The Small Town Chef

Big beef flavor, a crisp fat cap, and just enough drama for a small backyard gathering. There are certain cuts of beef that make people stop talking when they hit the table. Picanha is one of them. It’s bold, beautifully beefy, surprisingly easy to grill, and just different enough to make dinner feel like an occasion. I especially like it for smaller get-togethers because one roast feeds several people without committing me to an enormous brisket—or trapping me at the grill cooking individual steaks all evening. The real magic, though, is that fat cap . Cook it properly and it becomes deeply browned and crisp around the edges while slowly basting the beef underneath. Rush it, trim it away, or fail to render it, and you’ve missed the entire point.   What Is Picanha? Picanha is the triangular muscle located at the top of the sirloin. In American butcher shops, it may be labeled   top sirloin cap , sirloin cap, rump cap, or coulotte . Unlike an ordinary sirloin roast, picanha sh...

  A backyard-ready take on classic carne asada with a punchy red marinade, fire-roasted salsa, and real-deal grill flavor There’s a certain moment every year when the weather finally breaks—when the grill cover comes off, the beer gets colder, and suddenly everything just needs to be cooked over fire. This past week, I decided to try ArnieTex’s legendary carne asada red marinade —and yeah… this one hits. Not subtle. Not quiet. This is bold, backyard, feed-a-crowd kind of food. 👉 I’ve linked my streamlined recipe card if you want to cook without the scroll. A Quick Detour (Because This Is Real Life Cooking) Traditionally, you’re reaching for skirt steak here. It’s the classic—thin, beefy, built for high heat and quick slicing. But I didn’t have skirt steak. What I did have was a small, beef tenderloin roast. So I butterflied it, opened it up into a thinner cut, and let it ride in that marinade. And here’s the thing… It worked beautifully. Different? Sure. Less chewy, more tender, ...

Big Flavor. No Fuss. Perfect for Grilling or Roasting. If you’ve got pork and a pantry, you’ve already got the makings of something amazing. Dry rubs are one of my favorite ways to bring serious flavor without the need for extra sauces, marinades, or fuss. You mix it, rub it, let it hang out for a bit, and you're good to go—grill, roast, or even smoke. Today I’m sharing three bold, globally-inspired dry rubs I reach for constantly. Each one hits different: smoky and sultry, herby and bright, or warm and aromatic. These rubs are easy to whip up, easy to scale, and seriously delicious on everything from chops to pork shoulder to tenderloin. Let’s take a little world tour, shall we? 🌶 1. Mexican-Inspired Ancho-Cocoa Rub This rub is like a slow burn campfire—smoky, a little sweet, earthy from the cocoa, with just enough warmth to make things interesting. It’s killer on pork shoulder or anything you’re tossing on the grill for a taco night. What’s in it: 1 tbsp ancho chile powder 1 tbs...

A bold, citrusy grilled chicken marinated in an achiote-guajillo adobo with garlic, Mexican oregano, and warm spices. There are marinades that add a little flavor to chicken, and then there are marinades that completely change its personality. This pollo asado falls into the second category. The marinade is built with earthy achiote , mild guajillo chiles , fresh orange and lime juice, a splash of apple cider vinegar, plenty of garlic, Mexican oregano , cumin, and coriander. The chicken comes off the grill juicy, deeply seasoned, and beautifully charred, with that unmistakable color from the achiote. This is not background flavor. The good news is that none of it is difficult. Soften the chiles, blend and strain the marinade, give the chicken a few hours to soak it all up, and let the grill do the rest. What Is Pollo Asado? Pollo asado simply means “grilled chicken,” so there is no single recipe that represents every version made throughout Mexico and Latin America. This ve...