Grilled Picanha

Ingredients

• 1 whole (3–4 pound picanha with the fat cap still on)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• vegetable oil (optional)
• steak seasoning (optional)

Method

1. Liberally season both the beefy side and the fat cap of the picanha with kosher salt. If it’s cold from the refrigerator, you may need a binder to get the salt to stick to the fat. A very light coating of a neutral oil will do. You can do this step just before cooking, but I prefer to do it the day before and let the beef sit uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator. This dry brining gets the salt deeper into the meat and dries the surface for better browning.
2. Prepare your grill, fill a charcoal chimney with briquettes, and light it.
3. Once hot, dump the charcoal into the grill and, with a shovel, spread the coals into a thin, even layer. Replace the grate.
4. Lay the picanha onto the grate fat side down.
5. Soon it will start smoking. Over the next ten minutes, lots of fat will drip onto the coals. Flip the picanha to see if the fat cap is well browned. It should sizzle from edge to edge. If the thickest part is not yet a deep-brown color, continue cooking fat side down for another few minutes. Once it’s done, flip it. The meaty side should take about five minutes.
6. Place a cutting board and a large knife near the grill. Move the picanha to the board with the fat side down. Find the grain of the beef and cut the picanha in half with the grain. Cut the two halves in half, again in the same direction, so you’re left with four long steaks, all with a continuous portion of the fat cap along one side. The beef will look raw, and it should.
7. Brazilians would say to season these steaks only with more coarse salt. I prefer a steak rub with black pepper. Leave the already salty, seared side alone.
8. Place the steaks back on the grill with the raw side down. Flip them every few minutes until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit. They will reach medium doneness while resting for 5–10 minutes. Place them on a clean cutting board, and slice the steaks against the grain so that every bite has some fat cap. Taste a slice from the center and sprinkle the steaks with more salt if necessary.