What cut of beef is the centerpiece of Brazilian churrasco?

Picanha is the beef cut that serves as the centerpiece of Brazilian churrasco.

Picanha is the Brazilian name for the triangular rump cap, also called top sirloin cap, coulotte, or rump cap in English-speaking butchery. It comes from the terminal portion of the biceps femoris muscle and is distinguished by its thick layer of fat, which is normally left attached during cooking.

In Brazil, the cut is commonly seasoned simply with coarse salt, folded or sliced into thick pieces, threaded onto skewers, and grilled over charcoal. At churrascarias and rodízio restaurants, servers often carve the browned exterior directly from the skewer, returning the remaining meat to the grill.

Picanha is sometimes confused with sirloin or ribeye because American butchers may divide the same region differently. The fat cap is crucial to the traditional preparation: it bastes the meat as it cooks and contributes much of the cut’s characteristic flavor. Churrasco itself includes many other meats, but picanha is its signature beef cut.