With the Olympics hitting Rio de Janeiro this summer, there has been a lot of talk about one of Brazil’s finer things. We are going to speak about their food. More specifically, Brazilian Barbecue. What goes better with summer, sports, and Brazil than some delicious BBQ?
A quick Google search will deliver you all kinds of BBQ recipes, but one happened to stick out to us in particular. Featured in the July publication of GQ UK is one amazing recipe for what is widely acclaimed to be Brazil’s favorite cut of meat, Picanha.
Picanha is not a meat that many of us have heard about outside of Churrascarias in the US. But it is a staple in Brazilian BBQ. It is the rump cover of the cattle, which we also know as the ‘rump cap’ or ‘coulette’. While American butcher shops tend to trim the fat from the rump cut of beef, it is left on in Brazil, and is removed after the cooking process. Fat on the steak is good for a Summer BBQ Recipe for many of the people on the most popular Gluten-Free, Paleo, and Raw foods diets. Picanha is comparable to an American cut of rib eye, and is full of flavor.
Find the link to the original GQ article containing this recipe here. This recipe comes from the the brain of Andre Lima de Luca, named Brazil’s first Pit Master in 2012.
The 2016 Brazilian Summer BBQ Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
● Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano
● Olive oil
● 2 Garlic Cloves
● Bavette or ribeye steaks
● Maldon sea salt
● Black pepper
Cooking Method
● If you’re using bavette, make a herb “brush” with three or four herbs (eg rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano) tied together with kitchen twine. Before grilling the meat, rest the herb brush for an hour in olive oil containing a couple of crushed garlic cloves. Then brush the bavette with it.
● Start the fire at least 30 mins before grilling the steaks. You want embers, not flames.
● Remove the beef from the fridge at least 15-20 mins before grilling. You want the meat close to room temperature – never straight from the fridge.
● Season with salt and pepper and wait five minutes before grilling.
● If you’re grilling thin steaks, less than two fingers thick, position the grill 15-20cm above the embers. If the steak is more than two fingers thick, or it’s a cut with a lot of fibres (such as a bavette), begin by searing the steaks with the grill at this distance. After a few minutes, raise the grill to 40-50cm above the embers.
● To tell whether the grill is at the correct temperature, put the flat of your hand over the grill while it is 15-20cm over the embers. If you can handle this heat for five seconds, it’s perfect. If you can handle it for less time, the temperature is too hot, and if you can manage it for more than six seconds, it’s not hot enough.
● Turn a few times and occasionally brush with the herb brush.
● For medium rare, remove from the grill when the internal temperature of the bavette steaks has reached 56/57C. For medium, 60/61C would be perfect. Let it rest for 4 mins before slicing against the grain.
● For ribeye, cook in the same way as the bavette, without brushing again. For medium rare, remove from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 54/55C. And for medium, remove the Picanha when it’s 59/60C. Let it rest 4-5 mins before slicing against the grain.
● Serve this Summer BBQ Recipe and let them know where you found it.