According to Gui Gonzalez, owner and pitmaster of Fire Pit Brazilian BBQ in Rockville, MD, picanha is the "queen of Brazilian barbecue." It's a tender and flavorful cut of beef from the top of the rear section of the cattle, known for its rich marbling and creamy fat. The meat is seasoned with sea salt and grilled to perfection, resulting in juicy, succulent steaks with a caramelized crust.
Rockville MD
Fire Pit Brazilian BBQ
Picanha
Picanha steaks / Sea salt
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Host Seth Tillman heads to Fire Pit Brazilian BBQ, a barbecue trailer to explore some of Maryland's best Brazilian barbecue. Pitmaster and Owner Gui Gonzalez showcases the preparation and grilling of picanha, a prized cut of Brazilian barbecue.
Seasoned with only coarse sea salt — and I do mean coarse — the Black Angus beef relies on its own meatiness, supplemented with smoke, to seduce you. Crusty, juicy and chewy in all the right ways, the picanha can be dipped into a mayo-based pit sauce, but I rarely took advantage of the condiment. The meat, like Texas barbecue, doesn’t need it.... Every ingredient and every technique matters here: the meat, the trimming, the salt, the charcoal, the grill method. Gonzalez nails it all.
Tim Carman, The Washington Post
