If you’ve never cooked a picanha, this reverse-seared method is the easiest way to get a juicy, medium-rare steak with a real crust. It’s cooked low and slow over indirect heat, then finished hot and fast for that perfect bite.
Reverse-Seared Picanha
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Picanha (AKA top sirloin cap) is one of the most flavorful cuts you can cook thanks to its thick fat cap that renders down and bastes the meat as it cooks.
And this reverse sear method lets you finish it hot to build a real crust without overcooking the inside - which is so important to nailing the doneness on a beef picanha.
The result is a juicy, medium-rare picanha with even doneness and a rich, beefy bite from edge to edge.
Author:Malcom Reed
Ingredients
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1 whole picanha (top sirloin cap)
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Swine Life Prime Beef Rub
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Killer Hogs Steak Rub
Directions
Season
Light coat of Swine Life Prime Beef.
Follow with a layer of Killer Hogs Steak Rub.
Let sit at room temp 30–45 minutes while the grill comes up to temp.
Set Up the Grill
Indirect cooking setup (drum cooker or any grill works).
Stabilize temperature at 275°F.
Cook (Indirect Phase)
Place picanha on the pit.
Cook until internal temp hits 128–130°F - Usually about 1.5 hours, but go by internal temp, not time.
Rest + Control Carryover (Critical Step)
Pull around 128–130°F and leave the probe in.
Let the internal temp rise during the rest. Once it peaks and starts coming back down, go in for the sear.
Open the vents on your pit, open the lid and let the fire get hot.
Sear (Hot & Fast)
Place picanha back onto pit - directly over high heat.
Flip every minute.
Sear for 3–5 minutes total until a crust forms.
Rest, Slice, Serve
Let it rest briefly and slice against the grain.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
This method is all about controlling the internal temperature so you don’t overcook the picanha during the sear.
By bringing it up slowly over indirect heat, you get even doneness all the way through. When you pull it and let it rest, the internal temp will continue to rise, then eventually peak and start to fall. That’s your window.
Once it starts coming back down, the meat has stopped actively cooking, so you can hit it with high heat to build a crust without pushing it past medium-rare.