Picanha, cauliflower, tomato mole

Martin Baránek from the Olomouc Steak restaurant has shared with us a recipe and the use of enzymes from komekoji to speed up the preparation of picanha. This cut of meat is typically very tough and needs to be aged for at least a month to become tender—unless you use komekoji…

Picanha (Beef Rump Cap)

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg picanha (ideally sourced from a butcher as a dry-aged rump cap; we don’t want it pre-aged, komekoji will help us with that)
• 40 g Komekoji

Method:

1. Blend the komekoji into a fine powder
2. Coat the picanha on all sides with the komekoji powder, then place it on a rack or perforated tray. The meat may release some juices, so place a bowl or tray underneath
3. In home conditions, we recommend vacuum-sealing the meat to prevent contamination from bacteria in the fridge
4. If you have access to a meat-aging fridge, don’t hesitate to use it—I personally use one in our restaurant for aging beef
5. Let it age for 7 days
6. After seven days, remove from the fridge, trim off the komekoji and any dried surface, and portion into approximately 200 g pieces
7. Sear the picanha over hot coals, starting with the fat cap side. It’s important to render it well so the meat is not chewy
8. Sear on all sides, then move away from the highest heat and finish cooking slowly. Ideally cook to medium (62°C internal temperature)
9. Let the meat rest for 3–4 minutes
10. Slice into thin pieces

The key benefit of aging picanha with komekoji is the time saved—normally, we would age it for a month to break down the coarse muscle fibers, but komekoji can achieve this in just one week

Tomato Mole

Ingredients:

• 500 g tomatoes
• 60 g chili peppers
• 15 g ancho chili
• 90 g onion
• 5 g garlic
• 40 g olive oil
• 15 g salt
• 15 g balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Char the tomatoes, chili peppers, and peeled onion cut into thick slices over an open flame until blackened, then set aside
2. Place the charred vegetables and remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth; do not strain
3. Adjust seasoning if needed

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower
• 100 g clarified butter

Method:

1. Rinse the cauliflower, pat dry, and season well with salt
2. Wrap in foil and roast at 180°C for approximately 20 minutes
3. Unwrap, brush with clarified butter, and start grilling over charcoal on all sides
4. Grill until golden brown; slight charring is fine. Baste continuously with clarified butter during cooking
5. Once nicely colored, cut into quarters, brush with butter one last time, and serve

Try the full recipe or get inspired by its individual components!

Enjoy your meal!