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In Search of the Illusive Picanha (in the US)

Smokey-T

Smokey-T

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After watching several FANTASTIC videos on YouTube on the Brazilian cut of beef called Picanha, i find myself struggling to find it in Central PA. I have called four butchers with no success. Either not interested, or say it is same as Tri-tip (NOT), or saying they would need to order a case, which is like 80lbs.

I have used all the US terms I could find: rump cover, rump cap or coulotte, Sirloin cap, etc.

Anyone on the East Coast have any luck? Any recommended, reasonable online options? Is it really that good compared to ribeye, filet, etc?

Thoughts?

Guga Foods / Sous Vide Everything started this craze!! :heh:
 
Someone's gotta be able to cut it for you, a butcher that breaks down whole cows should be able to do it no problem. I too had issues with the whole "same thing as tri tip" or "I don't know what that is" things but I finally found a local butcher that will cut them for me. Not only that, but their beef is all dry aged and the price I get it for is :grin:
 
They carry it in the RD in Capitol Heights MD - just bought a case this past weekend.

Not sure how far you're willing to travel though...
 
SudsandSwine - My challenge is I am in Central rural PA, not a larger metro area like Kansas City. I don't think we have any butchers that break down their own. Everything is cryo delivered. Probably closest I could come is a complete sirloin and cut it myself, but that is a lot of extra "other" meat.
 
Theres a RD in Harrisburg. They can def order it for you and its a lot closer than coming down to MD. If youre a KCBS member you get unlimited day passes to RD.
 
Smokey-T said:
SudsandSwine - My challenge is I am in Central rural PA, not a larger metro area like Kansas City. I don't think we have any butchers that break down their own. Everything is cryo delivered. Probably closest I could come is a complete sirloin and cut it myself, but that is a lot of extra "other" meat.
Click to expand...

I kinda figured it'd work the opposite way....the rural butchers would do more in-house and have less packaged options, whereas the large cities have Sysco trucks everywhere delivering packaged food. Keep trying, I'm sure you'll find it.
 
Unfortunately the large slaughter houses have driven out all the small local shops.
 
Any Brazilian market, I am lucky and be at one or three in ten minutes.
 
sudsandswine said:
I kinda figured it'd work the opposite way....the rural butchers would do more in-house and have less packaged options, whereas the large cities have Sysco trucks everywhere delivering packaged food. Keep trying, I'm sure you'll find it.
Click to expand...

Nope, most medium/small towns don't have real butchers any more. It's an artisanal thing now....

We have a place called The Butcher Shop and I'm 99% sure they don't even do any whole-animal butchering.
 
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By the rump cap or sirloin cap and cut it yourself. Hell I've seen Aldo have the sirloin cap for 3.99lb.
 
I'm lucky enough to have a South American market nearby and I can get picanha easily. They get theirs from IBP. It seems that the ones that are under 2.5# cook up the best and are more tender, whether you cook them whole or cut up and put on the rotissirie - don't get me wrong though - the bigger ones are very good as well. One thing I can pretty much guarantee - once you find some and cook it up, you'll be glad you did. Picanha has been a big favorite around casa de gtr for a while - esp. on a nice baguette with chimichurri. Probablly my favorite cut of beef these days.
 
sudsandswine said:
The cut most American butchers will probably know is "NAMP 184D", if they don't know it by the other handful of commonly known names...NAMP standing for "National Association of Meat Purveyors". Giving this code was what finally got me through to someone, guessing they had a chart to refer to.
Click to expand...

Isn't the problem that the US butchering standard cuts the Picana into two different cuts of meat? I know I saw it at Whole Foods last week.

Chris
 
-Chris- said:
Isn't the problem that the US butchering standard cuts the Picana into two different cuts of meat? I know I saw it at Whole Foods last week.

Chris
Click to expand...

Did they have the untrimmed top sirloin cap? If so that should work according to several links posted here :thumb:
 
Obviously I'm not from your area, but I took a look on Google maps and I can see there are some dairies close by and farm fields. I would be surprised to learn if there was no one growing beef cattle in your area. You may be looking for a meat locker rather than a meat retailer. I would guarantee you that someone is processing animals locally that aren't coming cryo vaced from IBP. Find out where the farmers are taking their freezer beef.....

A quick search yielded: https://m.facebook.com/pages/Flooks-Meats-Locker-Plant/151919561516532

Have you tried there?

Ed
 
Wyebrook Farm in Honey Brook, PA 19344 sells them. Still a little bit of a drive for you though.

My buddy who lives down in Glen Mills will drive the hour or so to get them, he says it's worth the trip.

Good Luck
 
Thank you for all the tips.

We are heading out to Pittsburgh this weekend for the Pens/Flyers round one hockey game. There is a whole foods there and I just got off the phone with their butcher. He will remove sirloin cap and sell @ $9.99 per lb. Assuming I will be good to go then, correct?

Mmmmm......
 
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