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Picanha
Picanha Under Broiler

Picanha is a cut of beef also known as the rump cap (UK), top sirloin cap (US), or coulotte steak (US).[1] It consists of the terminal, triangular part of the biceps femoris muscle, in the rump, with its fat cap.[2][3] It became popular first in Brazil, and later in Portugal. It is now popular across Latin America in churrascarias and rodízio restaurants.[4]

Brazil

Brazilian beef cuts (picanha is number 8).

In Brazil, the most prized cut of meat tends to be the picanha. There the traditional preparation is to skewer the meat and cook it over a charcoal grill, with seasoning consisting of just coarse sea salt.[5] The fat is retained until the steak has been cooked.

France

The same cut is the pointe de culotte in French butchery, but in French cuisine, the fat cap is heavily trimmed. In modern French cuisine, it is a Morceau de 1ère Catégorie and is generally roasted or cut into steaks and grilled. Until the early 20th century, it was the preferred cut for boeuf bourgignon and boeuf à la mode, often larded,[6] as well as for boiling in a pot-au-feu.[7]

Portugal

Although already known in Portugal as a part of alcatra,[8][9] the cut and its association with grilling in Portugal was popularized by Brazilian immigrants and Brazilian restaurants starting in the end of the 20th century, taking advantage of the United Kingdom BSE outbreak of the 1990s.[10][11] Picanha is served in restaurants[12] and is widely available in supermarkets and butchers, both fresh and packaged under vacuum.[13] It is produced mostly within the European Union (Republic of Ireland and Poland)[14] but also imported from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.[15][16][17]

United States

In the United States until recently the cut was little known and often named top sirloin cap, rump cover, rump cap, or coulotte (after culotte). American butchers generally divide this cut into other cuts like the rump, the round, and the loin.[18] Unlike in Brazil, the fat cap tends to be trimmed.[19]

Etymology

The term picanha is of unknown origin. It could be derived from the word picana, which was a pole used by ranchers in the southern parts of Portugal and Spain, particularly in the Alentejo, for herding cattle.[20]

Cooking methods

A dish of Brazilian-style picanha.

Picanha can be prepared on the grill, in the oven, on the stovetop, in a frying pan, or sous vide with a variety of spices and accompaniments.[21][22]

See also

References

  1. ^ “What is a Coulotte Steak? | Coulotte Steak Guide”. Crowd Cow. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  2. ^ Woerner, Dale R. (6 February 2017). “Meat Quality Workshop: Know Your Meat”. North American Meat Institute. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  3. ^ “Beef – It’s What’s For Dinner – Media library”. Beef – It’s What’s For Dinner. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  4. ^ “Picanha – The Tender Tasty Brazilian Queen of Beef”. erienewsnow.com. Archived from the original on 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  5. ^ “Picanha: How To Cook Rump Cap”. August 25, 2020. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  6. ^ Morière, Henri (1950). Le métier de boucher [The Profession of Butcher] (in French). J.-B. Baillière et fils. p. 85. ISBN 978-2-307-47973-4. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  7. ^ Escoffier, Auguste (1903), Le guide culinaire, Émile Colin et Cie, pp. 546–763, retrieved 2026-03-26
  8. ^ Porto Editora – alcatra no Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa [em linha]. Porto: Porto Editora. [consult. 2024-01-01 21:42:14]. Disponível em [1]
  9. ^ “Alcatra dá origem a picanha, baby beef e mais cortes para grelha e panela”. www.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  10. ^ “Cortes”. Bife Lovers – Animais, raças, cortes, bifes, Carne britânica de qualidade (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  11. ^ “PICANHA CONQUISTA PORTUGUESES”. www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  12. ^ “Restaurantes em Lisboa: melhores sítios para comer picanha em Lisboa”. Time Out Lisboa (in European Portuguese). 2018-01-23. Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  13. ^ Winstanley, Chris (15 August 2013). “Picanha The taste of Brazil”. Portugal Resident. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  14. ^ “Produtores europeus pedem suspensão de carne brasileira”. Exame (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2017-03-19. Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  15. ^ Gomes, Adelino (2004-07-25). “Importações portuguesas de “boi gordo” disparam com picanha em destaque”. PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  16. ^ “Importações portuguesas de “picanha” duplicam em três anos”. TVI Notícias (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  17. ^ “Portugueses já estão a boicotar a picanha brasileira”. Jornal Expresso (in European Portuguese). 31 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  18. ^ “Picanha – The Brazilian Brand of Meat” Street Smart Brazil. November 3, 2010. (Retrieved 2018-05-17.)
  19. ^ “Picanha – The Brazilian Brand of Meat” Archived 2013-03-13 at the Wayback Machine Street Smart Brazil. November 3, 2010. (Retrieved 2018-05-17.)
  20. ^ S.A, Priberam Informática. “Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa”. Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  21. ^ Sanches, Mariana (2016-12-27). “12 receitas de picanha que vão agradar todos os amantes de carne”. Receiteria (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  22. ^ “6 receitas com picanha que vão além do churrasco”. Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-03.