Sous Vide Picanha

It might not look good right now, but watch this – Guga (Sous Vide Everything/Guga Foods)

If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you know that one of the most coveted cuts of meat is the picanha. This flavorful and juicy cut is typically served on skewers and sliced tableside, leaving diners drooling with anticipation. However, not everyone can afford to go to a churrascaria regularly, and even if they could, they might not know how to cook a picanha cut themselves. That’s where sous vide comes in.

Sous vide is a cooking method that involves sealing food in a bag and immersing it in a precisely controlled water bath. The result is perfectly cooked meat that is tender, juicy, and full of flavor. With sous vide, you can cook a picanha to perfection in your own kitchen, without breaking the bank.

To start, preheat your sous vide circulator to a temperature of 129-133F, depending on your desired steak doneness. Salt both sides of your picanha generously and place it in a freezer-style zip top bag or vacuum seal bag. Place the bagged picanha in the sous vide water bath for 1-3 hours, depending on how tender you want it to be. We recommend going for the full 3 hours for maximum tenderness.

Once your picanha has finished cooking in the water bath, remove it from the bag and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. This step is important because you want to get a good sear on the outside of the steak, and excess moisture will prevent that from happening. Finish the picanha by searing it on all sides. You can do this on a lit BBQ chimney with a grill grate, right over your grill, in your oven’s broiler, or even in a frying pan. If finishing over a lit BBQ chimney, sear on all sides for about 30 seconds on each side.

After searing, let the picanha cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This will help the juices redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more flavorful and juicy final product. Serve your perfectly cooked picanha with a simple guacamole for a delicious and satisfying meal.

To make the guacamole, simply mash together one large avocado, one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of onion powder (or half a finely diced onion), one tablespoon of sliced jalapenos, and the juice of a lime. This easy and flavorful guacamole is the perfect accompaniment to the rich and meaty picanha.

In conclusion, sous vide is the perfect way to cook a picanha to perfection, allowing you to enjoy this delicious cut of meat at home without breaking the bank. With a little bit of prep and the right tools, you can achieve restaurant-quality results in your own kitchen. So next time you’re craving some Brazilian-style meat, give this recipe a try and impress your friends and family with your culinary skills.