Facts About Picanha
Picanha is a cut of beef that is popular in Tucuman, a north Argentinian province, Portugal and Brazil. In the United States, it is little known, but referred to as the top sirloin cap, rump cover, rump cap, or culotte. North American butchers generally divide it into other cuts like the rump, the round, and the loin. It consists of the M. biceps femoris muscle and its fat cap.
In Brazil
In Brazil, the most prized cut of meat tends to be the picanha. There, the fat is retained until the steak has been cooked. In the United States, however, it tends to be removed unless requested otherwise by the customer.
History
The term "picanha" derives 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. During the '60s, the wealthy Brazilian Matarazzo ordered cuadril, as usual, in a well-known restaurant of Rio de Janeiro. The Argentinian chef (from Tucuman) served the picanha, being short of cuadril, another well-known argentine cut. Immediately was adopted by brazilians, who never knew picana before the '60s.
Venezuela