AI-generated photo.
Brazilian · Iconic, Sao Paulo · Brazil
Picanha
Picanha (picanha), a Sao Paulo plate from Brazil.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Picanha is cooked in Sao Paulo as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Salt the steak and grill it, then serve it with toasted cassava. Picanha is the cap of the sirloin. Sirloin is the steak this pantry weighs, cooked with the same salt and rest. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
87
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 43%
- Carbs 28%
- Fat 30%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 38.3 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 399 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Beef sirloin230 kcal
- Cassava100 kcal
- Olive oil33 kcal
- Garlic3 kcal
- Flat-leaf parsley1 kcal
- Red wine vinegar1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 18.5. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 367 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 275 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 367 kcal | 18% |
| Protein | 38.3 g | 77% |
| Carbohydrate | 24.7 g | 9% |
| Fiber | 1.3 g | 5% |
| Total sugars | 1.1 g | 2% |
| Fat | 11.8 g | 15% |
| Saturated fat | 3.5 g | 18% |
| Cholesterol | 104 mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 399 mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 777 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 66 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 3.2 mg | 18% |
| Magnesium | 54 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 7.3 mg | 66% |
| Vitamin A | 13 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 17.5 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 1.2 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K | 55 mcg | 46% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.2 mg | 13% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| Niacin (B3) | 13.2 mg | 83% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.1 mg | 65% |
| Folate | 44 mcg | 11% |
| Vitamin B12 | 2 mcg | 84% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Grill pan or grill
- Tongs
- Scale
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Beef sirloin4 steaks680 g
Cassava2 pieces250 g
Flat-leaf parsley0.3 cup12 g
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Olive oil1 tbsp16.48 ml
Red wine vinegar1 tbsp15 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Picanha. Heat to a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh beef sirloin, cassava, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt. Picanha is cooked in Sao Paulo as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Salt the steak and grill it, then serve it with toasted cassava. Picanha is the cap of the sirloin. Sirloin is the steak this pantry weighs, cooked with the same salt and rest. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Picanha is cooked in brazil. Pat the surface dry before it hits the pan, or it will steam instead of brown.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Picanha, until the edges take a little color. Do not crowd the pan. Brown in two batches if the pieces touch.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Picanha at a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C. Start checking at 17 minutes. Picanha is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C.
Grill 17 min
- 🇧🇷 BrazilSouth Americaicon-brazil-picanha-step-4
Picanha, step 5
Step 5 · Picanha
5Check the center of Picanha, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇧🇷 BrazilSouth Americaicon-brazil-picanha-step-5
Picanha, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Picanha for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in brazil, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Picanha in this shot order and no other: batter or dough smoothed to the corners; the fridge shelf where the plate will chill; the main piece taking a deep browning; steam rising off the finished plate. Slate words for the editor: yeast, velvety, ripple, linen, enamel, blister, anchor, twilight, nectar, griddle.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Picanha is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C.
If it goes wrong
- Picanha looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Picanha turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Picanha, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Picanha is one of the plates people ask for by name from Sao Paulo.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Salt the steak and grill it, then serve it with toasted cassava. Picanha is the cap of the sirloin. Sirloin is the steak this pantry weighs, cooked with the same salt and rest.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.