FOOD NEWS
What's The Difference Between Ribeye And Picanha?
By Matthew Spina
When debating over the best cut of steak, the two names that always come up are ribeye and picanha. While both are delicious, the two are very different steaks.
Picanha is a lean steak cut with a stronger beefy taste. It comes from the rump of the cow, between the sirloin and round sections, and is more tender than those cuts.
Picanha is a popular grilling steak in Portugal and South America. It's traditionally seasoned simply, cooked on skewers over a fire, and then sliced in the shape of a crescent.
Ribeye is a steak cut from the rib section of the cow. This section gets little work and has very generous fat marbling, making the cut juicy, tender, and flavorful.
Ribeye's fat and tenderness make it very popular and perfect for quick, high-heat cooking like grilling and pan searing, and it will stay juicy even when cooked to medium.
While both ribeye and picanha have a good amount of fat, picanha's fat is almost all in the cap on top of the cut, whereas ribeye’s fat is well marbled into the meat itself.
Even when done well, picanha will not be as soft as ribeye. However, this means ribeye is quite expensive, while picanha is far more affordable.