Raise your hand if you love the smell of cooking meat over fire! Chef Shane Graybeal does. Executive chef at the Kimpton Armory Hotel, Graybeal recommends using high-quality meat and allowing the natural flavor to come through. For a top sirloin roast, or picanha, the preparation couldn’t be easier: The meat (sourced from Wickens Ranch) comes with a beautiful fat cap; don’t trim it off, just cook slowly in a cast iron and render it, letting the flavors slowly caramelize. Take the time to develop a beautiful crust and leave the meat perfectly medium rare.
SERVES 8–10
1 (2½-pound) top sirloin cap
Salt
Steak rub of your choice
Fresh herbs like rosemary, garlic, and thyme
Maldon flake sea salt for finishing
Season the sirloin cap with salt and steak rub, then let stand for about 15–20 minutes, allowing the meat to come to room temperature.
Place a cast-iron pan at the edge of the fire and preheat for about 5 minutes, taking care not to get it hot but rather just warmed.
Place the roast fat side down on the cast iron and slide the pan to the hot part of the fire. After just a few minutes, fat will fill the bottom of the pan. Adjust the pan in the fire as needed for heat, and cook for about 15–20 minutes, allowing the fat to fully render.
While the steak cooks, add a handful of fresh herbs like rosemary, garlic, and thyme to the pan and baste the top of the meat. If the fat cap is cooking too fast, flip the meat over and cook the other side while the heat adjusts.
Do this back and forth until the meat reaches a nice medium rare, about 130°F. Take the pan off the heat. Remove the roast from the pan, pour the hot fat over the meat, and let stand for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt flakes to finish. Slice and serve.
Note: This process can be speeded up if necessary, but the slower it goes, the better the flavor.
Pair with 2020 Bouza Tannat Reserva, Uruguay. $30, available at Vino per Tutti.
