Moqueca arrives at the table still moving — the clay pot holds heat long after it leaves the stove, and the stew keeps cooking in front of you.
Coconut milk for body, dendê oil for colour and a particular nutty depth, and coriander added at the end so it stays bright. Tomato and peppers do the rest.
Rice first, stew over it, and pirão on the side. Take your time: the pot will still be hot when you go back for a second serving.
It is the cut Brazil built its churrasco on — sirloin cap, fat layer intact, salted coarsely and grilled whole. Here is what makes it different from any steak you have had, and how to order it the way a Brazilian would.
Black beans, select cuts of pork, and time you cannot shorten. What goes in it and what belongs beside it.
Picanha na Brasa, grilled whole and sliced at your table.