American · dinner

Smoked Whole Picanha with Salt-and-Pepper Bark

Name: Smoked Whole Picanha with Salt-and-Pepper Bark
Total time: 100 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole picanha (top sirloin cap) roast, 3–4 lb (about 1.6 kg), fat cap on; 4 tsp coarse black pepper (2 parts of a 2 tbsp Texas salt-and-pepper rub); 2 tsp coarse kosher salt (1 part of the rub)

Smoked Whole Picanha with Salt-and-Pepper Bark — from HowToBBQRight's cooking video

Watch how it’s made · 6:10

Video by HowToBBQRight on YouTube · Open on YouTube

100 minServes 8364 kcal a serve

Carnivore
Low carb (0.4 g net carbs) but not keto: 52% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
Gluten-free ingredients
Dairy-free
Nut-free

Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Picanha is a tender, well-marbled cut; one serve gives about 40 g of protein and is rich in zinc, selenium and vitamin B12, seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper.

Printable PDFA4

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Ingredients 3

1 whole picanha (top sirloin cap) roast, 3–4 lb (about 1.6 kg), fat cap on
4 tsp coarse black pepper (2 parts of a 2 tbsp Texas salt-and-pepper rub)
2 tsp coarse kosher salt (1 part of the rub)

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

Set up a drum smoker or other pit for indirect cooking at 135°C (275°F). 2:06
Trim any silver skin from the meat side of the picanha. Score the fat cap in 2.5 cm (1 in) diamonds with shallow cuts, without reaching the meat. 1:08
Mix the coarse pepper and salt and season the roast on all sides. 1:32
Put it on the pit fat-side down so the fat renders and crisps, insert a probe thermometer and cook until the centre reads 50–52°C (122–125°F), about 1 hour. 2:36
Rest loosely covered with foil for 10–15 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain and serve medium-rare. 3:23

Tip. Serves about 8 (our estimate from a 1.6 kg roast). The cook uses his Texas rub, a coarse salt and pepper mix; 2 parts pepper to 1 part salt is the home swap he gives for it. Leftovers slice well cold.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 8

Energy364 kcal1,520 kJ

Protein40 g81% of a day

Fibre0.3 g1% of a day

Carbohydrate0.6 g0.4 g net · 0 g sugars0% of a day

Fat21 g8.4 g saturated27% of a day

Sodium670 mg29% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

Net carbs 0%
Protein 46%
Fat 54%

Very low carb: under 10% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High93%

2.2 µg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium High81%

45 µg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (100%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Zinc High72%

7.9 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (100%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin B6 High53%

0.9 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (100%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Iron Source15%

2.8 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (96%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Potassium Source11%

520 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (97%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Show the other 9

Magnesium9%

37 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (95%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Omega-35%

0.1 g a serve, mostly from picanha roast (98%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin E4%

0.6 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (98%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin K3%

3.9 µg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (58%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Folate3%

14 µg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (99%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium2%

32 mg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (85%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin D1%

0.1 µg a serve, mostly from picanha roast (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin A0%

0.3 µg a serve, mostly from coarse black pepper (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin C0%

0 mg a serve. An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

Recipe and video by HowToBBQRight; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.