Picanah

Smoked Picanah Roast

I recently bought a 2.7 lb picanah roast from the organic butcher in McLean.  Picanah is the sirloin cap.  If you are interested in what that means there is a good picture of where picanah comes from here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picanha#/search.  

 

Sometimes people talk about the picanah and tri-tip as if they are from the same cut of beef.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  See the black and white image on the following link to see where the tri-tip comes from.  http://www.heatworks.com.au/product/tri-tip-bbqs-cooking-prep-school-know-your-cuts-of-meat/

 

Although I love the tri-tip, many believe the picanah is a better cut.  Personally I think they are both fantastic.  The tri-tip is a lean muscle that is well marbled.  The picanah, on the other hand, is a lean cut from the rump with an amazing flavored fat cap.

 

I usually cook the picanah the same way I usually do for the tri-tip,  225 degrees indirect.  I cook the roast until it is 117 degrees then I wrap in foil while I ramp the egg to 500.  Then I throw the roast directly on the coals for 40 seconds per side.  Let the roast sit for 15 minutes then slice thin.

 

However, because we were cooking so many things today on the grill, I removed the picanah from the egg at 117 degrees  and seared in a cast iron skillet at 550-600 degrees 30 seconds per side.