The signature cut is picanha, taken from the top of the rump. The meat is typically sliced into thick steaks, folded, skewered and grilled with the fat facing the heat so it bastes the meat as it cooks.
At Brazilian homes, steak is served with a variety of different sides, like rice and black beans, farofa (toasted cassava flour mixture), a vinaigrette like chimichurri, tomato and onion salsa, and fried cassava or potato. In churrascarias, the spread might include a salad bar, hot sides, and hearts of palm and sliced vegetables.
Steak is a staple of French bistro culture.
France
Think of French food and perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic steak frites: thinly slied entrecôte (a boneless cut from the rib) served alongside a pile of crispy chips. But look further and a whole range of beef dishes come into view, from steak tartare to boeuf Bourguignon.
Travel tip:
The French generally serve their steak rare, so master these terms: bleu (still raw inside), saignant (rare), à point (medium-rare), cuit (medium), bien cuit (well done).
Before the late 19th Century, however, most French people were not consuming beef regularly; cattle were primarily used to work the farms or to produce milk. Advances in agriculture, transport and urban dining converged to bring beef front and centre. With this shift came the rise of Parisian bistros and brasseries, where cuts like bavette and entrecôte (paired with potatoes) became commonplace.
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