How to Grill Sirloin Cap
on Jun 26, 2023, Updated Jul 14, 2023
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Also known as Picanha, this is the most popular cut of beef in Brazil, and when grilled properly it's amazingly juicy and flavorful.
The Brazilians are known for their amazing beef. Churrascarias are Brazilian steakhouses, and they typically serve many kinds of meat tableside (some familiar, some not so much). Servers slice the meat right off of the skewers they were grilled on. The most well-known of the cuts of beef, and the most loved, is the tender, juicy, sirloin cap, also called Picanha (pronounced pee-KAHN-ya).
Picanha or sirloin cap is also known as rump steak and top sirloin cap steak, rib cap, rump cover, rump steak, and culotte or coulotte steak. Sometimes this dish is called picanha grill or picanha BBQ. There are a variety of spellings for each name, so it’s good to know what to look for! Here we have a home-grilled version of the Brazilian steakhouse specialty. You can make this right on a gas, charcoal, or wood pellet grill, with just a few sturdy metal skewers.
Chimichurri Sauce is the classic accompaniment. And for a summer grilling dinner, you can pair this with all kinds of cookout sides. Try classic potato salad and grilled corn salad. Other great options would be Salsa Verde, rice, and Sautéed Kale.
Table of Contents
How to Grill Sirloin Cap: Also known as Picanha, this is the most popular cut of beef in Brazil, and when grilled properly it’s amazingly juicy and flavorful.
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FAQs
Picanha is a fat-capped part of the top sirloin (from the rump of the cow). It is very popular in Brazil. Picanha or Sirloin Cap is usually cut into thick slices, skewered on a metal skewer in a C-shape, then grilled and sliced to serve.
The fat cap is a ½- to 1-inch thick layer of fat which should NOT be removed; it’s was makes this cut of beef so amazing. The fat helps keep the meat tender and juicy as it’s grilled. When you thinly slice it to serve, make sure each thin slice gets an edge of fire-crisped fat on it.
Ingredients
There are only two ingredients in this dish (unless you decide you go ahead and make a sauce!).
- Sirloin cap steaks – If you are anywhere near an Argentine or Brazilian butcher, you are in total luck. I got mine from ButcherBox, a great source of high-quality, grass-fed, sustainably raised meat. When buying sirloin cap steak, look for nice marbling, or bits of white fat, throughout the meat. Make sure there is a nice layer of fat on one side, and do NOT trim the meat!
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste – Be generous with the seasonings!
Tips
- Sometimes butchers divide sirloin caps into multiple cuts of meat, so if you can’t find it whole, ask a butcher for it. They can order it and keep it whole for you.
- Grill the steak on metal skewers or very thick, sturdy wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for an hour.
- There may well be flare-ups, so stay vigilant and move the meat to cooler parts of the grill as needed.
- This steak is tender and juicy and perfect to grill over direct heat. If you have a spit attachment to your grill, give that a go — you’ll be getting even closer to the way it’s cooked in South America.
How to Grill Picanha
This is the Brazilian style of grilling sirloin cap!
- Skewer the steak: Cut the meat across the grain into 2-inch thick slices. Thread the slices of meat onto the skewers in a C-shape, with the fat on the outside of the C.
- Grill the steak: Start the slices fat side down until the fat starts to turn crispy and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the slices of meat every 3 minutes until all sides of the thick slices are nicely browned and marked with grill marks, about 12 to 15 minutes in total.
- Check for doneness: Use an instant-read thermometer to check the steak’s internal temp and ensure it’s cooked to your preference: rare (125 degrees), medium-rare (130 degrees), medium (135 degrees), medium-well (140 degrees).
- Slice the steak: Let the meat rest for 5 minutes. Cut the pieces into thin slices across the grain, making sure to include some fat in each slice.
How to Serve Sirloin Cap or Picanha
You can serve a couple of the thick slices of steak right from the skewers for each person, and let them slice them up on their own. Or, you can slide the pieces off of the skewers and slice them up on a serving platter. Picanha should be sliced as thinly as you can manage it. It’s often served with Chimichurri Sauce.
You should plan on about 5 to 6 ounces of sirloin cap per person, probably one or two of the thick curved slices from the skewer. But this steak is really delicious, so be prepared with extra!
Storage and Leftovers
You can keep a very fresh sirloin cap steak wrapped in its original packaging in the fridge for 4 or 5 days. If you plan to freeze the steaks, remove them from their packaging the day you buy them, then wrap them well in plastic wrap. Slide the wrapped steaks into labeled freezer-proof zipper top bags and press out any excess air. Seal and freeze for up to 9 months.
Leftover cooked steak should be refrigerated and eaten within 3 days.
What to Serve With Picanha
More Grilled Steak Recipes
- Grilled New York Strip Steaks
- Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks
- Marinated and Grilled London Broil
- Soy-Ginger Flank Steak
- Balsamic-Marinated Skirt Steak
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How to Grill Sirloin Cap
Equipment
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 2 pounds top sirloin cap or beef top sirloin (with a thick layer of fat on top)
Instructions
- Cut the meat across the grain into 2-inch thick slices. On metal skewers (or very thick sturdy wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for an hour), thread the slices of meat onto the skewers in a c-shape, with the fat on the outside of the c.
- Preheat the grill to medium high. Carefully oil the grill rack.
- Season the slices of meat with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the slices fat side down until the fat starts to turn crispy and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. There may well be flare ups so stay vigilant and move the meat to cooler parts of the grill as needed. Turn the slices of meat every three minutes, until all sides of the thick slices are nicely browned and marked with grill marks, about 12 to 15 minutes in total.
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Sliced the pieces into thin slices, across the grain. Make sure to include some fat along with the meat in each slice. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce if desired.
Notes
- Sometimes butchers divide sirloin caps into multiple cuts of meat, so if you can’t find it, ask a butcher for it. They can order it and keep it whole for you.
- Grill the steak on metal skewers or very thick, sturdy wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for an hour.
- There may well be flare-ups, so stay vigilant and move the meat to cooler parts of the grill as needed.
- This steak is tender and juicy, and perfect to grill over direct heat. If you have a spit attachment to your grill, give that a go.
- The fat cap is a ½- to 1-inch thick layer of fat which should NOT be removed; it’s was makes this cut of beef so amazing. It helps keep the meat tender and juicy as it’s grilled. When you thinly
