First up from my recipes for the Tom Hixson Masterchef Challenge is pichanha with hemp seed chimichurri.
Picanha, also known as rump cap, is a cut from the top section of the hindquarter of the cow. Fairly firm meat compared to, say, a fillet or rib eye, picanha has a layer of fat covering for especially juicy results when grilled. The cut is particularly popular across South America, which is why I paired mine with classic Latin sauce for grilled meat, chimichurri.
My recipe for this herby green sauce is a pretty basic one and would work fine without my extra ingredient: hemp seeds. So why add them? I think they make the sauce even tastier and bring some texture as well as a superfood boost to the mix.
PICANHA WITH HEMP SEED CHIMICHURRI
Ingredients for the Picanha (6 servings)
• 1.5g Picanha (I used Uruguyan beef from Tom Hixson);
• 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Ingredients for the Chimichurri (makes about 2 cups)
• 120ml of red wine vinegar;
• Sea salt to taste (about 2 tablespoons);
• 3-4 finely diced garlic cloves;
• 2 finely diced shallots;
• 1 finely chopped red chilli;
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves to taste (I’d say 2-4 tablespoons);
• Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley to taste (about the same as the coriander);
• Fresh chopped oregano (same as the coriander and parsley);
• 4 tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds (I used seeds from Planet Hemp);
• 175ml of extra-virgin olive oil.
Method for the Picanha
• Preheat oven to Pre-heat oven to 180°C;
• Place meat in large oven-safe frying pan over medium heat;
• Pour in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and sear until browned on both sides (about 4-5 minutes per side);
• Place pan in oven and cook for roughly 35-40 minutes (for medium-rare to medium);
• Let sit in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving.
Method for the Chimichurri
Making this sauce is easy. Simply mix all the ingredients together.
Serve
Picanha is best served warm and freshly sliced, though it’s hardly undesirable eaten cold or refried. Chimichurri can be offered as a condiment alongside this or any range of meats.
Stay tuned for more meat! Until my next recipe, have a look at tomhixson.co.uk.
