Picanha Steak, Pão de Queijo & Carnival Sides

Picanha Steak, Pão de Queijo & Carnival Sides

Servings: 4 Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Family Friendly Family Friendly Party Pleaser Party Pleaser
Brazilian BBQ Feast with Rotisserie Picanha & Cheesy Pão de Queijo

If you’ve got your hands on a prime cut of Picanha, you’re in for one mouthwatering BBQ session. This Brazilian-inspired feast is all about celebrating big flavours. We’re talking about rich, beefy Picanha, charred to perfection on the rotisserie, paired with gooey, cheesy Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), smoky sweet potato wedges, and a zesty salsa that brings everything together. This is not just BBQ—it’s a trip to Rio in your backyard. Want to see how it’s done? Head over to my Instagram and watch the reel of me making this feast here.

Picanha Steak, Pão de Queijo & Carnival Sides

Prep Time 45 mins Cook Time 1 hr Rest Time 10 mins Total Time 1 hr 55 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 190  C Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: £ 40 Calories: Approximately 850 per serving Best Season: Summer

Ingredients

For the Picanha:

For the Pão de Queijo:

For the Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges:

For the Carnival Confetti Salsa:

Instructions

  1. Picanha Preparation:

    • Trim the Picanha: Remove excess fat and silverskin, leaving the fat cap intact.
    • Slice the Steaks: Place fat-side down and slice with the grain into 2.5-3cm thick steaks.
    • Dry Brine: Generously coat each steak with coarse sea salt, place them on a wire rack, and refrigerate uncovered overnight.
  2. Cooking the Picanha:

    • Set Up the BBQ: Get your Everdure Hub 2 fired up until coals are white-hot.
    • Skewer & Cook: Skewer the steaks Brazilian-style on the rotisserie rod. Cook, turning continuously until the internal temperature reaches 57°C for medium-rare (or 63°C for medium).
    • Rest: Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
  3. Pão de Queijo:

    • Prep the Dough: Heat milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan until hot. Pour the mixture into a stand mixer, slowly adding the tapioca flour. Once slightly cooled, mix in the cheese and eggs until smooth.
    • Bake: Preheat oven to 190°C, grease a mini muffin tin, and spoon the batter in. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.
  4. Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges:

    Season & Grill: Toss sweet potato wedges in olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt. Air-fry in your Ninja Woodfire Grill at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, shaking halfway through.

  5. Carnival Confetti Salsa:

    Combine & Rest: Mix diced mango, pomegranate seeds, red onion, coriander, lime juice, and chilli. Season with salt and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

  6. Plating Up:

    Arrange the Picanha slices on a large wooden board, surround them with Pão de Queijo, sweet potato wedges, and a bowl of salsa. Serve immediately and enjoy the carnival of flavours!

Note

For extra kick, add a bit more chilli to the salsa.

You can use briquettes for longer cooking times on the rotisserie​.

Sweet potato wedges can be made in advance and crisped up before serving​​.

Keywords: Picanha steak, Brazilian BBQ, Pão de Queijo, sweet potato wedges, carnival salsa, Everdure Hub 2, rotisserie steak, Brazilian cheese bread, BBQ feast, tropical salsa
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pinit
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And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members.

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Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥

Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together.

And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me.

Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from.

There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅

But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things.

And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️
First proper hike completed ✅

Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District.

This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start.

📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular
🥾 7.2 miles
⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain
⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes
🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador

12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it.

Groups like Lads Project matter.

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If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved.

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I’ll definitely be joining them again soon.

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TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥

2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon.

Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it.

I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am.

Full recipe is here:

https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/

Enjoy!
DRAGON, edge of the sky.

Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby.

Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real.

The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season.

Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch.

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