The hard-to-find picanha with the fat cap left on. All sourced from USDA Prime beef for extra marbling, flavor and tenderness. The only choice for Brazilian-style BBQ, this triangular shaped cut is delicious roasted whole, cut into steaks or grilled on skewers.
The picanha (also known as the coulotte or coulotte steak) is triangular shaped with the hearty beef flavor and texture of USDA Prime sirloin steak. Only 4 to 5% of all the beef produced in the U.S. meets the grade for USDA Prime, making this a rich and unique cut. Each picanha has the fat cap as preferred by aficionados of Brazilian BBQ. The USDA Prime picanha is beautifully marbled which imparts both flavor and a more tender texture. Can be prepared whole, sliced into steaks or skewered for a festive presentation.
Beef Grading 101
This picanha is USDA Prime, the highest level of marbling recognized by the USDA.
Beef sold in the U.S. is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are eight total grades and the top grade is USDA Prime.
Only about 4 to 5% of all beef graded in the U.S. has marbling to grade at this level. You can sometimes find USDA Prime at local butchers and higher-end grocery stores, but most of it goes to high end steakhouses and restaurants. Prime beef has excellent flavor and tenderness.
Marbling, or intramuscular fat, is the most important factor used to grade beef in the U.S. and around the world. This is determined by a visual inspection of the amount and distribution of intramuscular fat between the 12th and 13th rib. Historically, this single inspection provides a correct indicator of the entire carcass.
Meatology
The picanha consists of thebicep femorismuscle, located in the sirloin primal. It is also called the top sirloin cap, rump cap, coulotte and culotte. It can be produced with the desirable fat cap or trimmed. The Snake River Farms picanha comes with the cap which adds flavor and visual appeal.
Fast fact: There are several stories behind the name “picanha” but here is one with some facts to back it up. Portuguese and Spanish ranchers immigrated to Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and used a pole called apicanafor herding cattle.Picanawas also the name for a branding iron. Animals were marked in the approximate region of the sirloin cap, so the namepicanhawas used to describe the cut.
