PICANHA ASSADA NO FORNO – Rump Cap
The ideal way to cook picanha is over an open-flame grill with natural wood or charcoal. This not only creates an amazing flavour, but provides the experience of outdoor cooking. However, oven-roasted picanha makes for an excellent alternative. This recipe is an easy way to satisfy your cravings for picanha until you’re ready and ambitious enough to build your own grill.
INGREDIENTS
1 whole picanha (about 1 – 1.5 kg)
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tsp kosher salt (not sea salt)
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 120°C.
- Pat the picanha dry with a paper towel and place on a cutting board, fat side up.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully trim the fat cap to about a half inch (6 mm) thick. (While this may seem like too much fat, it will melt away as the meat cooks.)
- Turn the picanha over and remove any silver skin from the bottom of the meat.
- Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides of the beef—you should be able to see the salt crystals on the meat.
- Place the picanha fat-side up in a roasting pan or cast-iron skillet that is only slightly larger than the meat. Roast in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the internal temperature is about 45°C. By then, the meat will look light brown and the fat will not show any colour.
- Remove the picanha from the oven and cover loosely with aluminium foil to keep warm.
- Turn up the oven to the broil setting and wait until the temperature reaches at least 260°C—the oven needs to be very hot. If necessary, adjust the rack so that the meat will sit 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25cm) away from the top of the oven. When the oven reaches optimum temperature, quickly remove the foil and place the meat back in the oven. Broil for 7 to 12 minutes, checking the meat closely and often. The fat should turn a dark golden colour, be careful not to burn it.
- Allow the meat to get as much colour as possible, only removing it from the oven when it turns a mahogany brown in colour. After removing from the oven, allow the meat to rest for at least 10 – 15 minutes. An extended period of resting makes cuts of beef more tender as it stabilises the natural juices so less will run when you carving the meat. After it rests, transfer the meat to a wooden cutting board and slice into nice thick slices.
- This roast is best served with a chimichurri. See our recipe here.
