cap and the ratio between the meat and the fat and the lean on there, it's all important. You can't take it too lean." And once it's time to cook, Florence compared it to California tri-tip, telling us, "It's technically barbecue in a lot of ways."

Picanha is cut from the rump, which risks getting tough if overcooked. Florence recommended, "Barbecue medium-rare, or medium I think is a really nice way to serve it." Seasoning and cooking is best done simply to highlight picanha's natural flavor. He says, "We just hit it with a number 16 butcher's grind coarse pepper, so you got a little bite to it, some nice salt, and then you cook it over high hot hardwood and let it rest where it's still nice and juicy." To get to that point, Florence suggested folding it and skewering just like a Brazilian steakhouse, then grilling the picanha over a wood fire (rather than charcoal) until it hits 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because of picanha's fat cap and muscles, you need to slice it right. Florence told us, "You always want to cut it against the grain ... because you shorten the muscle fibers, and then when you shorten the muscle fibers, you make it tender." He even said that you can shave picanha when you carve it, which is how it's done in Brazilian steakhouses. And if you need a little incentive to try, Florence said, "And then the fat cap on the outside just kind of melts in your mouth if you cut it right." You won't get a much more enticing recommendation than that.