Reverse Seared Picanha
Picanha cut from a whole top sirloin, dry brined with Meat Church Blanco, smoked at 180°F to 120°F, rested, then seared in beef tallow. Served with horseradish sauce.
I wanted to make picanha, but all I could find was whole top sirloin, so I took it as a chance to learn something new. I followed a few YouTube guides and broke it down myself. I ended up with a nice picanha, a dozen sirloin steaks and two big jars of tallow, all for about $125 at $7.99/lb for the whole subprimal.
The cook
I used Chud's reverse sear method as a baseline. A few hours of dry brine with Meat Church Blanco (basically salt, pepper and garlic) plus extra coarse black pepper, an olive oil binder, and then the smoker at 180°F for about 2 hours until it hit 120°F inside. I cook fat cap up on the top rack with a pan underneath, which deflects heat off the bottom.
Rest, sear, rest
Rest it at least 30 minutes so the temperature evens out and the surface cools before the sear. Then sear in a cast iron with a couple of tablespoons of beef tallow, pressing each side for about 10–20 seconds. Rest another 10–15 minutes and slice.
Next time
I'll go with straight coarse salt and pepper instead of Blanco, crosshatch the fat cap deeper, and go easier on the sear. My pan was a little too hot and scorched the fat cap.
Watch the cook
Beef
Reverse Seared Picanha
Picanha cut from a whole top sirloin, dry brined with Meat Church Blanco, smoked at 180°F to 120°F, rested, then seared in beef tallow. Served with horseradish sauce.
Print- Prep
- 30 minutes, plus a few hours of dry brine
- Cook
- About 2 hours
- Total
- About 3 hours, plus the dry brine
- Yield
- 4–6 servings
- Method
- Smoked, reverse seared
- Wood
- Your choice
Ingredients
Picanha
Horseradish sauce
Instructions
- Score the fat cap in a crosshatch, deep enough to render but without cutting into the meat.
- Coat with a little olive oil and season with Blanco and extra coarse black pepper. Dry brine uncovered in the fridge for a few hours.
- Set your smoker to 180°F. Smoke fat cap up until the center reads 120°F, about 2 hours.
- Rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron pan with the tallow until it's very hot, then sear each side for about 10–20 seconds, pressing down with tongs. Watch the fat cap so it doesn't scorch.
- Rest for 10–15 minutes.
- While it rests, stir together the horseradish sauce ingredients.
- Slice against the grain and serve with the horseradish sauce.
Pitmaster Notes
- Picanha's grain changes direction, so check it as you slice.
- Render the subprimal trimmings into tallow and use it for this sear.
- Leftovers make an incredible sandwich with Havarti, red onion and the horseradish sauce.
Product links are things I actually used. Some are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Times and temps are my starting points. Every cooker and every cut runs a little different, so cook to temperature and feel, not the clock.
