Brazilian churrasco centres on picanha — the rump cap with a thick fat layer left intact. The fat is scored, the beef is seasoned only with coarse rock salt, folded into a C-shape on a large skewer with the fat cap on the outside, and rotated over high heat while being basted with its own rendered fat. At the table, paper-thin slices are carved from the outside while the inside continues cooking.
Tallow basting amplifies the flavour of the beef's own fat. The rendered picanha fat combined with additional tallow produces a self-basting skewer that needs no marinade and no embellishment beyond rock salt.
Brazilian Churrasco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1kg (2.2 lb) picanha (rump cap) with fat cap intact, or beef sirloin with some fat
- 2 tbsp beef tallow, melted (for basting)
- Coarse rock salt — generous amount
- For the chimichurri: large bunch flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped), 4 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tsp dried oregano, 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, ½ tsp chilli flakes, sea salt
Method
- Score the fat cap of the picanha in a crosshatch pattern down to the meat (not through it). Season very generously on all sides with coarse rock salt.
- Fold the picanha into a C-shape with the fat cap on the outside. Thread onto a large flat skewer or two parallel skewers.
- Make the chimichurri: combine all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Grill over the highest heat available — wood fire, charcoal, or very high gas. Cook for 15-20 minutes total, rotating every 4-5 minutes and basting with the melted tallow.
- The outside should be deeply charred. Slice thin from the outside of the skewer while the inside continues to cook to the desired doneness.
- Serve the sliced beef with chimichurri.
What is picanha?
The rump cap — a triangular cut with a thick fat cap. It is the most prized cut for churrasco in Brazil. Ask your butcher or look at Latin or Brazilian grocery stores.
Is churrasco seed oil free?
Yes. Rock salt and tallow are the only additions. The chimichurri uses olive oil — a fruit oil, seed oil free.
Can I cook it in an oven?
Yes — roast at the highest oven temperature for 20 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes. Not the same as fire-cooked but excellent.
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