You may be looking to get into the spirit of the FIFA World Cup coming to Kansas City this summer. Whether you have tickets to a match, are trying to catch a sight of Messi around town, are attending one of the many watch parties around the city or are just trying to get a taste of the cultural food from the teams playing here, there are so many ways to celebrate this exciting event in Kansas City.
If you’re looking to get a taste of Argentina, though, you don’t have to wait for a match or fight the crowds — you can just stop into Green Grass Cattle Company in Weston to pick up some beef and make it yourself at home.
Green Grass Cattle Company is one of the only beef producers in Kansas City that offers the picanha cut, which you may also know as the top sirloin cap roast. It can also be called the rump cap, and you may also see it called coulotte when it’s cut into steaks. A triangular roast, it’s known for its thick layer of fat on top, which gives it its amazing flavor.
"It's the beefiest-tasting cut," says Mary Haer, co-owner of Green Grass, "and because it's sirloin, it's going to be more tender."
Though Midwesterners typically will roast a cut like this in an oven or throw it in the crock pot like a pot roast, we promise you’re going to want to bring some South American flair onto your grill with this one.
Though the picanha is more associated with Brazil and churrasco, it is also commonly used in Argentine asado, cooked on a parrilla (grill). Either way you slice it, it’s delicious — and worth a try, especially if you’ve never had it before.
The most important part of the picanha is the half-inch fat cap. Don’t trim this fat off, as it’s what gives the meat its delicious flavor — and also be careful with it on the grill, because it can cause flare-ups. The picanha should be cooked at medium and medium-high heat for this reason.
Because Green Grass raises its cattle to be fed a natural diet and never finished in a feedlot, the quality of that fat matters more than it might elsewhere. Green Grass’s philosophy applies to all of their beef products: how an animal is raised shows up in everything it produces, including the fat that makes this cut worth seeking out.
The picanha at Green Grass comes in sizes ranging from about one pound up to three and a half pounds, which means it's approachable for a solo cook or generous enough to anchor a summer gathering. The cut sells quickly when it's in stock — people who know it come looking for it — so calling ahead is smart.
The other thing that makes picanha worth knowing is its versatility. Mary says you could cook it one way one day and a completely different way the next, and people wouldn't even know they were eating the same cut.
"You can cook it any different method that you want," says Mary. "You can cut it into steaks and cook it like any other steak on the grill, or put it on a skewer, or leave it whole, you know, reverse sear, smoke it."
The most traditional South American preparation is the skewer: slice the roast along the grain into steaks, season generously with salt, fold it into a C-shape, skewer it with the fat cap facing out, and grill over medium-high heat, rotating often. The result is something between a roast and a steak — charred and salty on the outside, pink and juicy within. Serve it sliced thin with chimichurri.
For something more hands-off, the reverse sear is a favorite among the Green Grass crowd. The roast goes into a low oven until it reaches an internal temperature just below your target, then it gets finished on a screaming-hot grill to develop the crust. The slow cook keeps the interior even and tender; the high heat at the end does the rest.
The third option is to cut the roast into coulotte steaks, which we’ve shared a recipe for below — slice with the grain, then cook like any other steak on the grill. This is the approach for the cook who wants all the flavor of picanha in a format they already know how to work with. Cut, season, grill, rest, slice against the grain, and eat.
This summer, with the World Cup bringing international eyes and appetites to Kansas City, it is worth knowing that a cut of beef this celebrated has been available in the Northland all along — on a farm half a mile from its storefront, raised by a family that knows every animal by name.
Green Grass Cattle Company 17985 MO-45 N, Weston, MO 64098 greengrasscattleco.com | (816) 640-4009
Picanha with Chimichurri
- 1 Picanha Roast
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp Pepper
Green Chimichurri
- 1/2 Cup Parsley
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Tsp Oregano
- 1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1. Pat roast dry and season with 1 tsp of salt per pound of meat, place on a baking rack in the fridge, uncovered, for 4-24 hours in the fridge. Set out one hour before cooking.
2. Prep your chimichurri. Roughly chop all ingredients, then add red wine vinegar and stir in oil.
3. Prepare grill for direct grilling. Season the roast with half the salt and pepper. Sear each side until a good color forms, flipping every 2 minutes to prevent flare-ups and burning of the fat cap. Remove from grill, cut into half-inch slices along the grain. Season with remaining salt, pepper, and then grill until desired temp is reached.
4. Serve like a steak with chimichurri on top of on the side. Enjoy!
"It's the beefiest-tasting cut, and because it's sirloin, it's going to be more tender."
"You can cut it into steaks and cook it like any other steak on the grill, or put it on a skewer, or leave it whole, you know, reverse sear, smoke it."