This Smoked Picanha Steak starts with a whole sirloin cap, cut into thick steaks and seasoned simply with just salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The steaks are smoked low and slow, then reverse seared until the fat cap is crispy and the outside develops a deep, caramelized crust. It's the same flavorful cut used in Brazilian churrasco, made easy on a pellet grill in your own backyard.
One of the best things about picanha is the thick fat cap. As it slowly renders on the smoker and crisps during the sear, it bastes the meat naturally, creating an incredibly juicy steak with rich beef flavor.
For more pellet grill main courses, try my Pellet Grill Smoked Brisket and Smoked Steak Kabobs, too!
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Recipe at a Glance
- Yield: 4-6 steaks
- Total Time: About 1 hour
- Texture: Crispy fat cap, caramelized crust, tender and juicy inside
- Method: Cut into steaks with the grain, smoked low, then hard-seared
- Difficulty: Beginner-friendly
- Perfect For: Weeknight dinners, steakhouse-style meals at home, or a Brazilian-inspired backyard cookout
What Is Picanha?
Picanha (pronounced pee-KAHN-ya) is the Brazilian name for sirloin cap, also called rump cap or top sirloin cap. It's the same cut I used for my Smoked Sirloin Cap Roast. A well-marbled, tender cut of beef with a thick fat cap covering one side, picanha is especially popular in Brazil.
In fact, it's the star of traditional Brazilian steakhouses, where it's typically skewered into C-shaped steaks and roasted over an open flame.
This recipe takes that same cut and steak-cut approach, but simplifies it for a pellet grill. Instead of skewers and a rotisserie, I cut the roast into thick steaks, smoking them low and slow, and finishing with a hard sear. A charcoal grill works well, too, if that's what you have on hand.
The Secret to Perfect Picanha Steak: Cut With the Grain
The grain of a sirloin cap runs the long way down the roast, and it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Cut against the grain, the way you would with a brisket or flank steak, and you'll end up with thin, floppy steaks that fall apart on the grill.
Cut with the grain instead, into steaks about 1.5 inches thick, and you get short, thick steaks with the grain running through the center. This difference is what gives picanha its classic steakhouse appearance and keeps the flavor locked into every slice. Use a sharp knife and take a minute before you start cutting to find which direction the muscle fibers run. It makes all the difference.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sirloin cap roast (picanha), 3-4 pounds. Ask your local butcher shop for sirloin cap, top sirloin cap, or picanha specifically. It's a smaller, more specific cut than a whole top sirloin, and not every grocery store carries it pre-cut.
- Olive oil. Just enough to help the seasoning stick. Avocado oil works as a substitute if you want a higher smoke point for the sear.
- Coarse kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder. This is a classic Brazilian churrasco-style seasoning. It's kept simple on purpose so the beef and the smoke do the talking. Resist the urge to add more; this cut doesn't need it to bring out great flavor.
How to Make Smoked Picanha Steak
Cut Into Steaks. Locate the grain running through the sirloin cap. Using a sharp knife, cut the roast with the grain into steaks about 1.5 inches thick. You should end up with 4-6 thick steaks, each with a piece of the fat cap attached.
Season. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Brush each steak lightly with olive oil, then season all sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let the steaks sit on the counter while the pellet grill preheats to 225°F.
The First Smoke. Place the seasoned steaks on the grill grates. If you can position them with the fat cap facing up, even better. If not, simply lay them flat on the grill as I did. Smoke for 20 minutes, then flip. Continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 120°F. You may need roughly 10-20 minutes more depending on the thickness of your steaks.
Sear. Increase the grill temperature to 400°F, or heat a cast iron skillet until hot. Sear the steaks 1-2 minutes per side, making sure to sear the picanha's fat cap side as well so the rendered fat gets a bit of char. Continue cooking until the internal temp reaches 125°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium.
Rest and Serve. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This lets the natural juices redistribute, keeping the steaks tender, juicy, and full of flavor. After cooking, slice each steak against the grain before serving for the most tender bites.
Why I Cut Steaks Before Smoking Instead of After
You could smoke the sirloin cap whole and slice it into steaks afterward, but cutting it into steaks first gives you more control over the final result. Each steak gets direct exposure to smoke and develops more bark and rendered fat than if the roast were cooked whole.
Since the steaks are smaller than a whole roast, they cook much faster. The entire recipe takes about an hour from start to finish.
It also means every steak gets its own piece of that large fat cap, seared on its own fat side at the end, instead of one section of the roast getting all the crust while the interior stays soft.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Find the grain before you cut. This is the single most important step in this smoked picanha steak recipe. Look at the roast from a few angles under good light. You'll see the muscle fibers running in one direction. Cut with them, not across them, using a sharp knife for the cleanest cut.
- Don't crowd the grill. Leave space between steaks during the smoke so air and smoke can circulate evenly around each one.
- Pull at the lower end of your target temp. These steaks will climb a few degrees while resting, so pull them off the sear a touch before they hit your final target temperature.
- Sear the fat cap standing up. Use tongs to hold each steak on its fat side for 30-60 seconds so the rendered fat gets direct contact with the heat. It renders and crisps up rather than staying soft and chewy, which adds even more flavor to the finished steak.
What to Serve with Smoked Picanha Steak
I typically slice my steaks against the grain and serve them with classic Brazilian side dishes like garlic rice, black beans, Traeger Corn on the Cob, or a simple Fresh Basil Chimichurri Sauce.
Thin slices of picanha are also great served over a salad, like my Easy Greek Cucumber Salad. Or, try piling them onto No-Knead Sourdough Sandwich Bread with your favorite toppings for a hearty sandwich.
Store, Freeze, & Reheat
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftover smoked picanha steak for up to 3 months. To do so, wrap the cooled steaks in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag to store. Thaw frozen steaks in the refrigerator overnight.
To serve, enjoy your picanha cold. Or, warm sliced steak in a skillet with a splash of broth or a pat of butter over medium-low heat just until it's heated through on both sides, checking the temp so you don't overcook it. You can also reheat slices covered loosely in the oven at 250°F for about 10 minutes. I avoid the microwave, because it tends to overcook the meat and dull the flavor.
FAQs
A regular top sirloin doesn't have the same large fat cap that defines picanha, so you'll lose the rendered fat that keeps these steaks juicy and full of flavor. If picanha isn't available, ask your local butcher shop whether they can order it.
Both recipes use the same popular cut of beef but a different cooking approach. For instance, my Smoked Sirloin Cap Roast is smoked whole and sliced after cooking, closer to a traditional barbecue roast. Meanwhile, this picanha recipe cuts the roast into individual steaks before smoking, which cooks faster and gives you a steakhouse-style presentation.
No. Traditional Brazilian picanha is often skewered and roasted over an open flame, but this recipe is built for a standard pellet grill or charcoal grill. All you need are the grill grates, a sharp knife, and a cast iron skillet or the grill itself for searing.
Yes. Rump cap, top sirloin cap, sirloin cap, and picanha all refer to the same cut of beef. They go by different names depending on the country or the butcher shop.
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Printable Recipe
Smoked Picanha Steak
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound sirloin cap roast (picanha)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut the Picanha. Locate the grain running through the roast. Using a sharp knife, cut with the grain into steaks about 1½ inches thick. You should end up with 4-6 thick steaks.
- Season. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Brush lightly with olive oil and season all sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Preheat Grill. Preheat your pellet grill to 225°F.
- Smoke. Place steaks on the grill with the fat cap facing up. Smoke for about 20 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 120°F for medium-rare (about 30-40 minutes total, depending on thickness).
- Sear. Increase grill temperature to 400°F, or heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear steaks for 1-2 minutes per side, including the fat cap side, until the internal temperature reaches:125°F = Rare130°F = Medium-Rare135°F = Medium
- Rest. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice against the grain before serving.
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Notes
- The most important step is cutting the raw roast with the grain. After cooking, slice individual steaks against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- Leave space between steaks on the grill for better smoke circulation.
- Pull steaks a few degrees early, as they will continue cooking while resting.
- For extra flavor, hold each steak upright with tongs and sear the fat cap for 30-60 seconds.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth or butter, or warm covered in a 250°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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