This picanha churrasco sizzling away on the griddle is sexier than
a dozen half naked Brazilian girls doing the samba in my face.
~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~
We Aussies love our BBQs in summer.
A great backyard party is built around a barbecue with a few cold beers in hand while watching the lamb chops and sausages sizzle the afternoon away. And the modern day barbecue is such a versatile cooking apparatus, it is like a kitchen on wheels for me.
I love its simplicity ~ from grilling a slab of rib eye for a Sunday breakfast to more elaborate feasts like rotisserie roast chickens, grilled seafood or even steamed fish and stir-fried noodles from the wok burner.
So I was delighted when we received an invitation from 6dc Lifestyle PR to attend a barbecue masterclass featuring the latest range of BBQ tools and steak knives of Brazilian homeware manufacturer Tramontina.
Held at the spanking new Mr. Wagyu tasting bar at Vic’s Meat Market in Pyrmont, it is the perfect setting to unlock the secrets of a Brazilian churrasco.
Tramontina Churrasco Feast
Mr. Wagyu tasting bar at Vic's Meat Market, Pyrmont
Mr. Wagyu tasting bar at Vic’s Meat Market features some of the best beef from Australia.
Today, it is primed to feature Tramontina Chef Carlos Pancorbo and his tips on grilling the picanha cut of beef, one of the most popular in South America.
Anthony Puharich of Vic's Meat Market holding up some picanha rump cap
Anthony Puharich, Chief Executive Officer of Vic’s Meat Market is on hand to showcase some prime cuts of beef is available at the butchery next door.
"This piece of meat is going to blow your mind!"
Puharich explains to us the picanha or rump cap is the top part of the rump cut of beef.
With its thick layer of top fat, it is most suitable for the Brazilian style of churrasco.
Chef Carlos Pancorbo seasoning meat with salt
Chef Carlos Pancorbo begins the masterclass by seasoning the meat generously with some rock salt.
Chef Carlos Pancorbo skewering rump cap
He slices the picanha rump cap cross-wise against the grain of the meat into thick chunks and skewers each piece for the barbecue.
Wagyu rump cap sizzling on the griddle
With a drizzle of oil, the meat begins to sizzle immediately upon hitting the hot griddle.
Attendees at the barbecue masterclass
The smoky aromas from the barbecue is as enticing as watching the meat cook.
Chef Carlos Pancorbo seasoning meat with sauteeing kidney beans
While the picanha grills away, Chef Pancorbo is preparing feijão tropeiro, another one of Brazil’s most iconic dishes.
Chef Carlos Pancorbo in action during the masterclass
This dish originated during the colonial period where cattlemen known as tropeiros were engaged to explore the inland territories of Brazil.
On their journeys, they had to carry most of their food with them. The essentials being beans, dried and salted meat were typically combined to create this iconic dish that carries the nickname of the explorers.
Wagyu rump cap sizzling on the griddle
All that is needed during the grilling process is a generous sprinkle of salt on each piece of meat.
Tramontina Marketing Manager Hallan Moulin with picanha rump cap
After a few minutes on the grill, the meat is allowed to rest and then carved into slices.
Grilled Picanha rump cap on toast with feijão tropeiro
A slice of grilled picanha is served on toasted bread with a serve of feijão tropeiro.
Grilled Picanha rump cap on toast with sauteed chorizo, onions and beans
The meat is succulent, beefy and the ribbon of fat is where all the flavour lies.
Felicia Cheng with Jose Roberto Duarte, MD of Tramontina Australia and Anthony Puharich
Felicia Cheng is the blogger behind Sydney food blog Next Stop Food, seen here with Jose Roberto Duarte, Managing Director of Tramontina Australia and Anthony Puharich of Vic’s Meat Market.
All smiles after a scrumtious Brazilian churrasco feast
Thanks to Chef Carlos Pancorbo, Jose Roberto Duarte, his team from Tramontina and Anthony Puharich for giving us an enticing introduction to a Brazilian churrasco this summer.
Kong's Cave and Mr. Wagyu, Vic's Meat Market, Pyrmont
"It was nice to meat you too!"
So dear readers, are you a fan of the Brazilian churrasco and if so, which is your favourite cut of meat?
ChopinandMysaucepan attended the Tramontina Churrasco Feast and dined courtesy of 6dc Lifestyle PR and Tramontina. We received complimentary Tramontina barbecue equipment, cutting blades and steak knives. All views and opinions on this blog post are our own.
Tramontina Australia
Unit 7 / 167 Prospect Highway
Seven Hills, New South Wales 2147
Tel: +61 2 96741799, 1800 110 885
Vic’s Meat Market
(Located on the left of the entrance to Sydney Fish Market)
Bank street, Pyrmont
New South Wales
Tel: +61 2 8570 8570
Opening hours: Vic’s Meat Market Daily 8am to 5pm. MR. WAGYU & KONG’S CAVE Daily 10am until sold out.
Delicious – must try this way of cooking rump cap – it just looks so good.
Oh my. I look at that and instantly think I’m hungry. Everything looks so good and everyone looks really happy. I think I want to do this too.
That Picanha was simply devine, it had been a while since I had a piece of meat that good. Is it bad to say that the thing that blew me away that day was the caramelised capsicum and eggplant?
Bianca
I love this way of cooking and whenever I’ve been in these restaurants I’ve always had a lot of fun. I do love the theatre of how all the dishes are cooked and presented xx
SO JEALOUS that you got to do this!! So cool!! Carnivore heaven
I knew my brother would appreciate the meat in this post and his mouth was watering! This definitely was a meat-lover’s dream feast!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Now I feel like I wanna have some meat coma
I love churrasco and we only have one place here in Auckland that does it.
My fave meat are those tender ribs with melting fat on it. Yum!