Rump cover

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Rump cover steak

Rump cover is a cut of beef that is considered by some to be the best part of the cow, even better than filet mignon.

[edit] Brazilian perspective

Brazilians travelling to the United States are often surprised to discover that what they consider to be a prime delicacy is divided among other cuts by American butchers - mainly due to pricing issues. It is also part of the top sirloin. Picanha is very popular at all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurants (churrascarias), which may be called either a "rodízio" or a "espeto corrido", depending on the part of the country.

When attending one such lunch or dinner, waiters typically come to one's table with a delectable variety of prime cuts and exotic meats. After the client specifies what cut and how cooked the meat should be, the waiters then cut thin slices of meat straight of the roasting spit.

It is also of interest that Brazilian cuisine sparingly makes use of seasonings in the preparation of their meats. Instead of seasoning, they prefer to use sal grosso, which is literally translated as "thick salt".

Although it is not completely certain, many Brazilian chefs agree that the picanha cut originated in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, famous for its churrasco.

[edit] Preparation

Picanha is usually served grilled or roasted. In the latter case, it's common practice to roast the whole piece on a spit and cut slices from it as thin or thick as desired, usually so that several people may share a single piece even though they may not agree on how cooked the meat should be. Alternatively, a rump cover may be cut into slices thick enough to stand on their edge on the grill. In this case, the slices, typically seasoned only with rock salt, are usually grilled with the thick layer of fat down until most of it melts away and the remaining fat becomes crispy. Each of the sides is then grilled for about ten seconds. The slices are then cut down the middle, each thus producing two slices only half as thick. The uncooked side of the new slices should then be grilled for a short time and are ready to be served.