Portuguese Picanha

I’ve just returned from a wonderful week in the Algarve sunshine. I’m a big fan of Portugal. It’s only a short flight from the UK, yet many parts have managed to evade the hordes of overweight, hamburger eating, tattoo infested, string vest clad, British tourists who have polluted most of the Iberian coastal towns.

It was a family holiday. My pops & Sue hired a villa and invited myself, Tillie & Freddie along with my bro Ross, his wife Sarah and their son Thomas. The villa was located in the town of Carvoeiro, which is about 45 minutes from Faro. The plan for the week, as is normally the case on these types of holidays, was to do little else other than relax in the sunshine and eat lots of great food.

We took it in turns to cook meals, most of which were cooked over the barbecue. All the ingredients were bought fresh each day from either the local supermarket (you can buy good food from foreign supermarkets) or from the local market, which comprises a butcher, fish monger, green grocer and bakery.

On Wednesday, when it was my turn to cook, there was only one thing I had in mind. I took an educated guess that if I requested the Brazilian cut Picanha, it would most likely be understood by the Portuguese speaking butcher. Fortunately I was correct, unfortunately however, he did not have any in stock that day, although he assured me that if I returned on Friday he would have a sizeable 1.5kilo portion in stock for me.

When I returned to pick up the joint I was dismayed to see how much of the cut was fat. I knew from seeing Picanha cooked in the Bahian Rodizio’s that the cut largely comprised of fat, but the joint I was given was probably only about 30% meat. Just to be sure I picked up a couple of large rump steaks to increase the meat ratio and went on my way.

Although I was confident I knew how to cook the Picanha, I had never actually attempted it before. Just to be sure, I took a quick video tutorial courtesy of YouTube then got started. Firstly I chopped the cut into 2/3 inch slices, of which there were 5 in total. Then I skewered the steaks in ‘C’ shapes on top of each other. Finally I rubbed salt all over them and left them for a few hours in the fridge. The rumps I marinated in oil, garlic and herbs and created kebabs with some fresh vegetables.

The cooking process is fairly simple for Picanha. Ideally you would use a rotating spit, but in the case of not having one available it is just as effective to grill using a standard grate, though it is important to turn regularly to make sure the fats are properly cooked. When the meat begins to blacken on the outside it’s time to serve up, which is is the fun part. The pleasure of cooking Picanha is largely to do with the theatre involved in serving it. The waiter arrives at the table with the skewer in one hand and a very sharp knife in the other. In my case there weren’t too many sharp knives available so I had to pop down to the supermarket and buy a new one. Then he slowly slices very thin cuts of meat from the blackened sides of the steaks. As he cooks into the steak the meat gets rarer with every cut until eventually it needs to go back onto the fire for more cooking, after which the process is repeated until everyone’s bellies are full.

Although it was my first attempt at cooking Picanha, it went down a treat. Not only was everyone mightily impressed with the theatrical aspect of my meal, it was universally agreed that the meat tasted delicious. This will certainly not be the last time I attempt cooking Picanha at home.

Fake steak.

Hmmm....what's for dessert?

My buddy Bob was visiting London this week and as Picanha was fresh on my mind I suggested we pay a visit to Rodizio Rico.

Bob is a man after my own heart. He lives in Italy in a town called Breganze, which is not far from where I lived. When I lived in Italy we frequently ate out together and it was not unusual for Bob to eat over a kilo of beef in a single sitting. Bob is American and frequently visits the US Airforce base in Vicenza to pick up vast supplies of Porterhouse steak for the deep freeze. Beef is important to Bob, so when he visits London we always take the time to visit one of London’s many steak shops.

I’d heard good things about Rodizio Rico and was really looking forward to eating there. I booked a table at the Westbourne Grove location, which is situated between Bayswater and Notting Hill.

That part of London is a hotpot of multicultural cuisine. As you walk down Westbourne Grove you’ll see pretty much every major type of global food represented in some way. Sadly the majority of restaurants are distinctly average and lack authenticity.

The inability of restaurateurs to replicate the ambiance and cuisine of their native country abroad is something that baffles and annoys me. It really should not be difficult to take a concept that works well in one country and apply it to another. Yet somehow so many restaurants fail in this respect. In London I can think of only a handful of good restaurants that genuinely compete with their native counterparts.

To keep such establishments in check I’ve created a rating system to measure how well they’re doing their job. It’s called the M.E.A.T score.

M is for Meal. This rating is based on how well the restaurant prepares and serves the dishes in accordance with their local traditions. It considers ingredients, cooking methods and preparation.

E is for Environment. A score given to restaurants based on their efforts conveying their native culture. It’s about the design of the venue. And of course the authenticity.

A is for Atmosphere. This score is given to how relaxed and happy customers appear to be. Do they look like they are enjoying themselves? Collectively do they convey a positive feeling about the place?

T is for Team. This refers to the staff of the restaurant. Are they from the native country? Do they speak the language? Do they know anything about the food they’re serving?

All metrics are scored out of 10 giving a final score out of 40. Anything over 30 is respectable. Between 20-30 is acceptable…just. Less than 20 and I start getting flustered.

Never judge a cook by it's cover

On paper Rodizio Rico should be most carnivores idea of heaven. For the very reasonable price of £22.50 customers are treated to the ‘eat as much as you desire prime cut BBQ meats, salads and hot dishes’ menu. The format is simple – grab a plate and fill it with the side salad of choice, then take a seat and wait for meat to be delivered to your table. The over zealous waiters at Rodizio Rico don’t waste anytime in filling the bellies of their customers. In fact it seemed that not a minute passed without one or other of them arriving table side and flopping a slither of meat onto our plates.

At first I appreciated their enthusiasm but after a few mouthfuls of the beef I quickly realised that the cuisine was a far cry from what I remembered from my Brazil trip. The meats were cooked on a horizontal rotating grill similar to the Churasscuria’s of Brazil. However from a taste perspective the meal was not great. The meat was average quality and the cooking technique resulted in most of the meats having a tough and chewy texture. Even the specialty Picanha was not up to scratch. An opinion shared by my eating partner.

The quantity of meat certainly does not make up for the lack in quality so for the Meal score I am awarding Rodizio Rico only 4 points.

In terms of environment sadly Rodizio Rico falls into the ‘relying on stereotypes’ category. Soon after we arrived a projector-screen was lowered from the ceiling and a Brazilian music video started playing. I don’t remember video screens in any of the Churasscuria’s I visited in Brazil so why have them in London?

The decor of the restaurant was evidently trying to come across as authentic Brazilian but you get the feeling that it’s trying too hard. Brazil is not about chintzy paraphernalia. It’s far more understated than that. To convey the genuine Brazilian ambiance Rodizio Rico should take a leaf out of Favela Chic’s book.

No points for effort I’m afraid. A measly 4 points are awarded for environment.

There’s no doubting Rodizio Rico appeals to the masses. I’ve been told about the place by at least a dozen mates in the past year or two, all of whom spoke favourably of it. And they’ve recently opened a new location in the O2 centre so business must be going well enough.

The atmosphere in the Westbourne Grove restaurant was fun and people certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. I think it’s the uniqueness of the restaurant that appeals to people. Whilst Rodizio Rico didn’t appeal to me it obviously does to others, so in term of atmosphere I’m awarding them a respectable 8 points.

The final score is awarded based on the performance of the staff. We were greeted nicely enough on arrival, but overall I was not impressed with how well we were dealt with. Points are immediately deducted for the heavy handed waiting staff who seemed more interested in offloading their meat onto our plates than knowing or caring about what it was they were serving us. We asked several questions about the food we were being served but the waiters did not seem to know a great deal about the menu.

After the meal Bob tried to strike up a conversation with one of the waitresses, though she was even less interested in speaking to us than the waiters were in telling us about the food. The chef controlling the Rodizio managed a smile when I asked for a photo but that was about the extent of it.

I’m sure they were all nice enough people but the lack of knowledge and interaction means a score of only 3 in the team category.

The total M.E.A.T score for Rodizio Rico therefore stands at 21 – the lower end of acceptable and not really a great result.

Verdict: Bahia beats Bayswater. Hands down.

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)