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''Picanha'' is a
In Brazil, the most prized cut of meat tends to be the ''picanha''. There the traditional preparation is to skewer the meat and cook it over a charcoal grill, with a minimal seasoning consisting of
"Definition of picanha"
/ref> In Brazil, the word was imported by the gaúcho cowboys of the South region and incorporated into the day-to-day of the countryside. It was common to hear them say among colleagues ''picanha o bicho!'' ("prick the animal!"). The location where the animals were pricked is the point where the ''picanha'' cut is located, so the name stuck.
''Picanha'' is a cut
Cut may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** Cut (ea ...
of beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
first made popular in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, and later adopted in Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
.
In the United States, the cut is little known and often named top sirloin cap, rump cover, rump cap, or culotte (French). North American butchers generally divide this cut into other cuts like the rump, the round
Round or rounds may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere
* Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the number ...
, and the loin
The loins, or lumbus, are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. The term is used to describe the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds, such as horses, pigs, or cattle. The anatomical reference also applies to pa ...
. It consists of the ''biceps femoris
The biceps femoris () is a muscle of the thigh located to the posterior, or back. As its name implies, it has two parts, one of which (the long head) forms part of the hamstrings muscle group.
Structure
It has two heads of origin:
*the ''long h ...
'' muscle and its fat cap. In recent years the cut has become popular in most of Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and has gained a reputation as a tasty meat in the barbecue culture.
In Brazil
In Brazil, the most prized cut of meat tends to be the ''picanha''. There the traditional preparation is to skewer the meat and cook it over a charcoal grill, with a minimal seasoning consisting of sea salt
Sea salt is salt that is produced by the evaporation of seawater. It is used as a seasoning in foods, cooking, cosmetics and for preserving food. It is also called bay salt, solar salt, or simply salt. Like mined rock salt, production of sea sa ...
. The fat is retained until the steak has been cooked. In the United States, however, the fat tends to be removed before preparation, unless requested otherwise by the customer.
Etymology
The term ''picanha'' is of unknown origin. It could be derived from the word ''picana'', which was a pole used by ranchers in the southern parts of Portugal and Spain, particularly in Alentejo, for herding cattle./ref> In Brazil, the word was imported by the gaúcho cowboys of the South region and incorporated into the day-to-day of the countryside. It was common to hear them say among colleagues ''picanha o bicho!'' ("prick the animal!"). The location where the animals were pricked is the point where the ''picanha'' cut is located, so the name stuck.
See also
* '' Churrasco'' *List of Brazilian dishes
This is a list of dishes found in Brazilian cuisine. Brazilian cuisine was developed from Portuguese, African, Native American, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and German influences. It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country's mix of ...
References
Cuts of beef Brazilian cuisine {{Brazil-cuisine-stub