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Get ready to take a bite of the juiciest, most delicious grilled sirloin cap steak recipe! My Brazilian steakhouse favorite Top Sirloin Cap Recipe, also known as Coulotte Steak, is one of the most flavorful and tender cuts of beef you will ever try.
Jump to:
- Sirloin Cap Recipe
- Top Sirloin Cap Ingredients
- Santa Maria Steak Seasoning Ingredients
- How to Grill Sirloin Cap
- How to Cook Sirloin Top Cap on the Stove
- What is picanha or sirloin cap steak?
- Where to Buy Sirloin Cap
- Steak Temperature Chart
- Coulette Steak FAQs
- Best Sauce for Steak
- Grilled Steak Recipes
- What to Do with Leftover Steak
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- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Sirloin Cap Recipe
There is nothing better than a grilled sirloin cap steak. No cut of beef is more tender and succulent than the sirloin cap. It's a beautifully marbled beef cut that surrounds the ribeye steak.
Top Sirloin Steak or Picanha Steak recipes are a specialty of Brazilian churrascaria; that is, Brazilian steakhouses! Oftentimes, you will hear it referred to as the picanha grill or picanha BBQ.
Top Sirloin Cap Ingredients
- Sirloin Cap Steak/Picanha Cut Steak
- Santa Maria Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
Sirloin cap steak has a layer of fat that should not be removed or trimmed. This is what gives the steak so much flavor.
Santa Maria Steak Seasoning Ingredients
- sea salt
- black pepper
- chile powder
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- brown sugar
- dried oregano
- cayenne
How to Grill Sirloin Cap
- Preheat your grill
- Score the fat cap of the sirloin cap in a crosshatch pattern. You do not want the cuts to go too far through the layer of fat.
- Rub Santa Maria seasoning all over the scored fat cap.
- Cut the sirloin top steak into 1-inch strips. Fold each strip into a "C" shape, then slide it onto metal skewers. Season with more of Santa Maria rub.
- Grill over indirect heat, turning every 5 minutes until your steak reaches your desired level of doneness. For medium-rare, you will want an internal temperature of 135°F, or 145 for medium.
- Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
How to Cook Sirloin Top Cap on the Stove
- Melt a pat of butter until it begins to smoke in a cast-iron skillet over high heat.
- Add steak. Cook one at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then 2 on the other. This will give the steak a nice crust on the outside while keeping it from overcooking. This should cook the steak to medium rare.
Tips for cooking on the stove:
- Follow the same steps as above to prepare the beef cut before cooking.
- Use wooden skewers instead of metal skewers, as you can trim them to fit your pan.
Always use a meat thermometer to make sure you achieve your degree of doneness. The last 15 minutes of grilling time are critical and you should always keep an eye on the cap steaks as you do not want to overcook.
What is picanha or sirloin cap steak?
Picanha (pronounced pi-can-ya) is a cut of beef also known as coulotte steak, top sirloin cap steak, rib cap, rump cover, rump cap, and culotte steak. Grilled Picanha Steak is a churrasco steak recipe, which is a Brazilian method of cooking meaning "barbecue".
The marbling, or white specks of fat content throughout the beef, is what gives the sirloin cap its incredible flavor!
Where to Buy Sirloin Cap
Most U.S. butchers divide Picanha into other cuts of meat, so you most likely will not find it with the other cuts of beef on display. However, if you ask the butch at your local grocery store, they will be able to provide you with sirloin cap steak.
You are going to love this amazing beef cut. Rib cap steaks are tender, juicy, and packed with so much flavor!
Steak Temperature Chart
Follow this chart and our Steak Temperature Chart to find your ideal degree of doneness!
The USDA recommends steak internal temperature should be a minimum of 145°F.
| Steak Doneness | Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 125°F - bright red in the middle |
| Medium-rare | 135°F - warm red in the middle |
| Medium | 145°F - warm pink at the center |
| Medium-well | 150°F - slightly pink at the center |
| Well-done | 160°F - little to no pink throughout |
Coulette Steak FAQs
The top layer of fat on sirloin cap steaks ensures the most tender and juiciest steak.
Grilling picanha steak is the best way to cook this cut of steak.
Best Sauce for Steak
The perfect sauce to pair with this steak is our amazing red wine sauce for steak. It is truly a match made in heaven! Another favorite sauce to pair with the top sirloin cap is Chimichurri Sauce!
Grilled Steak Recipes
- Grilled London Broil
- Grilled Porterhouse Steak
- Grilled New York Strip
- Grilled Rib Eye Steak
- Grilled Chuck Steak
When not grilling, I love using my air fryer. My Air Fried Steak is out of this world!
What to Do with Leftover Steak
- Steak Nachos
- Leftover Steak Pasta
- Poutine Fries
- Steak Mac and Cheese
- Have leftovers? Try making one of our best Leftover Steak Recipes!
Try more of our most Popular Best Beef Recipes!
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Sirloin Cap
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound Picanha cut sirloin cap
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chile powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 400°F. Score the fat cap of a 3 to 4 pound picanha cut sirloin cap in a crosshatch pattern. Do not cut too deep into the fat cap.
- Combine all the dry ingredients and season the fat cap with 2 tablespoons of the seasoning.
- Cut Picanha into 1-inch strips. Fold each strip into a "C", then slide onto metal skewers.Grill steaks over indirect heat (see notes for tips). Place skewers on the grill and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the steaks reach desired level of doneness (135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium).
- Remove and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute store-bought Santa Maria seasoning for the homemade rub.
- To grill over indirect heat, turn one side of the burners off on your grill, or rearrange the hot coals to one side.
- You can also cook Picanha steak on the stove. Melt butter in a cast-iron pan over high heat on the stove until it begins smoking. Prepare picanha steak as above, then add to the grill one at a time, using wooden skewers so you can trim them if needed. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then 2 on the other.
Raquel says
Air fryer time and temp?
Em Beitel says
Hi Raquel! I have not made this recipe in the air fryer before, but I know this has been done. Here are the steps I would personally take:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
2. Prepare the steaks up to step 2 by scoring the fat cap and seasoning.
2. You can use flexible skewers or butcher's twine to shape the picanha steaks as in the original recipe. Otherwise, make sure your steaks are cut to the right size to fit into your air fryer.
3. Place the steaks in the air fryer and cook for 6 minutes at 400°F. Halfway through the cook time, flip the steaks.
Depending on the thickness of your steaks, this should give you medium-rare results. Use a meat thermometer to keep track of the internal temp and follow our Beef Temperature Chart to make sure you get the results you want.
Thank you and enjoy!