What Makes Australian Wagyu Picanha So Damn Good? (2024)

FAQs

Is Wagyu Picanha good? ›

Picanha's characteristics of a buttery fat cap and tender, well-marbled meat below the fat cap lend it to being a very delicious cut of meat. Picanha are scored based on their intramuscular marbling using the MS (Marble Score) Scale.

American Wagyu is often raised in feedlots, where the cattle are confined and fed a high-calorie diet to encourage the development of marbling. In contrast, Australian Wagyu is often raised in more open conditions, allowing the cattle to move around more freely and potentially leading to leaner meat.

Marbling. Fat equals flavor, and Wagyu is packed with thin lines of fat or marbling that melt into the steak once the meat hits the heat. It's like buying a steak that bastes itself in the most mouthwateringly tasty bath of beef fat. Intense umami taste.

The meat may not have the same level of marbling or flavor as Japanese Wagyu. That being said, Australian Wagyu is still considered to be a high-quality meat and is often used in top-tier restaurants around the world.

What distinguishes picanha is its distinctive fat cap, making it a very juicy cut of meat, perfect for a Brazilian churrasco barbecue. Despite its opulent flavor and texture, picanha requires minimal seasoning to shine, allowing its innate flavors to steal the spotlight.

Heat your grill or smoker to 275 degrees. Cook the Picanha fat side up, turning every 5 to 7 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 115 degrees. Remove the Picanha, increase the grill or smoker temperature to 425 degrees, and then finish cooking until the internal temperature is 130 to 135 degrees.

These cows are frequently born in Japan before being transported to Australia for additional raising and breeding—all of which is an expensive process. Not only that, but the care to keep Australian wagyu cows healthy and continue to breed them is no small task.

Australian Wagyu cattle have a direct connection to Japanese Wagyu cattle. In fact, purebred Australian Wagyu have at least 93.75% pure Japanese Wagyu cattle genetics. In the same way that Japanese Wagyu is graded, Australian Wagyu is also rated on a strict grading system.

Since Japanese Wagyu cattle are fed for up to 250 more days before slaughter than their Australian counterparts, they may be more tender and possess more marbling. You may notice that Japanese Wagyu possess a unique “sweet” flavor, which may be attributed to the higher levels of marbling found in Japanese Wagyu.

Argentine beef is widely regarded as the best beef globally, with its grass-fed and hormone-free farming methods resulting in leaner, healthier, and more flavorful meat.

Why is my Wagyu so tough? ›

Overcooking it.

This is a big mistake, because cooking it too long causes it to lose the beautiful, juicy fat that makes it so special. It's not that the beef gets tough and chewy, it's just that it's diminished when you cook it too long.

The Best: Ribeye and Striploin

For the richest, most tender bite, the best cut of Wagyu is a ribeye or striploin. Ribeye steaks often offer the most marbling of any cut, providing the best fat distribution when cooked.

The Australian Wagyu grading scores are identical to the Japanese BMS scale, meaning an Australian Wagyu BMS 5 is the same as a Japanese Wagyu BMS 5. However, the Australian scale tops out at grade 9, and everything above it (scores 10, 11, and 12), are graded 9+.

Our MBS 2-5 Wagyu rump cap, also known as Picanha, is full of flavour! Steak it up, roast it whole or skewer it on the rotisserie. An incredibly versatile cut, always juicy, tender and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

What Part of the Cow Does Picanha Come From? The picanha cut of beef comes from an area on the rump of the cow above a fat cap. In the US, the picanha cut is known as a rump cap or sirloin cap.

Picanha comes from a less exercised part of the animal. It also has a higher fat content. Sirloin, which comes from the lower back, is much more exercised. As a consequence, it has a firmer and leaner texture with less marbling.

The rib cap is the surrounding meat of the ribeye, cut from the top side of the ribeye joint - this is an optimal section in terms of taste and texture. Rib cap is a real treat for wagyu lovers, as the rib area has gorgeous intramuscular fat.