Oven Roasted Picanha
Tom Hixson Picanha:
1.2kg (2lb 10oz)beef picanha, whole piece
150g (51/2oz/1 cup) rock salt (do not use table, cooking salt or sea salt flakes)
For the Shoyu Koji, Lime and Garlic Dressing: 120ml (4fl oz/1/2 cup)
shoyu koji blended until smooth (or buy ready-made from Japanese grocers or online)
60ml (2fl oz/1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
60ml (2fl oz/1/4 cup) lime juice
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and
finely diced
For the Garnish:
Sunflower oil, for deep- frying
2 onions (approximately 300g/101/2oz), peeled and sliced lengthways
50g (13/4oz/1/3 cup) cornflour (corn starch)
15g (1/2oz/1/3 cup) micro coriander (micro cilantro)
15g (1/2oz) micro red amaranth or edible flowers
1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
Maldon sea salt flakes, to taste
OVEN-ROASTED BEEF PICANHA
In Shoyu Koji, Lime and Garlic Dressing
SHIO-KOJI
1. If you are making the Shoyu koji, you should make this at least one month in advance.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Preheat the oven grill (broiler).
3. Heat enough sunflower oil in a medium-sized pan to deep-fry the onions to 160°C/320°F. Depending on the size of the pan and the amount of oil used, you may need to fry the onions in 3–4 batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Place a batch of sliced onions in a bowl, add 1 tbsp of cornflour (corn starch) and mix it well to coat the onion slices thoroughly. Carefully lower the onions into the hot oil and fry them for a few minutes until lightly golden. Remove the onions from the oil and place them on a tray lined with kitchen paper (paper towel). Repeat this process until all the onion slices have been fried. The onion will not be crispy at this stage, they will be fried again just before serving and will turn very crispy then. Set the onions aside until needed but keep the oil hot as you will be re- frying the onions shortly.
4. Now make the Shoyu koji, lime and garlic dressing by mixing together all the dressing ingredients.
5. Cut the whole picanha into 6 pieces, each about 200–250g (7–9oz) and 5cm (2 inches) thick, keeping the fat on the upper surface of the meat.
6. Place the picanha pieces over a rack within a roasting tin (pan), so that the fat will drip into the tin (pan). Rub them generously in the rock salt and roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes flesh side up.
7. After 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, turn the picanha pieces over and place the tray on a lower rack under the preheated grill (broiler), and grill (broil) them for a further 5–10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, while you grill (broil) the picanha, re-fry the onions at 160°C/320°F, again in batches. They will only need about 30–60 seconds to gain a deeper golden colour and turn very crispy. Remove them from the oil and drain on a tray lined with fresh kitchen paper (paper towel). Season with fine sea salt.
9. Check how well done the meat is by squeezing it – I use the highly scientific ‘finger poke method’ to know when the meat is done. I like my meat pink
(medium-rare), so the picanha should feel bouncy but firm, cooked for about 15–20 minutes in total. Alternatively, slice one picanha through its thickest part to check for doneness. Brush off any excess rock salt from the meat.
10. Using the sharpest knife you have, slice the meat very thinly, ham thickness if you can. Place the slices in a row, preferably on a long rectangular dish, drizzle some of the Shoyu koji, lime and garlic dressing over them, and top with the micro coriander (micro cilantro), micro red amaranth or edible flowers, white sesame seeds and sea salt flakes. Serve immediately.
Recipe extracted from The Japanese Larder by Luiz Hara, published by White Lion Publishing. Available to buy online or from all good book retailers.
© Simon Smith for Quarto Publishing Group PLC
