Description
A beautifully rendered Brazilian-style picanha roast with crispy fat cap, finished in the oven for tender, juicy slices—perfect for a festive or casual gathering.
Ingredients
- 3 lb picanha roast (top sirloin cap) with fat cap
- Coarse salt (such as salt grosso or kosher salt), to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Remove the picanha from the refrigerator 30–60 minutes before cooking to bring it closer to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 395 °F (200 °C).
- Pat the roast dry. Place it fat‑side down in a cold skillet (no heat yet). Season only the meat side with coarse salt and black pepper, pressing gently to adhere. :contentReference
- Set the skillet over medium heat to render the fat cap—about 8–10 minutes—until fat begins to melt. :contentReference
- Add bay leaf, garlic, thyme, and rosemary to the rendered fat around the roast. Begin basting the meat with the flavored fat as the fat cap crisps, about 5 minutes. :contentReference
- Flip the roast and sear the other sides in the rendered fat, roughly 3 minutes per side. :contentReference
- Transfer the roast fat‑side up to a roasting pan or ovenproof skillet, discarding excess fat in the skillet. Optionally, season the fat cap again with salt and pepper. :contentReference
- Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature is ~119–120 °F (for medium‑rare). Adjust timing if you prefer different doneness. :contentReference
- Remove from oven and let rest, tented, for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain, about ¼–½″ thick, to serve. :contentReference
Notes
- Bringing the meat closer to room temperature ensures even cooking.
- You can adapt alternative methods such as reverse-sear, low‑temperature roast then high‑heat finish under broiler.
- Serve with Brazilian-style sides such as farofa, collard greens, white rice, beans, chimichurri, or molho à campanha.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3–4 days and reheated in an oven or skillet.
- Prep Time: 10 min (plus 30–60 min at room temperature)
- Cook Time: 20–25 min (rendering + searing + roasting)
- Category: Roast / Beef
- Method: Stovetop sear, then oven roast
- Cuisine: Brazilian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ≈100 g
- Calories: ≈323 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: ≈59 mg
- Fat: ≈26.6 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈8.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈17.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈1.9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: ≈19 g
- Cholesterol: ≈51 mg
