Smoked Picanha with Pepper Crust
Picanha is the crown jewel of Brazilian grilling, here refined with a robust pepper crust and slow hot smoking. The characteristic fat cap protects the meat and ensures a juicy, aromatic texture. This combination of low-and-slow cooking and smoking brings out the best in this premium cut.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Dry Brine Preparation
12 hoursDistribute salt evenly over the entire meat. Dry brine uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for 12 hours. The surface should become slightly dry and tacky.
Applying Pepper Crust
10 minutesMix the remaining spices and press firmly into all sides of the meat. Allow the meat to acclimatize at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Hot Smoking
3-5 hoursStabilize the smoker at 110-130 °C. Use oak and cherry wood chips. Smoke the Picanha fat side up until an internal temperature of 55-60 °C is reached.
Resting
15-20 minutesRemove meat from smoker and loosely wrap in butcher paper. Rest for 15-20 minutes, then slice against the grain.
Pro Tip
For a perfect finish, briefly sear the smoked meat over direct high heat to caramelize the pepper crust. Check the core temperature afterward.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.