Churrasco com Vinagrete

Churrasco is the Brazilian art of grilling meat over live charcoal — a practice so central to Brazilian social life that the churrasqueiro (grill master) is a figure of respect at any gathering. While the grand tradition of churrascaria restaurants features dozens of cuts rotated on skewers, the home version centres on picanha, the prized rump cap cut marbled with a thick fat cap that bastes the meat as it cooks. Vinagrete, the fresh tomato and onion salsa, is the essential accompaniment.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Picanha:

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) picanha (beef rump cap / top sirloin cap), fat cap intact
• 2 tsp coarse rock salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Vinagrete:

• 3 ripe tomatoes (about 350g / 12 oz), finely diced
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 1 green pepper, finely diced
• Large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. One hour before cooking, make the vinagrete: combine all ingredients, season generously, and refrigerate. It should taste sharp and fresh.
2. Prepare a charcoal grill for high direct heat. A wood fire or lump charcoal adds the best flavour.
3. Score the fat cap of the picanha in a crosshatch pattern, cutting only through the fat, not the meat. Season all over with coarse salt and black pepper.
4. Place fat-side down over direct heat for 4–5 minutes until the fat is rendered and caramelised — watch for flare-ups and move the meat if needed.
5. Turn and grill the meat side for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, achieving an internal temperature of 54–57°C (130–135°F). Rotate to cook all four sides.
6. Rest the picanha on a board, loosely tented with foil, for 8 minutes.
7. Slice against the grain into 1 cm (½ in) thick slices. Arrange on a platter and serve with the vinagrete, white rice, and farofa (toasted cassava flour) alongside.

Cook's Notes: Picanha is widely available in Brazilian butchers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. Do not trim the fat cap — it is the soul of the cut. For indoor cooking, use a very hot cast iron pan or griddle.