picanha

Picanha is a cut of beef first made popular in Brazil, and later adopted in Portugal. It consists of the final part of the biceps femoris muscle, at the bottom of the animal, and its fat cap. In recent years the cut has become popular in most of Latin America and has gained a reputation as a tasty meat in the barbecue culture. In Brazil In Brazil, the most prized cut of meat tends to be the picanha. There the traditional preparation is to skewer the meat and cook it over a charcoal grill, with a minimal seasoning consisting of sea salt. The fat is retained until the steak has been cooked. United States In the United States, the cut is little known and often named top sirloin cap, rump cover, rump cap, or culotte (French). American butchers generally divide this cut into other cuts like the rump, the round, and the loin. Unlike in Brazil, the traditionally-retained fat tends to be removed before preparation, unless requested otherwise by the customer.