Picanha Wagyu | BMS 8-9

This is hands-down the most popular beef in Brazil. Picanha (pronounced pee-KAHN-yah) is known state-side as Top Sirloin Cap with the fat on. This fat cap is what makes all the difference.

This Picanha Wagyu steak cut packs a lot of flavor and offers one of the best price-value propositions. While Picanha is best cooked in open flames (charcoal or wood), it can also be cooked with gas or in the oven.

This Wagyu Picanha is one of the best value propositions for domestic Wagyu Beef. Simply put, you get a whole lot of Wagyu beef for the price. Wagyu has a distinct flavor as a result of the beautiful intramuscular fat that is unique to the breed and it does make it more tender and flavorful.

WHY IS OUR WAGYU PICANHA THE BEST IN CLASS?

We work with what we consider to be the best Wagyu program in the US. This program processes a small amount of steers every week (140-175) which allows them to put care into every steer. These Picanhas come from a mid-sized family owned company that puts a lot of care into each cut.

We have compared this program to others from major chains and stores, and we find that it consistently tastes better and eats better. This may be because these animals are fed for longer and at a slower phase than what you will find with other wagyu brands. The genetics of their animals are superior as well they’re very selective with the bulls they use from Japan (Japanese Kuroge Tajima bull).

BMS8-9? HOW DOES THAT WORK?

Steers are graded based on the amount and distribution of marbling in the ribeye muscle at the cut surface after the carcass has been ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs. That means that the Picanha is graded based on the marbling of the Ribeye (graders do not inspect Picanha or ANY other muscle but the Ribeye).

Not every Picanha will be marbled like a Ribeye. It's Picanha, not a Ribeye. 

What this means is that your Picanha may be marbled like a Ribeye BMS 8-9 or it may not. A steer graded BMS 8-9 will definitely be high quality and will have superior marbling but if you are expecting superb marbling the sure bet is to go with a Ribeye or go for Japanese A5 beef.

Do note that marbling is not a driving indicator of tenderness, hence not all beef graded "Prime" is equal.

We do offer Australian BMS8-9 Picanha for a slight premium. We feel the taste is different and actually prefer the Domestic Picanha. But Australian Picanha marbling is more consistent as the inspection process of Wagyu in Australia is government regulated, unlike in the US where Wagyu programs self-grade.

HOW DO I COOK IT?

The first video we have ever made had to be about how to cook Picanha. Learn to grill Picanha in less than 3.5 minutes!

WHY WEIGHT RANGES?

While the Picanha (aka Coulotte) is not a muscle, it is also not a steak. This means we don't get to trim it and cut it to an exact weight. Each steer will be different and its Coulotte will be of a size because we sell online at pre-determined prices we have divided the Coulottes in weight ranges. We price the Picanha to the lower end of the weight range. So if it's a 2-3 lb cut, we price it at 2 lbs. Therefore, while you may be getting the smaller end of the weight, range, you are still getting what you paid for.