Picanha is one of the best cuts you can cook over fire. Big beef flavour, a thick fat cap, and perfect for slow smoke followed by a hard sear.
This method uses a simple dry brine, a gentle smoke stage, and a hot finish to render the fat and build a deep crust using FOURGE FIRE Rub.
Step 1 – Prep the Picanha
The night before cooking, lightly season the picanha with kosher salt and leave it uncovered in the fridge. This dry brine allows the salt to work its way into the meat while drying the surface slightly, which helps create a better crust during cooking.
About an hour before cooking, remove the picanha from the fridge so it can warm slightly. Score the fat cap in a tight crosshatch pattern, cutting only through the fat. Rub a little coarse salt into the cuts, then coat the meat side and edges with FOURGE FIRE Rub. This rub is built for beef and adds deep savoury flavour that stands up to smoke and flame.
Insert your temperature probe into the thickest part of the meat.
Step 2 – Smoke the Picanha
Set the Ninja FlexFlame to Smoke mode at 115°C and use an all-purpose pellet blend.
Place the picanha in the centre of the grill with the fat cap facing down. On the FlexFlame, the heat source sits fairly close to the cooking grate, so placing the fat cap down helps protect the meat while the fat slowly begins to render.
Close the lid and allow the picanha to cook gently until the internal temperature reaches 52–53°C. This slow stage lets the smoke flavour develop and keeps the meat cooking evenly from edge to centre.
Step 3 – Reverse Sear and Finish
Remove the picanha and switch the FlexFlame to Grill mode at around 270°C. Once the grill is hot, place the picanha back on with the fat cap down to crisp and render the fat. After about a minute, flip the meat and quickly sear the meat side to finish the crust.
The internal temperature should finish around 56–58°C, which is perfect for a juicy medium picanha.
Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Cut the picanha with the grain into steaks, then slice those steaks across the grain to serve.
For a final boost of flavour, finish with a light sprinkle of FOURGE FIRE Rub just before serving.
