Cut of beef from the top rump
Picanha is a cut of beef first made popular in Brazil, and later adopted in Portugal. It consists of the final part of the "biceps femoris" muscle, at the bottom of the animal, and its fat cap. In recent years the cut has become popular in most of the Americas and has gained a reputation as a tasty meat in the barbecue culture.
In Brazil.
The cut was created in Bixiga neighborhood, São Paulo, in the 1950s, but not for barbecue. The first restaurant to roast picanha in a barbecue was the restaurant Dinho's in 1973. 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 a minimal seasoning consisting of coarse sea salt. The fat is retained until the steak has been cooked.
In Portugal.
Although already known in Portugal as a part of "alcatra", the cut and its association with barbecue 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. Picanha is served in restaurants and is widely available in supermarkets and butchers, both fresh and packaged under vacuum. Most of it is usually produced within the European Union (Republic of Ireland and Poland) and also imported from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in South America.
In the United States.
In the United States until recently the cut was little known and often named top sirloin cap, rump cover, rump cap, or culotte (French). American butchers generally divide this cut into other cuts like the rump, the round, and the loin. Unlike in Brazil, the traditionally-retained fat tends to be removed before preparation, unless requested otherwise by the customer.
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 Alentejo, for herding cattle.
Cooking methods.
Picanha can be prepared on the grill, in the oven, on the hob, in a frying pan, or sous vide with a variety of spices and accompaniments.
References.
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