The great steak debate.

I’m often asked what my favourite type of steak is, which is quite a silly thing to ask. It’s a bit like asking Hugh Hefner who his favourite shag was. With so many great contenders it’s difficult to pick the one that stands out from the rest.

As long as I’m still here and my appetite remains healthy the jury will stay out on this one and I reserve the right to change my mind as and when I choose.

So as long as that is clear I’d like to say a few words about my current steak of choice, the mouthwatering cut that is known as Picanha (pick-ahn-yeh).

My first Picanha experience occurred last December whilst on holiday in Brazil with Tillie. We were staying in a hotel belonging to our good friends Bob & Wilbert. Their hotel is located in the main square – known as the Quadrado – of a town called Trancoso. Trancoso is a beautiful historic town situated on the Bahian coastline of northern Brazil. It’s an amazing place and I highly recommend a visit if you’re ever in that part of the world.

Someone else's Picanha

Brazil invented one of the greatest things known to man – the Churrascaria. Churrascaria’s can be best described as utopia for carnivores. From what I gather the format is pretty much the same wherever you go. All meat is sold by the kilo. You can choose from a wide selection of meats including chicken hearts, pork chops, lamb cutlets and of course beef. Then the waiter brings the meat to your table on skewers and slices it straight onto your plate. Nothing short of genius.

The pièce de résistance of the Churrascaria experience is the Picanha, which in Brazil is widely considered to be the highest quality available. There is no UK (or US) equivalent of the Picanha cut, neither is there an English translation of the word. The nearest thing you’d typically find in a British butcher is the top rump. Brazilians visiting the UK are often surprised to find out that what they consider to be a prime delicacy is divided among other cuts by our butchers.

Picanha can be grilled or roasted though my favourite by far is the grilled version. The Picanha cut has considerably more fat than other cuts and the Brazilians take offense if you don’t eat the lot. However the added fat gives the meat a wonderful flavour that you just don’t experience on other cuts and I love it.

I’ve recently been searching for the Picanha experience here in London and my searches are proving fruitful.

For a start I’ve discovered a couple of home delivery services who sell Picanha. They are Pampasplains (although this does not look like Picanha to me) and Lucies Farm. I’ve not bought from either yet but will soon and will update as and when I do.

There are also a few Churrascaria’s based in London that I will be visiting soon, most notably Rodizio Rico that I’ve heard some great things about.

Verdict: If steak were religion then I would say my prayers in the church of Picanha (at least for now)

St. Ives beef

St Ives Beef

All beef lovers will agree that quality is everything. Of course quantity is very important too, but I’d rather have 500g portion of quality beef than twice that of something bought from a supermarket. Though the problem we face is that decent butchers are far and few between, especially in cities like London where I live. They do exist (as we will no doubt explore in future posts) but are not as convenient to get to and have opening hours that are not compatible with our working lives.

My solution to this problem is to keep a good supply of beef in my fridge at any time. At the very least my freezer will always contain:

• 2 x Ribeye’s (approx 300-400 grams each)
• 1 x Ribs of beef (1-2 kilo)
• 4 x Sirloin (300-500 grams each)

I mostly pick up my meat from a selection of butchers in and around where I’m from, but on occasion I get it from elsewhere. This week I’ve just stocked up with St. Ives Beef from Trevalgan Farmin Cornwall. Their grass-fed bullocks are free to roam the green fields of Little Trevalgan all year round “growing at their own pace as nature intended”.

My St Ives Beef order

They are obviously very happy cows as they taste absolutely delicious. My stash arrived last week courtesy of my good friend Sarah who bought me the 4-5 kilo package for the very good price of £50. She was in Cornwall for a family wedding and so visited the farm to pick it up in person. But if you’re not able to get yourself to St Ives any time soon fear not as they deliver to anywhere in the UK. All you need to do is fill out the below form and post it to them. You’ve then got 3 weeks to clear out your freezer in time for its arrival.

St Ives Beef, order form

Verdict: A no brainer. Stock up now.