Alcatra is the large top sirloin roast next to picanha on a Brazilian churrasco — thick, lean of fat cap, and happy on a skewer or a grate. In US shops it is usually sold as top sirloin roast (or thick top sirloin for Brazilian barbecue). Salt, embers, and a clean pull make the cook.
At a glance
- Region: Sul
- Also called: top sirloin for Brazilian barbecue
- Yield: a 2 to 3 lb (900 g to 1.4 kg) roast feeds 4 to 6 as part of a mixed grill
- Time: about 25 to 40 minutes over embers or on a two-zone kettle grill, plus 10 minutes rest
- Gear: lump charcoal, long skewer or grate, instant-read thermometer. Full kit: What to buy.
- Ask for: top sirloin roast, 2 to 3 lb (900 g to 1.4 kg). A Brazilian or Latin shop may already say alcatra. Thick-cut top sirloin steaks work when a roast is not on the case.
Safety instructions
Rare beef at 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C) is below the USDA 145°F (63°C) finish. Buy whole muscle from a butcher or a named packer, and sear the outside. Higher-risk people should wait for 145°F (63°C). Ground beef stays 160°F (71°C).
What it is / What you buy
Alcatra sits in the sirloin family beside picanha. It has no thick fat cap. Leave the exterior fat that comes with the roast. Trim only hard silverskin. See meat on the kit page for how to ask at a US counter.
A whole piece runs about 2 to 3 lb (900 g to 1.4 kg) and cooks more evenly than thin steaks. If the shop only has thick top sirloin steaks, cook those the same way — salt at the fire, hot sear, then cooler finish.
Seasoning
Coarse salt at the fire is the classic path. Use sal grosso or coarse kosher salt from salt on the kit page. Measure about 1 tablespoon (1 colher de sopa / ~15 g) of sal grosso per kilogram (2.2 lb) of meat — the usual 10 to 15 g per kg steak band. In the US, that is about 1 tablespoon Morton Coarse Kosher or about 1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal per kilogram, not per pound. Press it on both sides just before the fire. Knock the excess off after the cook, before slicing.
Mustard-and-garlic is a separate Brazilian home smear for the same cut. Full seasoning cards: alcatra with sal grosso only and alcatra with mustard and garlic. Salt still goes on at the fire either way.
Method
- Dry the roast in the fridge uncovered if you have time. Salt waits until the fire.
- Build a bed of lump charcoal and wait for embers (brasa). The hand test and fire kit notes help you read heat without guessing.
- On a long skewer, fold or mount the roast so it holds shape. Hold it about 30–40 cm (12–16 in) from the embers — same band as how far picanha sits from the charcoal. Turn when the first side has a dark crust.
- On a kettle grill the grate is closer, often about 10 cm (4 in). Run a two-zone fire: coals on one half, empty on the other. Sear over the hot pile, then finish on the empty side so the lean roast does not dry.
- Pull at about 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C) in the thickest part for a medium-rare finish after rest — same pull as picanha on a kettle and fraldinha. Past about 140°F (60°C) alcatra dries fast because there is no fat cap.
- Rest about 10 minutes. Knock off loose salt. Slice against the grain on a cutting board with a long flat slicer.
How you know it is done
The crust is deep brown, the center is warm pink at the pull temps above, and juices stay in the meat after a short rest. An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part is friendlier than guessing on a lean roast.
Next cooks
- How to grill picanha on a kettle grill
- How to cook fraldinha (sirloin flap) at home
- How to grill maminha (tri-tip) on a kettle grill
- Alcatra seasoned with sal grosso only and alcatra with mustard and garlic
- Coarse salt vs kosher salt (sal grosso) and the hand test
- Farofa and vinagrete
Region: Sul.
Leave a Reply