Cut vs cut
Picanha vs Tri-Tip
The short answer
The fat cap, and which end of the sirloin. Picanha is the cap off the top of the sirloin and keeps an inch of fat on its back, which renders down and bastes the meat as it cooks. Tri-tip is the bottom sirloin, trimmed lean, and its grain changes direction halfway along the roast.
Picanha
The cap that sits on the back of the top sirloin, sold with its fat left on. It is the same muscle as a coulotte roast — the only difference is whether the butcher left the cap. Rendering that cap is the whole technique, and it is in tension with the meat underneath: the fat wants time over moderate heat, the meat wants to come off at medium-rare.
Tri-Tip
The bottom sirloin's triangular tip, and the cut Santa Maria barbecue was built on. Leaner than picanha with no cap to baste it, so it rewards a marinade or a long, low smoke before the sear. The grain turning mid-roast is the thing that catches people out — carve it wrong and a well-cooked tri-tip still eats tough.
Side by side
| Picanha | Tri-Tip | |
|---|---|---|
| Primal | Beef loin — top of the sirloin | Beef loin — bottom of the sirloin |
| Muscle | Biceps femoris | Tensor fasciae latae |
| Fat cap | Left on — trim to ¼ inch and score it | None to speak of |
| Typical weight | 2–3 lb whole | 1.5–2.5 lb whole |
| Grain | Runs the length of the triangle | Changes direction partway along |
| Best methods | Grill, rotisserie | Reverse sear, smoke, grill |
| Also sold as | Coulotte, top sirloin cap, rump cap, punta de anca | Santa Maria steak, triangle steak, bottom sirloin |
| Price | Mid | Value |
The verdict
Which one to buy
Picanha, if you are cooking over fire and want the fat to do the seasoning — the cap renders down through the meat and the cut needs nothing but coarse salt. Tri-tip if you want a leaner roast that feeds more people for less, takes a smoker well, and slices neatly for sandwiches the next day. One buying note: insist on at least a quarter-inch of cap left on the picanha. Fully trimmed, it is an expensive top sirloin.
Two triangular cuts from the same primal, endlessly mixed up, and genuinely different once the fire is lit.
Where they sit on the animal
Picanha is the cap on top of the sirloin — the biceps femoris — with its fat cap intact. Untrimmed that
cap can be an inch thick.
Tri-tip is the triangular muscle at the bottom of the same sirloin. No cap, so it is leaner, cheaper,
and far more dependent on how you cook it.
The fat cap is a technique, not a garnish
Cooked fat side up, the cap renders down through the muscle and seasons it from above. That is why picanha
tastes richer than the top sirloin cut from the muscle directly beneath it.
It also creates the one real difficulty with the cut: the cap needs sustained moderate heat to render, and
the meat underneath needs to come off the fire at 130–135°F. Those two things pull against each other,
which is why fat-side-down over indirect heat first — then a hard sear — beats treating it like a steak.
Carving
Picanha's grain runs the length of the triangle, so slice perpendicular to the long edge. Tri-tip's turns,
so split the roast at the turn and carve each half separately. Rest both ten minutes first.
Common questions
Are they the same cut?
No. They come from opposite ends of the sirloin — picanha from the cap on top, tri-tip from the bottom. They get confused because both are triangular, both grill well, and both live or die on being sliced across the grain.
Can I substitute one for the other?
Yes, in either direction, with one adjustment. Tri-tip has no fat cap, so it wants a marinade or a basting fat and a closer eye on the fire. Picanha will look after itself if you cook it fat side up.
My picanha came trimmed — did I get the wrong thing?
You got a coulotte, or a cap that has been shaved. It is still good beef, and it is not going to eat like picanha: with no fat there is nothing to render. Check the cap thickness before you buy, not after.
Why does tri-tip get sliced two different ways?
The grain genuinely changes direction partway along the roast. Find the seam where it turns, cut the roast in two there, then slice each half across its own grain.
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Picanha
The cap that sits on the back of the top sirloin, sold with its fat left on. It is the ...
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Tri-Tip
The bottom sirloin's triangular tip, and the cut Santa Maria barbecue was built on. Lea...
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