Was it not done well? Or cooked right and still not too good?
danzoschacher
Try buying one and cooking it up. Fogo is bullshit
truthtakest1me
Sorry for the crappy pic but I went to Fugo De Chao tonight for my birthday dinner and to be honest I expected more from a Brazilian steakhouse.
Don’t get me wrong it was a great experience, all the servers bringing skewer after skewer of meat around was fantastic but I’ve had pichana three times now and I just don’t understand the hype.
Maybe my tastebuds are broken but each slice I tried tonight was medium rare but holy chew Batman it was not good.
The best thing was the salad bar and the amazing tasting piece of sausage link and top sirloin I was served everything else from the lamb to the chicken was very mid. The chicken was dry AF! 😮💨
Anyone have a good Brazilian steakhouse recommendation?
RedditBlowsGoats69
Your loss, more for the rest of us.
But Fogo has gone downhill, they grew/expanded too fast and their quality has dropped while their prices increased, like most of America, unfortunately. I try to find local/smaller/non-chain Brazilian steakhouses, typically a much better experience, although not quite the same giant salad bar spread.
rainmaker_superb
Fogo isn’t the same anymore, hard to recommend now.
But like the other fella said, cook your own and see how you feel. For cheaper cuts of meat, it’s a top tier cut for steaks.
MyNameJot
Felt the same way when I got to go here on my trip to Austin. I concluded that it was probably not the steak itself but rather the preparation not being very good. It was alright when I went but I know I couldve cooked it way better.
SpiritOne
Blasphemy!!
Fooforthought
Such an underrated cut. Watch when they catch on and hike up the price ! Do it now
FishermanGlum9034
I haven’t been to a Brazilian steak house in years, went to all the national chains, like Texas De Brazil, Fogo de chao, Boi Na Braza (I think they closed down), Brazerois, and Rodizio (Cincinnati, the cheapest and probably the worst of those but still good steaks). I will have to say the Pichana was always my favorite, surprised because I favor the ribeye. Sorry they’ve gone down in quality.
mrchowmein
its the only thing i want from a brazillian bbq place.
tone_creature
Sirloin cap may be one of my favorite cuts of beef.
EffectiveOk3353
You never had good picanha then, it’s easy one of my favorite cuts but it needs to be real picanha from Brazil or Argentina or around there and it needs cooked properly, I go to a Brazilian family run place and it’s absolutely amazing they do a slow cooked spare rib thing called Vaca atolada that is unbelievable. Those big chain restaurants that do rodízio are usually shit in comparison. British “picanha” is atrocious 😆 as well.
lunellimike
u never had a good picanha then… its delicious and prob my favorite cut
Zufalstvo
Best quality per dollar in my opinion. Not the best but it doesn’t have to be because it’s relatively cheap
sinkpisser1200
Its a great piece of meat for the BBQ to slow roast. Sear it, heat up the fat a bit and then cook it on low heat for several hours fat cap up. Its nice to just have drinks, chats eat some other pieces of meat untill the Picanha is done. Then share it with the guests. The small and crispy piece at the end is for the person grilling it.
Its not just the cut, its the way you eat it. Almost like a ceremony.
TMC2502
Fogo used to be my favorite spot but it has really gone downhill. I’m honestly happy to see others sharing the same experience because I thought maybe our location just stopped caring. Seems like the chain as a whole got greedy
jairumaximus
I have only ever been to Fogo once in my 24 years here in the US and it pales in comparison to Picanhas i have had down in my own home country of Brasil. But even though I am from Brasil, picanha has never been my cut. If you in the Houston area go to Empório instead and get yourself some Coxinhas and pastels. That is the stuff I miss from Brasil. Brasil has a lot of delicious comfort foods, sadly not a whole lot of places that sell them here in the US that I am aware of.
domeclown357
I have a Rodizio that my family likes to go to for birthdays etc. We love it but you have to grade it on a different scale. The Picanha is practically flavorless compared to the one I make at home (salt brined, sous vide, finished on coast iron).
juanuha
It’s nothing special, it’s ok but that’s it.
qTzz
Picanha is my favorite cut although ive never cooked it this way. I always cut into steaks and reverse sear indoors or sear and finish indirect on the grill
K4ntgr4y
I cook mine sous vide as steak, I highly recommend
zzeduardozz
Make them on a blackstone after cutting it in strips keeping the fat on. Best meat for daily
FuctMondays
SAAAAAAAMMME!!!
blackberyl
It’s also important to question what you are looking for in a steak. If it’s tenderness and fatty indulgence, it will never impress you. Not casting shade, but many steak lovers actually just love the indulgence on the rendered fat in cuts like ribeye or the copious amount of butter they put on fillets to accomplish the same then. That’s why marbling has become such craze.
But if you like the flavor of beef, it’s almost inversely proportional to the tenderness of the cut. Ribeye just mashes this fact because the fat enhances what flavor is there.
I frequently cook shoulder steaks. They are tough, poorly marbled, and have giant chunk of typically inedible fat and gristle going through them. But they also have some of the most flavor of any cut. So it you know how to tea form them into a steak, and like “beef”, they are incomparable.
Many people that love picanha are tapping into this little served portion of their psyche that typically is only filled with crappy quality big chain sirloins, which are even worse than picanha.
Amishpornstar7903
Filets, ribeyes, skirt steak are all I need.
jimbdown
Tough picanha. We’re you cutting with the grain?
bendersnatch
its a a chunk of sirloin with a churched up name. As with tri-tip.
tropicbrownthunder
Then you haven’t tried a good one
PersonalTrainerFit
It may not be the best steak, but it’s still good, and I’m a big boy and I’ll eat way more steak than $65 worth. So it’s always a good deal for me
DoNotResusit8
Fogo is almost Nogo now.
I’m a carnivore so it’s one of the few places I can really go to eat so I still go once a month.
It’s been bad for quite a while though this past weekend it was really good for the first time in years.
Still got scorched filet at one point.
Manticzeus
That’s not the pichanas fault, it’s the chefs.
Critical-Werewolf-53
Don’t buy it at a shitty steak house 🤷♂️
PLaTinuM_HaZe
Fogo de chão varies wildly depending on location cause it has gotten so large. I’ve been to Fogos that are good and ones that are bad. That being said, there are so many good rodízio style churrascarias in the US now that you have plenty of options. Near me there is Galpão, Espetus, Show de Carnes, Sabor Gaúcho, etc. Many times the issue is that Americans frequently have no clue why they’re doing at a churrascaria. For one, you should always be getting the farofa to put on your steak with is fried tapioca flour, it’s one of the most amazing Brazilian food inventions. Also, if your server doesn’t speak good English or doesn’t ask how you want your meat you just need to make sure to ask for”mal passada” so that you don’t get the well done pieces.
I’m probably biased since my wife is Brazilian and we have it all the time but when rodízio is done correctly it’s incredible. I’ve been to incredible chirrascarias in the states and in Brazil. As others have said, picanha done right is one of the best cuts you can get for the money. Next time try a different churrascaria in your area.
JawnEfKenOdy
Steak is steak for me. I love em all so long as they’re at the recommended doneness
artsstra
It’s good but not mindblowing after a slice or two I’m alright
Dull_Present506
??? It’s so flavourful! It used to be relatively cheap here in NE TX at $10-$12/lb last year
JesusAntonioMartinez
I make mine in a cast iron skillet. Score the fat cap, and cover the whole thing with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Put it in the oven at 275F for 30 min or so. Then take it out, heat up the pan with some ghee, and sear it.
Comes out perfect every time. The only problem I have is keeping my sons from eating the whole damn roast in one go.
If you want the Brazilian style you gotta find a small churrasco joint. Forgo jumped the shark awhile back.
Jazzlike_Tonight_982
When made correctly with a good helping of salt, its absolutely wonderful.
Problem is, alot of people cant cook it right.
things_most_foul
Just as a side note – threads like this make me delighted to be here. I love pichana, especially as OP’s photo depicts. Not the most tender of cuts, but delicious when done right.
Deijya
They cooked it wrong
FUSe
If you get a pichana that is more than medium, it isn’t good.
So if you got one of the slices off the front that is probably grey, then I agree it is likely gross. If you get the medium or medium-rare (my preference) it is amazing.
Torin774
Fogo has fallen way off
vaipalmeiras
Straight to Brazilian Jail
ryukingu
Do they even add seasoning at fogo??
GrillinFool
I love it when I make it b
ApatheticEnthusiast
I had a Brazilian friend cook picanha on the grill and he kept splashing it with water and salt, it was so strange to watch and so delicious
Block_Chain_Saves
I don’t get it either but I’m a ribeye person all the way. I don’t really care for sirloin or fillet mignon. I mean I might use it for breakfast tacos but for steak dinner, ribeye
My go to for anything other than steak nights is a chuck roast for about 8 bucks a pound where I am at.
47 Comments
Was it not done well? Or cooked right and still not too good?
Try buying one and cooking it up. Fogo is bullshit
Sorry for the crappy pic but I went to Fugo De Chao tonight for my birthday dinner and to be honest I expected more from a Brazilian steakhouse.
Don’t get me wrong it was a great experience, all the servers bringing skewer after skewer of meat around was fantastic but I’ve had pichana three times now and I just don’t understand the hype.
Maybe my tastebuds are broken but each slice I tried tonight was medium rare but holy chew Batman it was not good.
The best thing was the salad bar and the amazing tasting piece of sausage link and top sirloin I was served everything else from the lamb to the chicken was very mid. The chicken was dry AF! 😮💨
Anyone have a good Brazilian steakhouse recommendation?
Your loss, more for the rest of us.
But Fogo has gone downhill, they grew/expanded too fast and their quality has dropped while their prices increased, like most of America, unfortunately. I try to find local/smaller/non-chain Brazilian steakhouses, typically a much better experience, although not quite the same giant salad bar spread.
Fogo isn’t the same anymore, hard to recommend now.
But like the other fella said, cook your own and see how you feel. For cheaper cuts of meat, it’s a top tier cut for steaks.
Felt the same way when I got to go here on my trip to Austin. I concluded that it was probably not the steak itself but rather the preparation not being very good. It was alright when I went but I know I couldve cooked it way better.
Blasphemy!!
Such an underrated cut. Watch when they catch on and hike up the price ! Do it now
I haven’t been to a Brazilian steak house in years, went to all the national chains, like Texas De Brazil, Fogo de chao, Boi Na Braza (I think they closed down), Brazerois, and Rodizio (Cincinnati, the cheapest and probably the worst of those but still good steaks). I will have to say the Pichana was always my favorite, surprised because I favor the ribeye. Sorry they’ve gone down in quality.
its the only thing i want from a brazillian bbq place.
Sirloin cap may be one of my favorite cuts of beef.
You never had good picanha then, it’s easy one of my favorite cuts but it needs to be real picanha from Brazil or Argentina or around there and it needs cooked properly, I go to a Brazilian family run place and it’s absolutely amazing they do a slow cooked spare rib thing called Vaca atolada that is unbelievable. Those big chain restaurants that do rodízio are usually shit in comparison. British “picanha” is atrocious 😆 as well.
u never had a good picanha then… its delicious and prob my favorite cut
Best quality per dollar in my opinion. Not the best but it doesn’t have to be because it’s relatively cheap
Its a great piece of meat for the BBQ to slow roast. Sear it, heat up the fat a bit and then cook it on low heat for several hours fat cap up. Its nice to just have drinks, chats eat some other pieces of meat untill the Picanha is done. Then share it with the guests.
The small and crispy piece at the end is for the person grilling it.
Its not just the cut, its the way you eat it. Almost like a ceremony.
Fogo used to be my favorite spot but it has really gone downhill. I’m honestly happy to see others sharing the same experience because I thought maybe our location just stopped caring. Seems like the chain as a whole got greedy
I have only ever been to Fogo once in my 24 years here in the US and it pales in comparison to Picanhas i have had down in my own home country of Brasil. But even though I am from Brasil, picanha has never been my cut. If you in the Houston area go to Empório instead and get yourself some Coxinhas and pastels. That is the stuff I miss from Brasil. Brasil has a lot of delicious comfort foods, sadly not a whole lot of places that sell them here in the US that I am aware of.
I have a Rodizio that my family likes to go to for birthdays etc. We love it but you have to grade it on a different scale. The Picanha is practically flavorless compared to the one I make at home (salt brined, sous vide, finished on coast iron).
It’s nothing special, it’s ok but that’s it.
Picanha is my favorite cut although ive never cooked it this way. I always cut into steaks and reverse sear indoors or sear and finish indirect on the grill
I cook mine sous vide as steak, I highly recommend
Make them on a blackstone after cutting it in strips keeping the fat on. Best meat for daily
SAAAAAAAMMME!!!
It’s also important to question what you are looking for in a steak. If it’s tenderness and fatty indulgence, it will never impress you. Not casting shade, but many steak lovers actually just love the indulgence on the rendered fat in cuts like ribeye or the copious amount of butter they put on fillets to accomplish the same then. That’s why marbling has become such craze.
But if you like the flavor of beef, it’s almost inversely proportional to the tenderness of the cut. Ribeye just mashes this fact because the fat enhances what flavor is there.
I frequently cook shoulder steaks. They are tough, poorly marbled, and have giant chunk of typically inedible fat and gristle going through them. But they also have some of the most flavor of any cut. So it you know how to tea form them into a steak, and like “beef”, they are incomparable.
Many people that love picanha are tapping into this little served portion of their psyche that typically is only filled with crappy quality big chain sirloins, which are even worse than picanha.
Filets, ribeyes, skirt steak are all I need.
Tough picanha. We’re you cutting with the grain?
its a a chunk of sirloin with a churched up name. As with tri-tip.
Then you haven’t tried a good one
It may not be the best steak, but it’s still good, and I’m a big boy and I’ll eat way more steak than $65 worth. So it’s always a good deal for me
Fogo is almost Nogo now.
I’m a carnivore so it’s one of the few places I can really go to eat so I still go once a month.
It’s been bad for quite a while though this past weekend it was really good for the first time in years.
Still got scorched filet at one point.
That’s not the pichanas fault, it’s the chefs.
Don’t buy it at a shitty steak house 🤷♂️
Fogo de chão varies wildly depending on location cause it has gotten so large. I’ve been to Fogos that are good and ones that are bad. That being said, there are so many good rodízio style churrascarias in the US now that you have plenty of options. Near me there is Galpão, Espetus, Show de Carnes, Sabor Gaúcho, etc. Many times the issue is that Americans frequently have no clue why they’re doing at a churrascaria. For one, you should always be getting the farofa to put on your steak with is fried tapioca flour, it’s one of the most amazing Brazilian food inventions. Also, if your server doesn’t speak good English or doesn’t ask how you want your meat you just need to make sure to ask for”mal passada” so that you don’t get the well done pieces.
I’m probably biased since my wife is Brazilian and we have it all the time but when rodízio is done correctly it’s incredible. I’ve been to incredible chirrascarias in the states and in Brazil. As others have said, picanha done right is one of the best cuts you can get for the money. Next time try a different churrascaria in your area.
Steak is steak for me. I love em all so long as they’re at the recommended doneness
It’s good but not mindblowing after a slice or two I’m alright
???
It’s so flavourful! It used to be relatively cheap here in NE TX at $10-$12/lb last year
I make mine in a cast iron skillet. Score the fat cap, and cover the whole thing with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Put it in the oven at 275F for 30 min or so. Then take it out, heat up the pan with some ghee, and sear it.
Comes out perfect every time. The only problem I have is keeping my sons from eating the whole damn roast in one go.
If you want the Brazilian style you gotta find a small churrasco joint. Forgo jumped the shark awhile back.
When made correctly with a good helping of salt, its absolutely wonderful.
Problem is, alot of people cant cook it right.
Just as a side note – threads like this make me delighted to be here. I love pichana, especially as OP’s photo depicts. Not the most tender of cuts, but delicious when done right.
They cooked it wrong
If you get a pichana that is more than medium, it isn’t good.
So if you got one of the slices off the front that is probably grey, then I agree it is likely gross. If you get the medium or medium-rare (my preference) it is amazing.
Fogo has fallen way off
Straight to Brazilian Jail
Do they even add seasoning at fogo??
I love it when I make it b
I had a Brazilian friend cook picanha on the grill and he kept splashing it with water and salt, it was so strange to watch and so delicious
I don’t get it either but I’m a ribeye person all the way. I don’t really care for sirloin or fillet mignon. I mean I might use it for breakfast tacos but for steak dinner, ribeye
My go to for anything other than steak nights is a chuck roast for about 8 bucks a pound where I am at.