WHIPPING UP A GOOD MEAL WHILE TRAVELLING AND CAMPING OUT CAN BE MOST REWARDING.
GemLife Chef Matt Conquest said one of his favourite roadtrip recipes is picanha or beef rump cap.
“Cooking a picanha in a camp oven (or Dutch oven) is a great way to get a tender, flavourful meal. One of the best things about it is that picanha is an impressive, yet relatively cheap cut that can impress your fellow travellers as well,” he said.
Picanha Rump
Serves 2 | Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
1.5 to 2 kg rump cap
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine (optional)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary (or a mix of both)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp flour (optional, for thickening the sauce)
Method
- Preheat your camp oven. If using charcoal, prepare a base of hot coals. You’ll need to place some coals underneath and on top of the camp oven for even cooking. If you are using your oven, preheat it to 180 degrees Celsius and heat the pot in the oven or on a suitable stove.
- To prepare the rump cap (also known as picanha, fat cap, coulotte, or top sirloin cap), pat the rump cap dry with paper towel and cut off any silver skin on the bottom side. Turn it over and lightly score the fat cap crisscross. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in the camp oven over medium-high heat. Brown the rump cap on all sides until it has a nice sear. This should take about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove the browned meat and set it aside. In the same camp oven, add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, for about 5 minutes. Add your garlic and tomato paste and stir through until browned off.
- Pour in the red wine (if using) and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add the beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir well to combine.
- Return the browned rump cap to the camp oven, placing it on top of the vegetables and bring the dish to a simmer. Cover the camp oven lid and add some coals on top or, if using a traditional oven, turn the temp to 150°C and cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
- Finishing the sauce. For a thicker sauce, remove the meat once it’s cooked and tip off any liquid in the pot into a smaller saucepan. Stir in a tablespoon of flour mixed with a bit of water and simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Slice or shred the rump cap and serve it with the vegetables and sauce. Enjoy!
