Churrasco-style picanha

What is the best steak experience according to barbecue hero Jord Althuizen? Picanha. And to create a typical Brazilian churrascaria (Portuguese for barbecue), cook the steak in thick slices on a skewer. Serve it with fresh chimichurri.

How to make Churrasco-style picanha

Prepare a BBQ or grill for direct grilling and heat it while creating two temperature zones: one extremely hot section for searing (350 °C) and one moderately hot section for cooking through (160 °C).

Cut the picanha steak widthwise into thick strips 5 centimetres wide. Rub the strips all over thoroughly with the halved bulb of garlic. Fold the picanha strips in half so that the layer of fat forms an arch on the outside, and secure them onto a large BBQ or kebab skewer.

Cooking

Generously sprinkle the skewered picanha with coarse sea salt and place it on the hottest part of the BBQ. Grill the skewers, turning them regularly, until the fat begins to melt and the meat has a beautiful colour. Continue cooking until an internal temperature of 54 °C is reached over the moderately hot part of the BBQ.

Resting

Let the picanha rest briefly, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and cut into thin slices while it is still on the skewer for the true Brazilian Churrasco experience. Serve with the chimichurri as part of a Latin American meal with roasted vegetables and fajitas or corn polenta.

Check out the chimichurri recipe here.

Smokey Goodness
Jord Althuizen
€24,99
Kosmos Uitgevers