Picanha with Garlic Butter

Name: Picanha with Garlic Butter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 2 picanha roasts (coulotte, sirloin cap); Himalayan Salt Chunks; 1 cup unsalted butter; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 sprigs fresh oregano; 1 tsp Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Sauce; Noble Saltworks Flaked Smoked Finishing Salt, to taste

Jul 09, 2026 • Tom Jackson

Picanha — known in the United States as the coulotte, sirloin cap, or rump cap — is one of Brazil's most celebrated cuts of beef, and for good reason. Chef Tom walks through the classic churrasco preparation on the Yoder Smokers Flat Top Adjustable Charcoal Grill, starting with two Prime coulotte roasts from Creekstone Farms. The fat cap stays on — about an inch — and each roast gets sliced across the grain into thick strips, curled into a C-shape, and threaded fat-side-out onto large flat skewers. A light coat of duck fat spray acts as a binder, then coarse rock salt ground in a mortar and pestle is the only seasoning. That's it. The picanha goes directly over the coals, getting that immediate sizzle and beautiful char from the rendering fat and live fire flare-ups. Once the exterior is set, it moves to the indirect side to finish at 125°F. While it rests, Chef Tom builds a simple garlic butter in a cast iron skillet right on the grill — softened unsalted butter, crushed garlic, fresh oregano, a squeeze of lemon, Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Sauce, and a shake of smoked salt. The result is rich, deeply beefy, and almost impossibly simple.

What You'll Love About This Recipe

One cut, one seasoning — coarse rock salt is the only thing that goes on the picanha; everything else is beef flavor and live fire
Prime beef from Creekstone Farms — their coulotte roast delivers serious marbling and a thick fat cap that self-bastes the meat over the coals
Skewered churrasco-style — sliced across the grain, curled C-shape, and threaded fat-side-out for maximum char and the right texture in every bite
Adjustable charcoal grill advantage — the Yoder Flat Top lets you drop the coals when flare-ups get intense, so you control the color precisely
Garlic butter side sauce — completely optional but absolutely worth it; built right on the grill in a cast iron skillet with crushed garlic, oregano, lemon, and a hit of Flavolcano heat
Crowd-ready presentation — carving thin slices right off the skewer at the table is a show in itself; the outside is nearly well done, the center is a perfect medium rare

Picanha with Garlic Butter

Tom Jackson

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Cuisine

Brazilian

Servings

10

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Calories

647

Chef Tom breaks down the Brazilian churrasco classic — picanha on skewers over live fire on the Yoder Smokers Flat Top Adjustable Charcoal Grill, finished with a simple garlic butter that's built right on the grill.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 picanha roasts (coulotte, sirloin cap)
Himalayan Salt Chunks

For the garlic butter:

1 cup unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tsp Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Sauce
Noble Saltworks Flaked Smoked Finishing Salt, to taste

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Directions

Light two chimney starters full of lump charcoal. When the coals are hot, transfer to the Yoder Smokers Adjustable Charcoal Grill for high heat (500°F) direct and indirect grilling.
Trim the fat cap on the sirloin cap down to 1/2” thickness. Slice the sirloin cap across the grain into 2.5” strips. Curl each strip into a “C” shape, with the fat cap on the outside. Thread each “C” onto a skewer, first piercing the fat cap side, then through the meat and out the fat cap on the other side. Repeat with the remaining strips.
Using a mortar and pestle, bread down the Himalayan Salt Chunks into small pea-sized gravel. Season all surfaces of the meat and fat with the rock salt.
Place the skewer on the grill grate over direct heat. When the meat is browned and you have formed some nice char, flip and brown the other side. Adjust the height of the grill, as necessary to properly sear without over-charring from flare-ups. Then, transfer the skewer to the indirect grilling area and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 125°F. Remove and rest the meat for 3-5 minutes.
While the steak finishes cooking over indirect heat, place a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet on the cooking grate. Add the garlic butter ingredients, and allow to cook until lightly browned. Remove from the grill. With the steak still on the skewer, slice thin slices across the grain and serve immediately with the warm garlic butter on the side, for dipping.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

What cut of beef is picanha?

Picanha is the sirloin cap — also called the coulotte or rump cap. It sits on top of the top sirloin and is prized for its thick fat cap and robust beef flavor. In Brazil it's one of the most celebrated cuts at the churrascaria. Chef Tom uses a Prime coulotte from Creekstone Farms for maximum marbling and flavor.

Why do you slice picanha across the grain before skewering?

Cutting across the grain shortens the muscle fibers and gives you a much more tender bite. Chef Tom cuts the strips at a 90-degree angle across the grain before curling them onto the skewers, so every slice off the finished skewer is automatically cut against the grain and comes away clean and tender.

Why is the fat cap left on during cooking?

The fat cap is the whole point of picanha. As it renders over the coals, it drips down, causes flare-ups, and those flare-ups create the char on the exterior. It also self-bastes the meat as it cooks, keeping the center moist and adding richness. Leave about an inch on — trimming it all off changes the dish fundamentally.

Why use flat skewers instead of round ones?

Flat skewers grip the meat and prevent it from spinning when you flip. With a round skewer, the meat often stays in one position while the skewer rotates, making even browning harder. Large flat skewers — like the Steven Raichlen skewers Chef Tom uses — are what ATBBQ carries and what this recipe is designed around.

Do I need the garlic butter?

No — and Chef Tom says so himself. With Prime beef from Creekstone Farms, salt and fire are genuinely enough. The garlic butter is a great accompaniment, and the Flavolcano adds heat that plays nicely off the richness of the fat, but it's optional. The beef is the star either way.

Can I cook this indoors?

We rate this a 1 out of 5 for cooking indoors. The char from fat rendering onto live coals and the flare-ups that follow are what create the exterior crust that defines this dish. A broiler can get you some color but won't replicate live-fire flavor or the precision control of the Yoder Flat Top's adjustable charcoal tray. This is an outdoor charcoal cook.

Recipe Highlights & Insights

The adjustable tray is the secret weapon — The Yoder Smokers Flat Top Adjustable Charcoal Grill lets Chef Tom drop the coals mid-cook when flare-ups get intense. Rather than moving the meat, he lowers the fire to dial in the right char without burning the exterior. That precision over live charcoal fire is what makes the Flat Top uniquely suited for picanha.
Grain direction is non-negotiable — Finding the grain and cutting across it before the strips go on the skewer is the most important technique in this recipe. It determines the texture of every single bite and takes 30 seconds. Don't skip it.
Duck fat as a binder — Duck fat spray has a high smoke point and a neutral-to-rich flavor that doesn't compete with the beef. On a cut where the only seasoning is salt, every subtle choice matters.
A trending classic — Picanha has been one of the fastest-growing search terms in grilling for several years, driven by the Brazilian churrasco trend and the broader interest in international BBQ. The simplicity of one cut and one seasoning also resonates strongly with audiences looking for approachable but impressive cooks.