Garlic and Coarse Salt-Crusted Picanha
This Brazilian beef classic gets a stunning oven treatment: the rump cap is coated in garlic-infused olive oil, then sealed under a thick crust of coarse salt that locks in every drop of juice. The result is incredibly tender, flavour-packed meat that always wows a crowd. A showstopper roast that's surprisingly simple to pull off.
🛒 Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 whole picanha (rump cap), about 800 g
- 1 kg coarse sea salt
- 3 heads of garlic
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
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Directions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200 °C (400 °F).
- 2
Peel and crush all garlic cloves, then stir into the olive oil to make a fragrant marinade.
- 3
Spread a generous layer of coarse salt across the bottom of a glass baking dish to form a salt bed for the meat.
- 4
Roll the picanha through the garlic-olive oil mixture, coating every surface thoroughly.
- 5
Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley all over the meat.
- 6
Place the picanha fat side up on the salt bed.
- 7
Pack the remaining coarse salt over and around the meat to form a fully sealed crust.
- 8
Roast for 1 hour. Don't worry about over-salting or too much garlic — the crust naturally balances the seasoning.
- 9
Remove from the oven and crack open the crystallised salt crust with the back of a spoon. Brush off any remaining salt and serve immediately.
- 10
If you'd like a deeper golden crust, return the meat to the oven briefly without the salt covering until it reaches your preferred colour.
💡 Chef's Tip
The coarse salt is not absorbed into the meat — it creates a self-regulating shell that locks in moisture. Pair with chimichurri or a fresh herb salsa for the full Brazilian experience.
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