15-Min Picanha — Seared Brazilian Steak
Thick-cut beef cap steak, salt-crusted and seared until charred outside and rare within. Brazilian churrasco stripped down to what matters: fire, fat, and meat.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 58g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs picanha steak (beef cap)
- 1 tbsp fleur de sel or coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, smashed
- ½ whole fresh lime or lemon
Instructions
- 1
Pat the picanha dry with paper towels. Season generously all over with fleur de sel and black pepper.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 90 seconds.
- 3
Lay the picanha in the skillet without moving it. Sear 3 minutes until the fat cap chars and edges curl.
- 4
Flip once. Add smashed garlic to the pan. Sear another 2–3 minutes for rare; 4 minutes for medium-rare.
- 5
Transfer to a cutting board. Rest 5 minutes — do not skip this. The meat will keep cooking and juices redistribute.
- 6
Slice against the grain into 1/2-inch strips. Squeeze lime over top. Serve immediately.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy stainless steel skillet
- paper towels
- cutting board
- sharp slicing knife
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
