Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [47]
TOP SIRLOIN CAP/SIRLOIN
Spit-Roasted Brazilian Picanha
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
Picanha (pee-KAHN-yay) is the Brazilian term for a flavorful cut of meat known in North America as top sirloin cap or coulotte. It’s the classic cut of meat grilled in Brazilian rodizio or churrascuria steak houses around the world, where an endless parade of grilled meats is brought to the table and cut straight from metal swords, which function as skewers.
The most popular meat is a C-shaped piece of picanha from the top of the sirloin. When shopping for it, tell the butcher you want top sirloin cap. If you can’t get it, ask for tri-tip instead. True picanha is so flavorful (and sensibly priced) that it needs little seasoning—traditionally only sea salt. We add some garlic and briefly cure the salted meat at room temperature, and use a rotisserie so the meat is self-basting. If you don’t have a rotisserie, use large metal skewers and position them 2 to 3 inches above the fire. The molho à campanha is a rustic Brazilian “country sauce” similar to Mexican salsa.
INGREDIENTS:
Picanha:
2 to 3 pounds beef top sirloin cap or tri-tip, fat trimmed to ¼ inch
6 garlic cloves, mashed or pressed
⅓ cup coarse sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
Molho à Campanha:
3 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 small red chile pepper, such a malagueta, serrano, or jalapeño, seeded and minced
½ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse salt
DIRECTIONS:
For the picanha: Cut the beef across the grain into pieces about 2 inches thick. Combine the garlic, salt, and oil to make a paste. Slather the paste all over the meat and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
For the molho à campanha: Combine all of the ingredients in a serving bowl and let stand at room temperature until ready to serve. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days and return to room temperature before serving.
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 450°F, with a rotisserie in plac. Brush most of the salt off the meat. To skewer each piece, push the rotisserie spit through the fat on one end of a piece then bend the meat into a C shape and push the spit through the meat and fat on the other end. You should end up with a C-shaped piece of meat with the fat layer pierced on either end and bent round in the middle of the C. Repeat with the remaining pieces, positioning them close together on the spit. Secure according to the rotisserie directions and place the spit in the rotisserie assembly. The meat should rotate about 4 inches above the heat source. Cook to an internal temperature for 125 to 135°F for rare to medium-rare, about 10 to 14 minutes.
Remove the spit from the rotisserie assembly. For an authentic presentation, bring the spit to the table and carve ¼-inch-thick slices off the side of the meat for your guests (use thick grill gloves if necessary). If the meat is too rare for your taste, return it to the rotisserie for further grilling. Serve with the molho à campanha.
RUMP ROAST/ROUND
Beer-Buttered Rump
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
The wedge-shaped rump roast includes meat from both the round and the sirloin. This makes it somewhat tough but also very tasty. Rump is more flavorful than bottom round and eye of round roast, and it’s best suited to cooking with some kind of liquid to help break down tough connective tissue. We like to grill rump on a rotisserie to keep the meat moist with constantly rolling rivulets of a beer-and-butter-based mop. If you don’t have a rotisserie, see the alternate instructions. Either way, the molasses brine ensures juicy roast beef while the rub of coriander and mustard deepens the beefy flavor.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Molasses Beer Brine
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced