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Close up of a perfectly cooked slice of picanha steak.
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4.95 from 19 votes

Sous Vide Picanha

Tender and juicy, this Sous Vide Picanha is so flavorful and easy to make. You’ll love how you can cook your steak to the exact level of doneness with the sous vide, giving you to perfect picanha every time.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Sous Vide6 hours
Total Time6 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: South American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 293kcal
Author: Danielle Wolter

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pounds picanha culotte, top sirloin cap, rump cover
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Lime Juice Dipping Sauce

Instructions

  • Heat a sous vide water bath to 131F degrees for rare to medium rare (recommended for best results). Cook 134-140F degrees for medium, and 145F degrees for medium well.
  • Rub the picanha with the salt.
  • Place in a bag and use a vacuum sealer to remove all the air. You can also use the water displacement method with a ziplock freezer bag to remove the air (see post above for explanation).
  • Cook for 6 hours in the water bath.
  • Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or grill over high heat until smoking.
  • Place the picanha on, fat side down, and sear for about 1-2 minutes (until fat is rendered and browned).
  • Flip and cook another 45-60 seconds to brown.
  • Remove, slice and serve with chimichurri sauce or the lime juice mixture.

How to Make Lime Juice Dipping Sauce

  • Combine the salt, pepper and lime juice in a bowl. Adjust for flavor preference.

Notes

  1. The picanha steak can also be sliced in strips and skewered to cook on the grill like traditional picanha.
  2. I recommend cooking at 131F degrees for the best results.
  3. Try serving with my Chimichurri Sauce.
  4. Use an ice bath for 20-30 minutes if cooking the beef ahead of time.
  5. Sear the fat side first to let the fat render.
  6. Don’t cook the beef below 131F degrees. For cooks over 2 hours, beef needs to be cooked at 130F degrees to stay within food safety standards.

Nutrition

Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1382mg | Potassium: 503mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 3mg